Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 9, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife Education District No. 1 issued an apology to parents for not communicating with them about a gun scare at the school Oct. 26.

Cheryl Dies will chair an organizing committee for a homecoming at Sir John Franklin to celebrate the high school's 50th anniversary. - Christine Grimard/NNSL photo

"I accept responsibility for the lack of communication or misinformation," said Duff Spence, chairperson of the board. "We may have scared parents and we apologize for that."

While the school board had known about the threat scribbled on a bathroom door Oct. 23, there was no communication sent home to parents prior to Oct. 26, the day the threat was supposed to be executed.

Spence said the board was acting on advice of the RCMP, but that they have the final say in these issues and they should have maintained better communication.

Superintendent Metro Huculak said the school board is working on protocols to make sure they maintain better communications with parents in the future.

Sir John to hold homecoming for 50th anniversary

Sir John Franklin high school is welcoming back its graduates by holding a homecoming Aug. 1 to 3, 2008 in celebration of their 50th anniversary.

Cheryl Dies, chair of the organizing committee and a class of 1981 grad, was at the Yk 1 school board meeting Nov. 6 to ask for the board's support for the homecoming.

"Where we're going and where we end up has a lot to do with where we've been," said Dies, after a presentation that highlighted the many famous names that have passed through the doors of Sir John Franklin high school.

From NWT Commissioner Tony Whitford, to screen star Dustin Milligan and national team speed skater Michael Gilday, Dies pointed out the success stories the territory's first high school has had a hand in creating.

Dies was not asking for money, as the organizing committee plans on holding fundraisers.

She was asking that the high school be available to them for the activities they are planning for the weekend.

The committee hopes to hold a school tour, jam session, and an evening dance.

While the board couldn't approve support as bylaws forbid them from passing motions on activities the same day they are presented, chairperson Duff Spence said the board agreed in principle to support the event.

Solutions for better schools

Dean MacInnis, principal of Range Lake North school, gave an animated presentation Nov. 6 on the Solution Tree 2007 Summit he attended in Vancouver Oct. 10 to 13.

"Listening to you talking about this, you're about as excited as when you score a goal," joked board member Terry Brookes.

Part of the focus of the summit was collaboration between teachers, and giving students every advantage in the learning environment.

"As I was at the meeting, I was rewriting my school plan," said MacInnis.

He attended the conference with chairperson Duff Spence and Metro Huculak, superintendent of Yk 1.

MacInnis went over presentations given by speakers from the Professional Learning Committee including Rebecca DuFour, Doug Reeves, Doug Willms, Rick DuFour and Rick Stiggins.

Upon meeting with the teachers and scholars, Huculak said that both Stiggins and Willms expressed interest in coming to the North to work with the school board's staff.