Parkland School Division's Superintendent of Schools, Shauna Boyce, is pleased to announce the following administrative appointments for the 2020-2021 school year effective August, 2020. With the retirement of four Assistant Principals over the past months at Memorial Composite High School and Brookwood School and with Linda Madge-Arkinstall moving into the Principal's role at Millgrove School, a number of Assistant Principal positions needed to be filled.
"I want to first off begin by formally congratulating Rod Strangway, Karen Wendel, Dianne Lefebvre and Diane Lander on their retirements," stated Superintendent Boyce.
"I had the honour of working alongside Karen and Rod for many years when I was Principal at MCHS and I truly wish them and their families all the best. Brookwood School students and staff, both past and present, have also benefited from the return of Glen Thiel as well as the vast experience and dedication to children provided by Dianne Lefebvre and Acting Assistant Principal Diane Lander. We offer our sincere thanks and wish them all the best in their retirement, as well. These retirements present opportunities for new voices and perspectives in our leadership team at PSD."
Lesley Cameron, Assistant Principal
Copperhaven School (Gr. K-9)
Lesley Cameron has been teaching since 2003 and has held various roles in the Kindergarten to Grade 6 setting. Her early days were spent as an Early Literacy teacher in the Golden Hills School Division before landing in Parkland School Division as a Grade 4/5 teacher at Entwistle School and then moved onto teaching at Forest Green School for 8 years. She's been in her current role as Assistant Principal and Inclusive Education Lead at École Broxton Park School for the past four years.
Lesley earned her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta in 2003 with an Elementary Generalist major and an Educational Psychology minor. She completed her Masters of Education in Leadership at the University of Calgary in 2019 with the Parkland School Division Cohort.
"It has truly been an honour to work with and serve the students, staff, and families at École Broxton Park School over the past four years. I have had many wonderful experiences and will miss the unique setting of Broxton. I am excited to join the team at Copperhaven School and look forward to building strong relationships as we support student learning, growth, and success!"
James Coghill, Assistant Principal
Memorial Composite High School (Gr. 10-12)
James Coghill started with Parkland School Division in 2003 and has been a part of a number of schools over the past 17 years supporting wellness, literacy initiatives and community partnerships. He has served students at Connections for Learning, Brightbank Academy, Entwistle School, Seba Beach School, Tomahawk School and had two stints at Woodhaven Middle School. He has spent the last 4 years as Assistant Principal at Connections for Learning supporting alternative programming. During this time, James has supported outreach, home education, blended learning and distance learning in grades 1-12. James earned a Bachelor of Education degree with a major in Social Studies and minor in Science and Physical Education from the University of Alberta. He recently finished his masters degree at the University of Alberta for Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.
"It has been a privilege to work with the staff, students and community at Connections for Learning. I will miss the students, families and friendships I have made over the past four years. I look forward to developing new relationships and working together with the Memorial Composite High School community to continue to improve student learning. "
Cheri Day, Assistant Principal
École Broxton Park School (K-9)
Cheri Day joined the Parkland School Division family in 2013 as a French Immersion Kindergarten teacher following a 13-year career with Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools. She's also taught grades 3,4 and 5, a divisional specialized program and ventured into school leadership as an Assistant Principal at École Parkdale Elementary from 2004 to 2006. Her roles at Parkland School Division have included Early Childhood Services Collaborative Teaching Partner, Learning Coach and most recently Early Childhood Services Facilitator. She has also served as Acting Administrator at École Broxton Park School.
Cheri earned her Bachelor of Education with Distinction from the Campus St. Jean, University of Alberta in 1999 and is exploring Masters programs which she plans on starting in the fall of 2020.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working with the staff, students and families at École Broxton Park School and to be part of the Fusion Family as Assistant Principal. Together, we will learn and accomplish great things!"
Melissa Everitt-Dallinger, Assistant Principal
Forest Green School (K-6)
Melissa Everitt-Dallinger began her teaching career in 2002 at École Dickinsfield School in Fort McMurray. She delivered programming in both the French Immersion and English streams in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Health and Career & Technologies Foundations from grades four through eight. She began her journey through Parkland School Division when she joined the staff at Stony Plain Central in 2006 and has had teaching stops at Brightbank Academy, Connections for Learning, École Meridian Heights School and most recently as the Inclusive Education Lead and School Counsellor at Prescott Learning Centre while delivering French Second Language programming in Grades 5 to 9, Physical Education for Grade 2's, drama and musical theatre.
Mrs. Everitt-Dallinger earned her Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean in 2002 and added a Master of Education in Curricular Leadership from the University of Victoria in 2018.
"Parkland School Division has offered me so many opportunities to learn and grow and I am thrilled to start my new adventure joining the team at Forest Green School."
Connie Farrell, Assistant Principal
Memorial Composite High School, (Gr.10-12)
Connie Farrell's teaching career has taken her to three different provinces including Ontario, Newfoundland and Alberta. She began her teaching career in 1998 at JR Nakogee in Attawapiskat, Ontario. She taught art in Newfoundland for a couple of years before moving to Fort McMurray where she became a Junior High Humanities and Science teacher. Connie's administrative roles with Fort McMurray Catholic School District included Curriculum Consultant, Inclusion Lead and Vice Principal. She moved to the area and started with Parkland School Division when Copperhaven School opened in 2018.
