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Chinook’s Edge welcomes new teachers

Aug 31, 2018 | 7:15 AM

Chinook’s Edge School Division recently kicked off the new school year by hosting its annual New Teacher Orientation.

Thirty-two teachers who are either new to the profession or new to the division took part in the three day orientation and mentorship program, which division officials say is broadly considered to be one of the most extensive programs of its kind in Alberta.

Chinook’s Edge says the orientation was developed to increase new teachers’ understanding of the culture and expectations in the division, and provides time and support as they begin mapping out specific plans and goals for the school year.

For Jody and Rebecca Vey, a husband and wife team who just moved from Northern Alberta to begin teaching together at River Valley School in Sundre, it provided a great opportunity to become familiar with the programming, culture and people in Chinook’s Edge.

“We both heard a lot about this school division and it came with high recommendations from our colleagues up north, so it was first on our list,” said Jody, who had taught in a K-9 school in Fort Vermilion School Division for eight years. “We enjoyed working in the north, but knew we wanted to be closer to the amenities of a larger centre. We like where this division is going with goals and opportunities, and are very impressed with its support of teachers and the focus on social emotional learning. Our oldest child will be starting Kindergarten at River Valley School, too, so we will all be going to the same place each morning!”

With the daycare in Sundre directly adjacent to the school building, the Vey’s two younger children will also be part of the family shuttle each day.

“There were certain things we were adamant about before we settled into a community, and Sundre has them all. We love the location with all the opportunities to be outdoors in the beautiful foothills, and the community is friendly and welcoming ,” said Rebecca, who is River Valley School’s new Learning Support teacher. “We’ve just been so pleased with how helpful everyone has been – in the community, the school, the division. We appreciate this division’s strong culture of learning and connecting, and the level of support for new teachers.”

Dr. Lissa Steele, Associate Superintendent of Learning Services, described this year’s participants as highly positive and engaged.

“This is a dynamic and eager group, for sure, and they are all focused on such important priorities,” said Lissa. “We found there to be a lot of discussion on First Nations, Métis and Inuit education, a focus on Inclusion, and plans to stay connected with one another for further learning. We are lucky to have these new teachers in our division, because it’s obvious they have already done a lot of work and they’re ready to take the lead in our classrooms.”

The first day of school for students in Chinook’s Edge is Tuesday.

(Sandy Bexon, Chinook’s Edge School Division)