At Cold Lake Elementary, school is about more than meeting the outcomes set out in the curriculum. For Grade 3 teacher Trent Lunde, school is a place where students can showcase their talents, connect over shared interests, and discover that learning can be fun.
Lunde is described as the driving force behind many of the social and extracurricular activities at the school including school dances, movie nights, assemblies, and lunch time clubs.
"When we have something on the go or are planning an event, Mr. Lunde is always there," said Principal Chris Vining. "He does everything in his power to make sure school events go off without a hitch. Every assembly, school event, movie night and dance, he is there to make sure the kids have the best experience."
At school dances, Lunde doesn't just play music, he acts as the Master of Ceremonies, using his unique energy and rapport with the students to ensure everyone has fun and feels included. The dances and movie nights provide a vital social outlet for students and help create a positive school culture. The dances also serve as fundraisers for student programs, allowing the school to offer extracurricular experiences that otherwise wouldn't be possible.
Lunde also acts as MC at school assemblies, which bring the whole school together and provide an opportunity for students to see each other and the school staff in a different light.
"He encourages students to share their skills and talents, and gets the adults involved to bring our community closer together," said Vining.
Lunde explained that school-wide activities like math and literacy days or the recent Olympics day provide students with opportunities to demonstrate what they are learning in different ways, challenge themselves, and come together as a community.
"It creates well-rounded kids. It's an opportunity for them to show what they know, practice problem-solving, and work as a team," he said.
On Thursdays students can take part in lunch time clubs with themes like Harry Potter, Lego, reading/books, comics, and hockey. Lunde said these extracurricular clubs provide students with opportunities to connect and build relationships with other students with similar interests.
For Grade 3 students, the last hour of every week ends with the "End of the Week" Club where students sign up for an activity to participate in. This includes activities like art, cooking, and sports. These clubs not only allow students to explore things they are interested in and interact socially, they also act as an incentive to finish up their school work in time to take part.
Lunde is quick to credit his collaborative colleagues with making all of these opportunities available for students.
"We have an amazing team. If I have an idea, they help me figure it out," he said. "For me, at the end of the day, it's the team, supportive admin, and the kids."
Lunde is the NLPS Staff Shining Star for the month of April. Throughout the year, Northern Lights Public Schools highlights dedicated staff members who go above and beyond to support student success, strengthen our school communities and make a lasting impact across the division.
