FORT SIMPSON - When Bompas elementary school in Fort Simpson opens its doors again in the fall, the staff team will be short two long-term members.

Gerda Hazenberg, centre, was honoured for her 16 years as a teacher at Bompas elementary school in a ceremony last month. Hazenberg is seen here with student Katrina Browning, left, her husband John Hazenberg and grandchildren Bradley Riles and Emily Hazenberg. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Both teacher Gerda Hazenberg and principal Terry Jaffray are moving on.

Hazenberg said she'll miss many things about teaching at Bompas including the high level of community involvement.

"What I enjoy about Bompas is it's a community school," she said.

Hazenberg said she particularly enjoyed holding potluck lunches with her classes and their parents for Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. Attendance was almost always 100 per cent, she said.

At the school Hazenberg said she was able to have frequent contact with the parents of students.

Other perks to working at Bompas included the excellent teaching resources, the sports program and the dedicated special needs assistants.

"They go above and beyond their job descriptions," she said.

The only thing that Hazenberg said she wouldn't miss are report cards.

"I won't miss preparing report cards. That's the toughest part of being a teacher," she said.

Hazenberg taught at Bompas for 16 years after starting in September 1991.

Over the years she taught Grades 1, 2, 3 and 5. In total she has taught for 25 years in both Canada and the United States. One thing Hazenberg will be remembered for is organizing the Fort Simpson chapter of the Kole Crook Fiddle Association two years ago.

"She's the reason fiddling has taken off," said colleague Val Gendron.

Hazenberg showed dedication and commitment every week while getting kids to fiddle during the lunch hours, Gendron said.

The fiddling has been great for the kids, said principal Terry Jaffray.

As part of the fiddle program, Hazenberg was very conscious that students in the smaller communities need opportunities too and she made sure to include them, Jaffray said.

During her last few years as a teacher, Hazenberg also worked to be a mentor to the younger teachers, she said.

"I just think she's a very caring and generous person," said Jaffray.

Jaffray is also saying goodbye to the halls of Bompas.

Jaffray has worked at Bompas for the past 17 years. She arrived in the community in the fall of 1989 and started by teaching Grade 3. Over the next few years she also taught Grade 1, 5 and 6 before taking on the role of principal in 1998.

Jaffray has a total of 24 years in teaching. She has taught in other locations in the North including two years in Fort Liard, and five years in the eastern Arctic in the communities of Baker Lake and Chesterfield Inlet.

"When I started teaching I never thought of what I'd be doing in 25 years. Now I know," she said with a smile.

Jaffray isn't leaving education entirely.

She's taking a position as a teacher consultant with the Dehcho Divisional Education Council. She'll also be training for the role of superintendent under a plan to train someone from the school district to replace Nolan Swartzentruber who will be retiring next year.

"I need a bit of a challenge and a change," she said.

Jaffray said she will "absolutely" miss working at Bompas. One of the things she'll miss is having students come up to her and say, "Look Mrs. Jaffray, look at what I did."

"It's such a good feeling to know you had an influence on the way they are and that you work with people who do that," she said.