CLASSIFIEDSADVERTISINGSPECIAL ISSUESONLINE SPORTSOBITUARIESNORTHERN JOBSTENDERS

NNSL Photo/Graphic


Canadian North

Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall textText size Email this articleE-mail this page

Students honour teacher
Garth Brasseur known as 'Saint Garth' according to fellow instructor

Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Friday, June 7, 2013

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
There were tears of joy as Nick Jackson walked across the gym floor at St. Patrick High School to accept the Garth Brasseur Pay It Forward scholarship at the graduation ceremony on June 1.

NNSL photo/graphic

Garth Brasseur, a teacher in St. Patrick High School's Independent Study program, holds a sign the students made for him. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo

Jackson wrapped both arms around Brasseur and, later, when Jackson's words of thanks were being read by an announcer as he accepted his diploma, Brasseur's name rang loud and clear in gratitude.

Kathy Lovatt, a teacher and support worker at St. Pat's, was not surprised to hear Brasseur's name.

"They call him St. Garth around here," she said, referring to the students.

It's something that happens every year, Brasseur said, in regards to the steady wave of thank yous he receives at grad ceremonies every year.

Brasseur and partner Karyne Daniels work one-on-one or in small groups with the students as they help them turn their lives around in the school's Independent Study program.

The program has been so successful that parents began to wonder about the lack of scholarships available to students who went through it with Brasseur. Therefore, the school named one after him, the Garth Brasseur Pay

It Forward Scholarship.

Brasseur began teaching the program in 1998, first by himself and then with Daniels. Since then, the pair have been supporting each other and their students, changing curriculum to match the students' needs and ensure they find success.

"I couldn't be able to do as well if I didn't have (Daniels)," said Brasseur. "Because you need a special kind of person to be able to do this."

Brasseur started with alternative education in Saskatchewan where he taught before moving to Yellowknife in 1989. He was sent by the Department of Education to different schools where the program worked, and was coached on how to teach students in that format.

He said the program is a crucial part of the education system because it gives troubled students a new start.

The rule is that students have to fail at least one class to get into the program, but they occasionally have mature students who require a high school credit or two and come for evening classes.

The 15-20 students in the program, mostly males, learn all subjects, including math, physics, social sciences, English and religion, which does not have to do so much with God, but life lessons, teaching students how to be outstanding members of their communities, good parents, and good employees.

"Our main goal is to get them to start making positive choices and get them to experience success, and we do what we need to for that to happen," said Brasseur. "One of the rules we use is that our kids don't fail. If I think they're going to fail a test then they don't write it. I wait until I'm positive that they're going to pass it or I alter the course so that they experience success."

It's not a miracle program in that they do have their sure of failures as well, though Brasseur estimated the success rate is about 50 per cent.

He said dealing with those failures and continuing to help the students who don't make it through the program at first is another part of his job.

The number of successful students is climbing though, said Brasseur, because of another program at the school aimed at helping troubled youth called the Leadership and Resiliency Program.

Kathy Lovatt is one of the support workers with the program and she works closely with Brasseur.

The Leadership and Resiliency Program gives students the chance to have experiences they wouldn't otherwise have and aims to make them feel more connected and welcome in their school community.

"It's really made a difference with troubled youth," said Lovatt.

Brasseur said he believes it makes a huge difference, along with the alternative education program, in the lives of the students - especially when it comes to keeping them out of trouble.

"This program will save us from filling up our jails and end with more positive outcomes for our kids," he said.

Lovatt said the response from students in these two programs has been overwhelming and very positive. Seeing the number of graduates rise to more than 100 this year, a record at St. Pat's, was one of the biggest rewards, she said.

E-mailWe welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.