The school year is already underway for 42 new teachers, who are participating in the New Teacher Orientation program in Chinook’s Edge School Division.
The annual three-day orientation and mentorship program involves teachers who are either new to the profession or new to the division, and is broadly considered to be one of the most extensive programs of its kind in Alberta, noted a release.
It was developed to increase new teachers’ understanding of the culture and expectations in Chinook’s Edge, and provides time and support as they begin mapping out specific plans and goals for the school year. It also provides an opportunity to form a connection with Division Office staff and with one another before the busy school year begins.
“You can easily see that forming strong relationships is foundational in this school division and that matches my personal priorities exactly,” said Lucy Lynett, who will be joining École Steffie Woima Elementary School in Sylvan Lake as their new pre-kindergarten teacher.
Lynett had originally studied early childhood education while still living in Calgary, where she grew up. She was already married at the time – to a man she had met when they were just kids themselves!
By the time they relocated to Central Alberta, their family had started growing and she stayed home with their three children for 10 years.
“It was during those years while I worked in a playschool that I became more familiar with the organizations and specialists who support young children in school readiness, such as speech pathologists and occupational therapists. It became magical to me, to be alongside these children as they reached an ‘aha moment’ and I knew I wanted to work with them in a classroom setting.
“I just graduated from university last spring and teaching Pre-K is a perfect fit for me. It’s key for these little people to have solid relationships with the people in their lives and I’m so excited to be helping them work towards success. I want them to know they’re loved and that we’re all on a team – it’s Team Child all the time! I feel like it’s a dream job in a dream school division,” she said.
The Learning Services team strives to set teachers up for success by connecting them with resources and supports that will, in turn, provide success for students.
“I see an energy with this group that I’m so excited will be taken into our classrooms. Our students are going to be so well served by our staff, and that matters now more than ever. We will be welcoming our students back to highly engaging learning environments,” said Jason Drent, associate superintendent of Learning Services.
The first day of school for students in Chinook’s Edge is Sept. 1st.