Peace Wapiti Public School Division

APRIL 12, 2016

DIVISION UPDATE Central Office, 8611A-108 Street, Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V-4C5 | www.pwsd76.ab.ca

Inspiring all learners to become confident, collaborative and ethical citizens motivated with a passion to achieve a sustainable future.

STAFF UPDATE New faces, new roles at PWSD

Bob Stewart has been named Deputy Superintendent at PWSD, effective at the start of the upcoming 2016-2017 school year. Mr. Stewart has served as PWSD’s Assistant Superintendent Learning Services since 2014, and was the Assistant Superintendent Inclusive Education in 2011-2014. During 1996-2011, he held the principalship of Clairmont Community School, Teepee Creek School and Elmworth School, and was the Assistant Principal at Harry Balfour School. Prior to moving into leadership roles, Mr. Stewart taught at Teepee Creek School and with Fort Vermillion School Division. Mr. Stewart will replace Deputy Superintendent Mark Davidson, who will assume the role of Superintendent at Medicine Hat School Division at the end of April.

Darren Young has been appointed as Assistant Superintendent Learning Services at PWSD. Mr. Young joined PWSD in 2014 as Principal of Harry Balfour School. Throughout his career at PWSD and Fort Vermillion School Division (FVSD), Mr. Young has been actively involved in a broad range of divisional leadership activities. Mr. Young has served as a member of PWSD’s Professional Development Committee, District Finance Committee and the Whispering Ridge Community School Design Team. Continued on page 2...

New Robert W. Zahara Public School welcomes students

W

hen Sexsmith and area Kindergarten-Grade 6 students returned from an extended Spring Break on April 6, they went down in Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWSD) history as the first occupants of the replacement Robert W. Zahara (RWZ) Public School. To facilitate the move, PWSD’s Board approved an extended school day for RWZ students for the current year, equating to a three-day extension to the regular Spring Break which began on March 25. When the school’s 415 students flooded the hallways, they were greeted by a bright foyer and spacious new classrooms with ample storage and enhanced instructional features. The learning commons features a curved wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, creating an attractive, naturally-lit space for reading and learning activities. Other special features include an oversize gymnasium, dedicated speech therapy and occupational therapy rooms, a servery, and a large music room. The new school is designed to accommodate 550 students. Demolition of the original school, erected in 1978-1979, will begin after the county fire department has conducted training exercises, making way for a dedicated 11-stall bus parking lot and a separate guest and staff parking area. While the old and new schools are located just steps apart, the task of moving to a new facility is daunting. Principal Lawrie McKeith offered insights

More news from Peace Wapiti Public School Division:

into the administrative side of managing the move to the new school. “For me, taking a seat at the planning table while maintaining the leadership of our school was a learning experience,” says Ms. McKeith. “Kudos to JenCol’s team and the sub-trades for going above and beyond, sometimes working late into the night to get all classrooms ready for opening day.” “Staff and family volunteers have done a fabulous job setting up our new classrooms and learning spaces,” adds Ms. McKeith. “The administrative team worked hard to ensure continuity of services for all of our students, up until the last day in the old school to the first day in the new school.” The construction project was managed by Alberta Education, in conjunction with Dave Michalko, PWSD’s Director of Facilities. “Construction of the $18 million school began in September, 2014 and was completed by Jen-Col Construction,” says Mr. Michalko. “The architects at Workun Garrick brought the building to 30 per cent completion, with the remaining 70 per cent handled by ACI Architects. The total size of the structure, which includes ten modular classrooms, is approximately 4,532 square metres.” An official grand opening is expected to take place early in the new school year. To view photos of the construction process from start to finish, visit PWSD’s Facebook page at http://bit.ly/RWZ-construction.

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