The end of the school year marks the start of a new adventure for all graduating and returning students across Alberta, but also for many of the teachers and leadership staff who make up the proverbial cogs in the spinning wheel of education.
In the Cochrane area, two new public school principals and two new assistant principals will be taking on opportunities left by their predecessors under Rocky View Schools (RVS).
Bow Valley High School has bid adieu to its current leadership under Jim Reilly and Scott Thompson, who will be moving into their respective roles as principal at C.W. Perry School and assistant principal at W.H. Croxford High School in Airdrie come September.
Tim Hasiuk will step away as principal of Millarville Community School to take over for Thompson, while Shane Dempster, the current principal at Fort Vermillion School Division’s High Level Public School in northern Alberta, will step into Reilly’s position.
Dempster said he’s looking forward to the change of moving to Cochrane and working under a different public school division. He said he went over RVS’ Four-Year Plan when he was originally interviewed for the role at Bow Valley and became excited about the school division’s “focus on innovation” as well as its unconventional, non-traditional educational opportunities.
“That’s really where I like to push my thoughts,” he said. “Education can look differently for different kids and I was really excited to see some of the things that Rocky View has already been doing and what their plans are for the future.”
Dempster has had a few opportunities to get caught up on the school’s activities through meetings with Reilly, he added.
“The outgoing principal has detailed some pretty cool student leadership opportunities there and the school is very focused on its sports teams,” he said. “I’m very much a student-based principal so it’s great to see lots of really amazing opportunities for all the kids in the school, whether it’s sports or academics and to think about how I can add to that.”
At Westbrook School, located 20-minutes north of Cochrane in Rocky View County, acting principal Hana Hooper will be transitioning away from her role to welcome Earl Castiglione, who’s leaving Bert Church High School in Airdrie after four years as assistant principal there.
While he has over 20 years of combined experience as a teacher, learning specialist, and most recently as an assistant principal, the new role will be Castiglione’s first time serving as a principal.
“Every school has its own history and its own unique aspects,” he said. “Westbrook is no different.
“It’s a strong group of engaged students supported by school community-oriented families and the building itself is very beautiful, so I feel very honoured to be entrusted with this role in such an impressive school community.”
Also shifting roles in the Cochrane area is current assistant principal of Cochrane High School, Tracy Lyons, who will hold the same title with RVS’ Community Learning Centre at the beginning of the next school year.
In Springbank, Glen Brooker will assume his first principalship at Springbank Middle School after serving as assistant principal at W.H. Croxford since 2019.
“Our administrative leadership team is a dedicated, experienced and passionate team of educators,” said RVS superintendent of schools Greg Luterbach in a press release. “I congratulate each of our principals and assistant principals on their new roles and look forward to another great school year shaped by their leadership.”
