Principal up for the challenge: Building a positive future at local schools

By Jack Elliott
Correspondent

The Rainy River District School Board recently announced changes to previous plans for the administration at Rainy River area schools. Ian Simpson who was previously announced as the principal at Riverview elementary school for the coming year has instead, accepted a position in Thunder Bay. Kendall Olsen former Riverview Principal is moving to the Sturgeon Creek School as Principal. At Donald Young School in Emo Leslie Barr-Kellar will assume duties as Vice-Principal
Casey Slack, principal at Rainy River High School for the past year, will be taking on added responsibilities for Riverview and McCrosson-Tovell elementary schools. Vice-principal at RRHS will be Jim Chorney and at Riverview, Kerry Tolen.
Slack says he welcomes the challenges and sees great opportunities to build bridges between the secondary and elementary schools, particularly Riverview and RRHS. Having high school students mentor elementary pupils and exposing senior elementary students to some high school situations will serve both groups well in achieving their educational goals, he believes.
Slack further states he will emphasize clear communications with parents, so their children’s educational expectations and achievements are clearly understood. Parent councils and input is welcomed and further encouraged.
“Parents are encouraged to talk to their children’s teachers. Just make an appointment with any of them where you can sit down and discuss mutual concerns,” encourages Slack.
Budget and staffing issues, “are still under construction” states Slack adding they must live within the resources allocated by the Board, but he pointed out RRHS is undergoing a further half million dollar in general improvements this year, including a new science lab, main office, entrance and mini drama area. This is in addition to the more than one million spent on renovations over the past two years.
Maintaining, mentoring, encouraging proper conduct and insuring discipline in all school systems, so all students achieve the best education possible, seems to be a major concern and emphasis in schools today.
Bill 212, the Education Amendment Act (Progressive Discipline and School Safety), 2007 was recently enacted by the Ontario Government. The Ministry states highlights include:
-Adding bullying to the list of infractions for which suspension must be considered
-Supporting a progressive discipline approach to choose the appropriate course of action in the case of inappropriate behaviour.
- Replacing mandatory suspensions and expulsions for students (except in limited circumstances) with the requirement that principals and school boards respond to all infractions that occurred in the most appropriate way
-Requiring that mitigating factors be considered before students are suspended or expelled
-Clarifying decision-making authority for principals to suspend and school boards to expel students.
The RRRDSB addresses these responsibilities with their Code of Conduct.
Slack has positive plans for Rainy River. As well as expanded parent councils, Slack supports concepts like RRHS’s Alternative Learning Centre.
“This is a separate area for reluctant learners where they can be encouraged to achieve at their own pace,” explained Slack. By removing an unacceptably disruptive student from the normal classroom environment and providing additional aid and supervision, both this student and the rest of the class benefit.
We just can’t kick them out or suspend them indefinitely. It is our responsibility to provide them with educational opportunities says Slack.
Addressing a concern over conduct at school is best achieved by participating in Parent School Councils. Directly approaching the teacher, principal, or administration is also appropriate and encouraged as Slack stated.
Board Trustees are an avenue to address concerns such as programs, budgets, or governance.
We are a Board of Governance. It is not our role to direct, or supervise teaching staff, or the day-to-day operation of the schools. That’s what we have an administration for, states Ron McAlister, Board member for the west end of the District. Under the new Act, Trustees are also the final arbiter in a student expulsion
In spite of the challenges of declining enrollment and the attendant grant funding problems this creates, Rainy River District schools have achieved some impressive academic scores. Under the Ontario Secondary School Literacy (OSSL) province wide testing for Grade 10 students, last year RRHS scored 88%, four percentage points above the provincial average of 84%. This year Grade 10 students achieved 100%, scoring 6th highest in the entire province.
Good results were also attained by Riverview Elementary School where under the Education Quality Assessment Office (EQAO) Grades 3 and 6 write a series of provincial tests in the three Rs, reading writing and mathematics. In school year 04-05 both Grades were rated above the provincial average. In 05-06 Grade 3 was above average in mathematics, and slightly below in reading and writing. Grade 6 was above average in all three disciplines. Results for 06-07 are not yet available.
“Although these tests provide a snapshot of skill levels at a particular point in time, the impressive results are the culmination of several years education,” states Jack McMaster, Director of Education for the RRDSB.
“It simply doesn’t happen overnight,” he emphasized adding the impressive student scores are the culmination of long-term gains.
Rainy River? Small school? Yes. Isolated? Maybe.
Excellence in Educational Opportunities? Definitely!