Mr. Speaker, principals play a vital role in the environment of a school. During the course of a day and definitely over the course of a year, the principal's job varies greatly and is never ending. Principals are the motivators of staff and students. They are the leaders of professional development and the balancers of school budgets. They ensure adequate resources for students. Principals are often called upon to be counsellors for students, parents, staff members, and community members. They try to inspire and instil structure for student achievement. Principals are educational leaders and they work in partnership with other organizations in our communities on matters of importance for students.
Canada’s outstanding principals are chosen though ‘the Learning Partnership’, a national not-for-profit organization, that brings together business, education, government, labour, policymakers and the community to develop partnerships that strengthen public education in Canada.
This year Angela James, from K’alemi Dene School in Ndilo, has been chosen as one of Canada’s outstanding principals. Angela is a very well-respected and experienced principal who is so deserving of this recognition. Being principal of a small northern school has many challenges. As principal, you need to be able to deal with these challenges yourself, and also support your staff and teachers to do the same, and find healthy ways of dealing with stress and anxiety. It is telling that Angela was nominated by her staff for this award. With Angela’s leadership, the K’alemi Dene School has become a model of success amongst small community schools.
Angela’s philosophy is that there are four components of supporting a child in school. First, you must acknowledge and deal with any trauma that exists in a child’s life. You must then find each child’s beauty and gifts. You must also celebrate each child’s culture and language. Finally, once these other needs have been met, you can work with the child to develop their knowledge in the traditional academic subject areas.
One of the benefits that a small school affords is that principals and teachers have the opportunity to know their students, and Angela is committed to every student at her school. She and her staff are familiar with the details of their students’ lives. When children don’t make it to class, they take the time to find out why.
In addition to the inspirational work Angela does in her own school, she has also been an integral part of the Educational Leadership Program. This two-phase program provides professional development to other principals in the Northwest Territories who are required to complete the course over two summers. On top of everything else she does, Angela James is also mentor for her peers.
Angela James joins recent outstanding principals such as Mohammed Odeen, from Deninu School in Fort Resolution, and Velma Illasiak of Moose Kerr School in Aklavik in being recognized for this prestigious award. We are very fortunate to have these three great northern leaders and many other great principals that support our children and families. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