Connie earned a Visual Fine Arts Degree from Memorial University in Newfoundland in 1997 as well as a Secondary Education Degree from Memorial University in 1998. She completed a Masters in Education Leading for Learning from the University of Calgary in 2013.
"I have been blessed with so many wonderful opportunities since starting my career in education. It was a great privilege to teach at Copperhaven and an honor to now be able to continue that learning and leading journey at Memorial Composite High School. I am very excited to work with the admin team there and look forward to building relationships with colleagues, the students and families."
Leanne Gruending, Assistant Principal
Connections for Learning (Gr. 1-12)
Leanne Gruending began her teaching career in 2008 and has split most of her professional career between Lord Asquith School in Asquith, Saskatchewan and Bjorkdale School in Bjorkdale, Saskatchewan. She's been a Differentiated Instruction Facilitator, has taught English Language Arts & Creative Writing in the High School setting as well as Math and Art in the Middle Years setting. She became an administrator as Principal in Bjorkdale in 2011 and continued as Principal at Lord Asquith School just west of Saskatoon in the Prairie Spirit School Division from August of 2013 - 2019.
Leanne Gruending joined Parkland School Division at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year moving from Saskatchewan to become the Principal of Seba Beach School.
Ms. Gruending earned her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2008 and a Masters of Educational Administration from the U of S in 2015.
"I am incredibly excited to be a part of the community of learners and leaders in Parkland School Division. I hope to bring with me to Connections for Learning my energy, experience, enthusiasm and my passion for the Heart Work we do everyday as educators."
Scott Jaspers-Fayer, Assistant Principal
Duffield School (K-9)
Scott Jaspers-Fayer began his teaching career in 2012 at the Simon Jacob Memorial Education Centre at Webequie First Nation in Ontario. After a one-year contract, he migrated west to the Province of Alberta where he's been ever since. After a brief stint at the Prairie View Outreach School in High Prairie, Scott's Parkland School Division career started as a substitute teacher before his first temporary contract with Spruce Grove Composite High School as a full-time math teacher to go along with some Knowledge and Employability courses. He landed at his current school at Memorial Composite High School in Stony Plain where he developed content and instructed in multiple departments including Science, Math, Physical Education and Career and Life Management (CALM). Scott is currently the Department Head and Lead Teacher for Science at Memorial.
Mr. Jaspers-Fayer earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with Honours from Cape Breton University in 2011. He added his Bachelor of Education - Intermediate and Senior Divisions from University of Toronto with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. He is currently completing a Masters of Education Leadership Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
"I am extremely excited to join the Duffield team next year in this new leadership role. I look forward to building new connections with the staff, students, and parents of this great community while contributing to the great academic and extracurricular programming Duffield has to offer."
Rosanne McIntyre, Assistant Principal
Brookwood School (K-4)
Rosanne McIntyre's first full-time teaching position was as a Grade 5 classroom teacher at Le Goff School, Cold Lake First Nation in January 1998. She spent three years as a Grade 3 teacher at Paul First Nation School before joining Parkland School Division for the 2001-2002 school year. She's been at Brookwood School ever since in various teaching positions including Kindergarten, Grades 1,3,4 and 6. She also worked with Diane Lefebvre in an Inclusive Education Partner role as well as an Acting Administrative role at various times over the years. Rosanne is currently working in the role of Acting Assistant Principal, Inclusive Education Lead, and part-time Grade 4 teacher.
Mrs. McIntyre attended Concordia University College and transferred to the University of Alberta graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Elementary Education and a minor in Sociology. In 2008, she graduated from the University of Alberta with a Masters of Elementary Education with a focus on Literacy.
"I am truly honoured to work with the amazing Brookwood students, outstanding staff, and supportive Brookwood community in the role of Assistant Principal. I look forward to working with Karen Stride-Goudie in September as we maintain and build such a wonderful, positive learning environment for our students."
Donna Miners, Assistant Principal
Millgrove School (K-4)
Donna Miners began her teaching career in 1991 with Wildrose School Division in Drayton Valley where she taught primarily Grades 1 and 3. Following some family time, Mrs. Miners held teaching posts with Grande Yellowhead School Division. Her first stop with Parkland School Division was Duffield School in 2006 where she spent a total of thirteen school years. She's held roles as Collaborative Teaching Partner at Brookwood and Millgrove Schools and Assistant Principal at Duffield School.
Donna earned her Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary in 1991 and has recently completed the Masters of Educational Studies program at the University of Alberta.
"I am excited to join the Millgrove School community. Learning, working, and growing with such a dedicated staff presents new opportunities to build on the positive environment Millgrove has worked diligently to foster. I will always treasure my time at Duffield School and will miss many valued connections with staff, students, and families."
Mike Partington
Dual Credit/Registered Apprenticeship Lead
The opening at Forest Green came as a result of Assistant Principal, Mike Partington's move into a role as Parkland School Division's Dual Credit/Registered Apprenticeship Program coordinator serving students at Connections for Learning, Memorial Composite High School and Spruce Grove Composite High School. Mike has had connections to Parkland School Division over the past 25 years dating back to his first student-teaching assignment at Woodhaven Middle School in 1993. His teaching career officially began in 1995 and his first of two stops at Spruce Grove Composite High School was in 1996 as a Special Education Educational Assistant, Teacher and school counsellor. Prior to his two-years at Forest Green School, Mike was the Off-Campus Coordinator, Work Experience and R.A.P. Facilitator at Spruce Grove Composite High School.
