Changes involving three teachers at Westberry Elementary School have taken place to start the new school year. (From left to right) Danine Calkins is teaching Grade 3 on a half-time basis, Kate Kelly is teaching Grade 4 full time, and Joanie McLay is teaching kindergarten every other day.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
A new school year has commenced at the three schools in Kindersley, and staff changes at Westberry Elementary School involve teachers that all have experience.
Principal Chris Oscar said the school is going into the new year with fewer staff and faculty members than the previous year, so there have been layoffs. The school has only three changes with respect to the teaching faculty.
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Danine Calkins, who taught at the school before the restructuring in Kindersley, returns to Westberry to share Grade 3 teaching duties with Tanya Georget. Kate Kelly is also returning after a brief stint at Westberry at the start of the 2017-18 school year, and she is teaching Grade 4.
Oscar said Kelly covered for a maternity leave at Westberry last year, and she was teaching Grade 2. Kelly finished the 2017-18 school year at D’Arcy School, but Westberry had a chance to hire her back due to retiring faculty and continuing maternity leaves.
Joanie McLay also covered a maternity leave during the 2017-18 school year and she taught pre-kindergarten at Westberry, but she is returning to teach kindergarten on a half-time basis this school year. McLay will teach kindergarten at Westberry and in Eatonia on a day-to-day rotating basis.
Oscar said several of the changes are a result of teachers returning from maternity leaves. He mentioned that the school is dealing with two retirements from the previous school year. The 2018-19 year has gotten off to a nice start.
“There’s been a great start to the new year,” he said, recognizing there have been fewer provincial and divisional changes or new initiatives and it means the staff can concentrate on educating the school’s students. “We’re really focusing on teaching and learning.”
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