Yellowknife (Aug 28/06) - With Echo Dene school here open again as of last Wednesday, there's a lot of learning going on - the learning of new names.

Students returned to find a new principal - Alphonse Janvier - and two new teachers - David and Judy Bishop.

Fresh from Tsiigehtchic, where they spent three years, and a year before that in Paulatuk, the husband and wife team also bring more than a half-century of teaching experience from Newfoundland.

David is a program support teacher and Judy will teach the split class of Grades 2 and 3.

"We're both looking forward to the next school year in Fort Liard," they said.

They'll be working under the leadership of the school's new principal, Janvier, who also has more than 25 years experience in education.

Janvier said he knows the job is not an easy one, but that suits him just fine. "Nothing brings me anywhere except a challenge," he said.

A member of the Dene Nation, he was born and raised in the bush in La Loche in northern Saskatchewan and speaks the Densoline dialect.

Janvier said he entered the field of education because he wanted to make a difference for aboriginal people.

Education has taken him to a number of cities and smaller communities including the Chipewyan Prairie, Driftpile and Dene Tha' First Nations, all in northern Alberta, as well as the English River First Nation in Saskatchewan.

As a teacher and a facilitator, quality of education is of the top importance, he said.

Coming out of a meeting with school staff the day before school started, Janvier said he's already designing ways to improve the quality of education in the community.

Staff discussed attendance as well as involving parents and the community.

"The school is more than the building," said Janvier, adding his philosophy is that the school is open to all parents because it's a community organization. "In order to make it a successful school we need the support of the community," he said.