Creating student success Winter 2011 RETSD volunteer chosen as Senior of the Year Bob Harris is likely one of River East Transcona’s longest-serving educators. The former principal of Emerson and Maple Leaf schools may have retired from the division a long time ago, but he’s still teaching its students—in his own way. And he was recently recognized by the mayor’s office for his efforts. Mr. Harris is now a volunteer who devotes time every week to the Grade 4 students at Springfield Heights School, running a stamp club, assisted by his wife Beverley. The club has 35 students in its membership this year—a good mix of both boys and girls—and they meet every Tuesday during the lunch hour to learn the finer points of the hobby of stamp collecting. He has offered this club at a number of schools since 1971 and has focused his attentions solely on Springfield Heights since 2001. All three of his sons attended the school, as well as three of his grandchildren. A familiar face in the halls, Mr. Harris, who lives a short walk away, also acts as a Kiwanis advisor to their K-Kids Club and stops by to pick up the pop can tabs students have collected for the Tabs for Wheelchairs program. He is president of his Kiwanis club. Mr. Harris’s long-time commitment to serving his community is why the students at Springfield Heights chose to nominate him for a Mayor’s Senior of the Year Award. This award was created in 2009 to honour seniors who are actively involved in the community and have made achievements in active living, community service, and arts and education. The staff and students at Springfield Heights managed to keep his nomination—sent in last spring—a secret, and when he was chosen as a recipient in the fall, principal Mario Beauchamp happily broke the news to him. “I was very surprised. I had no idea about it until they told me a couple weeks before I got it. That was real slick,” Mr. Harris said with a smile. On Oct. 18, accompanied by proud fam- ily members, he was presented with his award by Mayor Sam Katz at city hall. He was one of only three seniors to receive the award this year, and won it for the arts and education category. “He gives so freely of his time to teach and advise our students,” said Henri Dupuis, teacher librarian at Springfield Heights. “He really is a role Bob Harris helps stamp club member Taryn Mendella. model to them.” A message from superintendent Dennis Pottage I’ll be ending my career in such wonderful company. It’s been a delight to watch this community’s children grow, learn and discover. I understand and appreciate that The 2011–12 school year is already well underway, what we do as a division is made possible by the support of a great network of caring and our schools are hard at work encouraging stu- families. dents to set and reach goals both personally and as I also salute the retsd board of trustees and our members of their communities. superintendents, whose commitment is second to RETSD staff deliver the curriculum in exciting ways none. They know that public education provides that allow students to learn and make great contri- hope and gives each student the opportunity to butions, whether locally, studying conservation and shape their future—to inspire and be inspired. maintaining nesting habitats for ducks (Students The board of trustees is pleased to announce that experience hands-on conservation, p. 2), or globally, Kelly Barkman will be the new superintendent exploring issues such as fair trade and producing of River East Transcona School Division effective award-winning videos to raise awareness (All it takes is an idea, p. 8). Our staff are Feb. 1, 2012. continually being recognized for their exceptional efforts and I’m very proud of them Mr. Barkman comes to retsd from his position as (Prime Minister’s Award, p. 3; Award-winning inclusive education, p. 8). superintendent of Red River Valley School Divi- I’ll be retiring Jan. 31, 2012. I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to work within this sion, which is headquartered in Morris and serves school division, with its devoted teachers, administrators and support staff, and that 15 southern Manitoba schools. the ground. Mr. Dyck’s father-in-law hatched eggs, too. The students record regularly joins in and lends a hand, as this data and submit it to Ducks Unlim- well. ited Canada. Then they put fresh wood shavings in the boxes to prepare them The group works to repair boxes that for the next spring. are damaged and replaces those that have been removed because they were The water fowl that come upon these attached to trees felled due to Dutch well-tended boxes, in a safe, quiet cem- elm disease. Then they empty the etery along the Red, could be called contents and do some detective work just one thing—lucky ducks. to determine what animals made use of the boxes. Most often it’s ducks, but sometimes clever little squirrels take up residence, and one of the boxes was successfully used by Eastern Screech Owls for a few consecutive years. Students experience hands-on have participated in a duck boxes Mr. Dyck, having at one time worked Congrats! conservation project that takes them to the banks of in the education department at Oak the Red River. They have several duck Hammock Marsh, is able to give the Congratulations to trustee It’s a tough life out there for cavity- boxes, donated by Ducks Unlimited students a hands-on conservation ex- Peter Kotyk (left), who was nesting ducks. Just when they think Canada and constructed by the stu- perience that makes a great impression elected retsd board chair for they’ve found a nice spot in a rotted dents, bolted to trees in the Elmwood on them. the 2011–12 school year, and tree to nest in from year to year and trustee George Marshall, who Cemetery, which borders the river. “The students are very excited to look keep their eggs protected, someone was elected board vice-chair. Many species of cavity-nesting birds through the nest contents and try to comes along and chops down that tree have declined because of habitat re- figure out what used the box,” he said. and all is lost. duction, so this is an important project. “Elmwood Cemetery has been an excel- Your Trustees But thanks to students from Neil lent partner and they even feature the Every October finds the students Ward 1 • Colleen Carswell • 222-1486 Campbell School, many ducks have checking in on the boxes, and this one boxes on tours of their property.” Ward 1 • George Marshall • 221-8464 been able to find a reliable place to was no different. Principal Gerry Hec- While sorting through the box con- Ward 2 • John Toews • 663-0475 keep their eggs and hatchlings pro- Ward 3 • Robert Fraser • 667-9348 tor joined Mr. Dyck and the students tents, the students look for and count tected until they’re ready to get their Ward 4 • Wayne Ritcher • 663-6669 on a sunny but chilly day, climbing a membranes left behind to indicate an Ward 4 • Eva Prysizney • 668-3501 wings wet for the first time. ladder to check the boxes, remove the egg that hatched (the membrane is all Ward 5 • Peter Kotyk • 668-4181 contents and bring them down for the Every fall for the past eight years, that remains, because the mother duck Ward 5 • Shirley Timm-Rudolph • 414-8239 students in teacher Alvin Dyck’s class students, who waited expectantly on eats the shells). They often find un- Ward 6 • Greg Proch • 663-1925 2 The Torch • Winter 2011 A job that married his love of sports With his expertise in graphic design with his design talent was a match and branding, as well as a keen inter- made in heaven. And even better? est in aviation and its history, Mr. He got to experience the triumphant Dudych was well-suited to provide return of the nhl to Winnipeg. Reebok with the technical and histori- cal feedback they needed throughout “When the wheels started going in mo- their design of the new Jets logo in its tion at our office for the purchase of many variations. an nhl franchise, the possibility of my involvement became more real,” said Elements of the design of the logos Mr. Dudych. “It was almost surreal to that have his fingerprints on them in- think I’d become this close to some- clude the type and shape of the jet and thing that had seemed so impossible.” the True North point/notch in the And he’s become quite close to it, act- primary logo. The “Inaugural Season” ing as advisor to Dorian Morphy, the patch featured on the front of all Jets Jets senior director of marketing and jerseys this season is his design, as well. brand management, and Mark Chip- All Winnipeg Jets branding, whether man, owner of the Jets and chairman on print, web or in-game video produc- of True North. tion, has been developed from the As one of the only people at True Jets Brand and Graphic Standards North to have seen the logos from the designed by Mr. Dudych, and the beginning through to their eventual Kildonan-East Collegiate grad has With the Jets just a memory, he gradu- positioning statement and logo he cre- launch, he’s had the opportunity to hand in Jets logo ated top of his class at Kildonan-East ated—Fuelled by Passion.