SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The board voted to extend Metro Huculak's contract as superintendent of Yellowknife Education District No. 1 to July 2014 at Tuesday's board meeting.

"I think that for all of us and for the district, Metro has been a very good addition," said Duff Spence, board trustee.

"He brings professionalism and his goal of helping kids marks our district as a leader in the territories and also in the country in terms of national awards."

Huculak has been superintendent of the district for six years. All trustees with the exception of Reanna Erasmus voted to approve the motion. Yellowknifer attempted to contact her after the meeting to ask why she voted against the contract but she did not return phone calls.

Trip to Kenya

Mikalle Wile, a Grade 10 student at Sir John Franklin High School, made a presentation seeking approval for an overseas trip to Kenya.

The trip would be part of an initiative to raise money to build three classrooms for students in the country through A Better World, a non-profit international development organization.

"I understand the importance of education and how that can change lives and generations to come," said Wile. "Also, I think students here in Yellowknife should have an opportunity to see how they can make a difference in other places and experience new cultures."

During the presentation Eric Rajah, co-founder of A Better World who visited the high school earlier that day, spoke to the board giving them information about the organization.

As part of the project, Wile plans to began a fundraising effort to raise $21,000 to build the classrooms and proposed the trip take place in March 2012.

Playground project gets funding

Range Lake North School was successful in obtaining $10,000 from the Yellowknife Community Foundation for a playground at the school.

The school itself has also raised $10,000 and with the district playground grant has a total of $45,000.

"They have also applied to the city's special grant fund," said John Stephenson, the board's vice-chairperson.

"So a very successful effort there, the catalyst of which was the grant that our district initiated last year."

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