Yk1 thanks long-term staff
Third-generation northern teacher among this year's recipients
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, April 16, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Stories recounting their first days of teaching, jokes about prominent Yellowknifers they once taught and comments on a changing city filled Mildred Hall School on Saturday.
It was the venue for the long-time service awards for Yellowknife Education District No. 1 staff, a yearly event that salutes teachers, education assistants, and maintenance and office staff celebrating milestone years.
Shirley Zouboules, principal at N.J. Macpherson School, was there celebrating her 25th year with Yk1.
"When I first started with Yk1 I was very young, and the district seemed to be very young to me, everything was so new," Zouboules said. "Over the 25 years I've seen such change, good stuff, the district has become very focused on student achievement, and meeting the diverse needs of our students."
Born in Fort Smith, Zouboules came to Yellowknife in 1988 to complete her practicum at J.H. Sissons School, only to be offered her first job at the school as an education assistant, and then as a Grade 2 teacher.
There were more than 30 teachers awarded, including a family with two generations of working with the district - Dawn Costello, a teacher at Mildred Hall School and her daughter Kari Anderson, who teaches at Range Lake North.
Costello was celebrating her 15th year with Yk1 while Anderson was celebrating her fifth.
"I thought it was kind of neat that it was my five and her 15," Anderson said. "We both teach the same grade and have for a really long time, so I'm used to asking her questions and having feedback, and collaborating with her."
Anderson's grandparents were also northern teachers: her grandmother Connie Miller being the first teacher in Inuvik, and grandfather Douglas "Dusty" Miller was a shop teacher at Sir John Franklin High School when it first opened.
Taking a job teaching at Yk1 seemed to be a natural fit, she said.
Also in attendance were Mayor Mark Heyck and Bernie Giacobbo, assistant superintendent of Yk1.
"It's always remarkable to see the long-term commitment of teachers and education staff in Yellowknife schools," Heyck said. "It was nice to be able to recognize their dedication to their profession, their community and their students at an event like that."
Giacobbo called it a laid back and relaxing ceremony.
"We only had the acceptance speeches for 20th year and over but all of the staff talked about how you come up here for a couple years and you're a lifer," Giacobbo said. "You find out how great the place is and enjoy the community and the people in it, and you're here."
All of the teachers awarded were given gift certificates, with the fifth-year recipients getting a certificate from the Book Cellar while those celebrating later milestones received gift certificate from a retailer of their choice.
