4 Retirement Ceremony Carmen Brodziak
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
COLLEGE OF ALBERTA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS Retirement Ceremony The Palisades Room DoubleTree by Hilton Thursday, May 1, 2014 2014 Greeting s the current President of CASS it is my deepest pleasure to thank everyone Awho is retiring this year and offer them our best wishes for the new phases in their life. We express our thanks not only for your contributions over the years but also for your deep commitment to one of the noblest professions in our society. Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give”. Educators can always leave their careers knowing that they gave the gift that is most important to everyone and that is the gift of a future. There is little doubt that your careers in education faced challenges, but we also know that they provided you the greatest and most fulfilling successes. It is those moments that we all hold dear and will cherish as we move to those new adventures in our lives. Each of you who is moving toward those new goals needs to know the level of respect that each of us accords you for a “job well done” and our admiration for the lasting and powerful changes you have made to our profession. Our best wishes for an enjoyable and rewarding future. Larry Jacobs President, CASS Life MEMBERS Marian Biggins I was born in Glasgow, Scotland and grew up nearby in a small town called Coatbridge. I trained as a teacher in Edinburgh and took additional training to be a teacher of the deaf in Oxford, England. My husband Kieran and I immigrated to Canada in 1981 – to Winnipeg, where I continued to teach and work with deaf and hard of hearing students. When we relocated in 1991 to Lethbridge, I started my own business as a Special Education Consultant while completing my M.Ed at the University of Lethbridge. I have worked in many schools in Zone 6 as a teacher, Director of Student Services in Palliser Regional Schools and Medicine Hat School District #76, Early Intervention Specialist in Palliser Regional Schools, Educational Consultant for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with REACH and Education Facilitator with Children’s Care Services (Alberta Health Services). Wherever I have worked I have had the good fortune to be supported by wonderful mentors and have enjoyed working with and learning from my CASS and CASSIX colleagues. In retirement I plan to relax and enjoy family time. We have three children: “wee” Kieran who is married to Carmen (parents of our two grandchildren Elena and Liam) and Caitlin and Gerard who both live, work and study in Lethbridge. I am also enjoying the opportunity to do some part-time work for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium as a Learning Facilitator and am teaching some education courses at the University of Lethbridge. Ed Buckle I feel fortunate and rather blessed to have spent the last 8 years of my 38 year career in education in Alberta with the Grande Prairie Catholic School Division. Catholic education has always been important to me and the opportunity to work in a province where Catholic education is supported and where diversity based upon such religious beliefs is respected made for an easy decision. In 2005 I accepted a position as Principal of Holy Cross, a K to 8 school in Grande Prairie. In 2007 I was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources with Grande Prairie Catholic and held the position until my retirement on January 1, 2014. I began my teaching career in 1975 after the completion of bachelor degrees in physical education and education from Memorial University of Newfoundland. I taught primarily physical education and high school biology at Regina High School which was located in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and one of 21 schools under the jurisdiction of the Humber St. Barbe Roman Catholic School Board. In 1977-78 two years after beginning my teaching career, I requested and was granted an educational leave allowing me to return to Memorial University to complete a Master’s Degree in Physical Education (Administration). In 1992-93 I was granted a sabbatical. Along with my wife and two children Sarah and Jeffrey we moved to Toronto for a year while I attended the University of Toronto and completed a Master’s Degree in Education. I began my career in administration in 1980 with an appointment to a position of assistant principal. For the next 33 years I served as a Principal, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources Manager, Associate Assistant Director of Personnel and lastly, Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources. I was very much involved in school and community life. I coached various high school teams over a span of 30 years with a particular focus on basketball. I served as a trustee with the Western Health Board for 7 years. I was also involved in municipal politics and was elected to serve a four-year term as Councillor and Deputy Mayor with the City of Corner Brook. I was even so daring as to take a run at provincial politics, unfortunately my timing was terrible as was my choice of opponent – Mr. Danny Williams. It is extremely difficult to have a rewarding or successful career in education without the support of others. I am eternally grateful to so many individuals for the support, advice and friendship I received while on my journey. My heartfelt thanks to my wife, Arlene, for her ongoing support and understanding of the demands of being an educator including the many hours and weekends away from home. To the many students, parents and colleagues I worked closely with for believing in me and allowing me to provide leadership and facilitate learning whether in the school, the classroom, on the basketball court or in the Board room. In closing, I would like to leave you with some words by John Maxwell which I feel are essential to the success of all educators, the same words and related thoughts I have often shared with beginning teachers, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Bruce Coggles B ruce Coggles retired in August, 2013 from the position of Assistant Superintendent with Edmonton Public Schools. This marked the conclusion if an incredibly satisfying and rewarding career in education. Upon graduation from University of Alberta in 1971 Bruce taught with Northlands School Division for 2 years before beginning a 40 year tenure with EPSB. His first assignment was at the historic McKay Avenue School, followed by department Head and Assistant Principal positions at Vic Comp and W P Wagner schools. Bruce’s first principalship was at Horse Hill School. A challenging assignment as the school community – Evergreen trailer park - was devastated by Edmonton’s tornado one month later. Two years later Bruce moved into the district office as Supervisor of Planning and Administrative Support Services, and two years later to Associate Superintendent of Schools. This marked his initial membership in CASS and the broader educational community. A district reorganization in 1995 saw a flattening of administrative structure and elimination of Associate Superintendent positions. Bruce was assigned as principal of Jasper Place high school, a position he held for 12 years. During this time the school underwent significant changes in facility, philosophy and programming. In 2005 Maclean’s magazine recognized Jasper Place School as the top overall high school in Canada. The school was also featured in a book “Making Schools Work” by William Ouchi, professor of management, UCLA. Bruce was recognized for his contribution with an Alumni Honour Award from the University of Alberta. In 2007, with another district restructuring, Bruce returned to central office as Assistant Superintendent of Schools – a job he held for the final six years of his career and once again he benefitted from membership in CASS. Bruce has enjoyed the diversity of his many roles in the educational field, and particularly valued the relationships with students and colleagues, the challenge of building high- functioning teams and coaching and mentoring new principals. Another highlight was being invited by the Education Ministry in Jiangsu Province in the People’s Republic of China to participate in an educational reform initiative in which he presented to Principal Forums over several years, sharing a western perspective on school administration and teacher professional development. In retirement Bruce plans to enjoy time with Carolyn, his wife of 44 years, their children and grandchildren and to pursue his hobbies. Sally Deck Sally Deck graduated with a Bachelor of Education, Major in Special Education, from the University of Alberta (1980), and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary (2001). Her entire career was with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, teaching in numerous schools, and nearly every grade, in both special education and in regular classrooms. In 2000, Sally moved into a leadership position to coordinate both the AISI projects and Special Education for the school division. This position evolved over the next fourteen years into the Director of Special Education and finally as the Director of Inclusive Education. Sally was involved with many agencies and stakeholder groups in her career. She always advocated for inclusive school communities where each student is successful and every family’s voice is heard. In retirement, Sally continues to fuel her passion for inclusive communities. She is also enjoying time with her husband, Gord, and their three grown children, James, Trevor and Barb. Dr. Michael Diachuk It has been an honor and a privilege to have served the many students, families, communities and professional colleagues since I began my teaching career in 1977.