A leader provides opportunities for members of the school community to develop leadership capacity and to support others in fulfilling their educational roles.
A critical aspect of effective leadership is developing the leadership capacity of others. This photograph depicts the Coalhurst High staff members involved in hosting the 1998 A.S.A.A. 2A Girls’ Provincial Basketball Championship. The 12 team tournament required a variety of committees to work collaboratively under my direction as tournament chairman. Feedback from the Alberta Schools' Athletic Association officials noted that the tournament was among the best event in its history.
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One of the most profound events of my career occurred during the 1997 – 1998 school year at Coalhurst High. Arlene Purcell, a master teacher with a remarkable interest in, and commitment to the community, launched the production of her play Firedamp. The play chronicles the establishment of Coalhurst as a bustling mining centre, and highlights the tragic Christmas disaster of 1935 that took the lives of 16 miners of the town. It’s a historically accurate and compelling drama that united the students, staff and community in remarkable ways. It was evident to me that this was a very special event, and I undertook to document it as fully as possible. I photographed and videotaped initial script read-throughs, rehearsals, make-up sessions, set construction, choral & choreography practice and the performances themselves. The play had very successful runs at Coalhurst High, the Sterndale Bennett Theatre and the University of Lethbridge. The story was featured in subsequent years in Alberta Views Magazine and the ATA Magazine.
Firedamp was remounted in 2013 at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre. Many of the original performers (long since graduated) attended more than one showing, as did I. It was heart-warming to receive the following card from Mrs. Purcell (writer and co-director) and Mrs. Pommen (co-director).
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There is no leadership without dedicated followership. I've been fortunate in my career to have had the strong support of staff members at my schools; first at Noble Central School, then Coalhurst High School, Kate Andrews High School, and finally from Palliser's Hutterite colony schools' staff. The attached card is from a young man who began his administrative journey as my vice principal. He's had a very successful administrative career in Palliser and Livingstone Range School Divisions. He works now with beginning teachers in both the University of Lethbridge and University of Calgary.