Tanned and taller students were welcomed back with joy and laughter as they returned to classes at Ratushniak Elementary School in Maidstone last week.
The first day of school included an assembly to introduce new transfer students and to get to know the new principal a little better.
Shawn Larson welcomed students and after singing the national anthem he told them it would become part of their morning ritual every day of the school year. Students enjoyed watching their classmates compete in some funny challenges and laughed and cheered as two of the staff members welcomed Larson and returning teacher Eileen Anderson back by wrapping them up like mummies with toilet paper.
Anderson who lives in Maidstone has been a teacher at Ratushniak in the past but has been traveling north to Turtleford for the last five years. Larson has been an educator in the area for 21 years. He started out in Goodsoil as a teacher and then spent five years as principal. He has spent the last six years commuting from Lloydminster to Hillmond.
Larson values teaching young people caring and respect. "At the end of the day we want children to read and write but we also want them to be good citizens," he said. He says he isn't coming into the school with an agenda but wants to listen to students, teachers and parents.
"When you listen, really listen, people won't steer you wrong," he said adding "experience has helped me understand what directions we need to be going in to be effective." Larson credits some of the best ideas to students. He once received a letter from a student suggesting they give the bus drivers a day off and ride their horses to school. It led to a day enjoyed by the entire community and a highlight of Larson`s career.
His goal is to maintain the focus on excellence in academics and the importance of teaching respect and responsibility. His first impressions of the staff and students are very favourable. He offers gratitude to the past principal who helped in a transition lasting a year longer than it was supposed to. Larson will be helping out with the teaching load and is looking forward to the elementary school life after years in the K-12 setting. He loves sports and plans to be involved in the school`s flag football and curling programs.
Larson enjoys traveling and time with his family and is the proud new owner of a cabin. He has been married for 20 years and has two children of his own at home.
"I'm looking forward to getting to know all the kids, their names, families and personalities. I'm really excited about that," he said. "I'm pretty lucky I always work with super kids, I've heard the students at Ratushniak Elementary have really good family support." He is looking forward to working with a strong and very capable staff of professionals and is pleased to be working at a school with a great reputation. "I'm really happy being a principal. I work with kids, I solve problems, make the school a better place for students and wouldn't want to do anything else."
