Three principals are preparing to switch schools.
Dave Garbutt is leaving Barrhead Composite High School to take over at Westlock’s R.F. Staples.
Replacing him at BCHS is Westlock Elementary School head Steven Kaplan.
Meanwhile, R.F. Staples principal Pierre Ouimet is moving to WES.
The changes take effect at the beginning of the next school term in September.
Last Wednesday, Garbutt said he had mixed feelings about leaving BCHS after three years as principal.
While excited at the prospect of his new job, he was saying farewell to a top-notch school that should make Barrhead proud.
“The kids are great here, the staff are fantastic, and we have had really good support from parents,” he said.
Garbutt said the school was excelling in such areas as Career and Technology Studies (CTS).
It had also become a united Grade 7-12 school, he said. No longer was it split between junior high and high school.
“Barrhead is very lucky,” said Garbutt. “We have come a long way here and I feel very positive about the future. The school is a pillar in the community and I think we are heading in the right direction.”
On a personal note, Garbutt said he was immensely grateful to Pembina Hills school division, BCHS staff and students, and the Barrhead community for the way he had been treated.
He said he arrived as principal with personal “baggage” – a reference to a domestic incident – but had been given an opportunity to make a contribution to the community.
“They did not have to do this,” he said.
Garbutt said moving to Westlock made geographical sense since it was half an hour closer to his Edmonton home.
“I am also happy I will be staying within the PHRD school division,” he said. “They have been really, really good to me.”
Originally from Vancouver, Garbutt holds a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of education degree, both from Simon Fraser University, and a master of education degree in leadership from the University of Lethbridge. He is an experienced school administrator, and his resume includes positions such as vice-principal of Golden Secondary School, principal of O.M. Irwin Middle School, principal of Cremona School and principal of Stettler Middle School. Garbutt has also held positions with the British Columbia College of Teachers and the Golden Teachers Association.
Garbutt said he was thrilled to be taking the reins of a school comparable in size to BCHS. He was also looking forward to the friendly sporting rivalry between the schools.
For Steven Kaplan, turning up at Barrhead Composite High School in September as the new principal will be like a homecoming.
Although born in Edmonton, Kaplan was educated in Barrhead, attending junior high and graduating from BCHS in 1985 when it was called Lorne Jenkins High School. He also continues to live here, seeing himself as a “hometown boy.”
After attending university in Edmonton, where he met his wife, Janet, Kaplan began his teaching career in Calgary.
The father-of-three then taught at BCHS between 2004 and 2007.
The chance to return to BCHS was offered two weeks ago by PHRD Supt. Colleen Symyrozum-Watt.
Kaplan said the school division was keen to optimize the abilities of principals and provide fresh challenges and opportunities.
Like Garbutt, Kaplan has mixed feelings about moving on.
“The community has treated me very well in Westlock,” he said. “I love working here and will be sad to leave.”
Kaplan, who holds a Bachelor of Physical Education with Distinction, accepted his first administrative assignment as the Associate Principal of Fort Assiniboine School. He then became principal for two years at Dunstable School before moving to WES.
According to the WES website, Kaplan has taught Grade 2 through to 12 in almost every subject imaginable.
“This is my seventh year as a school administrator and my second as principal of Westlock Elementary School,” he said on the website.
Kaplan said he was returning to BCHS at an exciting time for education across the province, which included the planned curriculum redesign and the concept of inclusive education and compassionate communities.
On a personal level, he did not intend charging into BCHS waving a list of big ideas.
“I want to be able to get a sense of what the climate is like,” he said.
Kaplan said he liked to see himself as a “people person”, who appreciated the importance of relationships, was positive and hard-working.
According to the R.F. Staples website, Ouimet recently completed an after degree diploma program at the University of Alberta and is looking forward to beginning a Masters Degree within the next two years.
“I find working with kids in schools is the key to building healthier communities,” he says on the website.
