East Three School to have second principal
Change is in preparation for next year's introduction of junior kindergarten
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, March 23, 2017
INUVIK
School officials have started to make changes in preparation for an estimated 50-60 students who will be entering junior kindergarten at East Three School next year.
East Three School Principal Deborah Reid awards Brooke-Lyn Bodnar with an honourable mention during the elementary school's heritage fair earlier this month. Reid, who is the principal of both the high school and elementary side, will be principal of only the high school side next school year. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo
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Starting next school year, East Three will go to a two-principal model, with one principal for East Three Secondary School and one principal for East Three Elementary.
Currently, Deborah Reid is principal of both sides of the school, with a vice-principal dedicated to each side. The vice-principal situation will stay the same in the new year.
"The decision was made after lots and lots of back and forth communication and discussion between the members (and) consultation with other departments," said Lesa Semmler, chair of the Inuvik District Education Authority.
Junior kindergarten starting next school year was a big factor contributing to the decision, but so were the poor student achievement results reported at a Beaufort Delta Education Council meeting earlier this year, she said. Those statistics showed the majority of students in BDEC schools to be behind in math and English skills.
"With the grades and where our academics were sitting, we felt that as (the) DEA we needed to provide more support for our teachers and our students and administrative support," said Semmler.
East Three will be bringing in two more classrooms of junior kindergarten students next fall, meaning teachers need a lot of support, she said.
"(Having) a full-time principal on the elementary and a full-time principal on the high school to give that administrative support and lead to guide our students and teachers, hopefully we can start making some good changes," she said.
Junior kindergarten will be implemented in both Inuvik and Paulatuk next fall.
