| By Nathalie Froment | June 20, 2022 |
As the year comes to a close, we must bid farewell to some of our fantastic staff members. If you see these individuals in the halls in the next few days be sure to stop and chat!
Omid Aghamirian isn’t sure what his future next year will hold, but made sure to mention that he really enjoyed his time at KSS. He couldn’t decide his favourite part, between the general energy of the building, seeing so many different people and clubs thrive, and seeing everyone’s excitement for school events once more now that they have been able to occur.
Grace Smith has been at our school this semester, working with junior students in grades 9 and 10, and she coached the senior girls soccer team this spring. When I reached out, she emphasized how amazing it was to explore the new building, work with different staff members, and build relationships with students. While she isn’t sure what her next year will look like, she is hopeful that she will be back at KSS in the future.
Dominika Dembinski will be leaving KSS in order to pursue her last year towards her Master’s degree in Education and Art Therapy. Her favourite parts of KSS included building relationships with students and the constant support she received from other staff members. She is sad to be leaving, but is hopeful that she will return in the future.
Kat Rodrigues was called to our school for their third-ever supply job in the fall, and they are thrilled to have gotten the chance to stay for the remainder of the year. This summer, they plan on teaching canoeing at Camp Arowhon, and in the fall they plan to continue with supply teaching, hopefully with some calls to KSS. Some highlights of their year were said to include seeing the amazing art and photography of the students, and getting to know everyone, staff and students alike.
Dylan Rowden has been at KSS for a year, and he said that he really enjoyed the school. He especially enjoyed being able to start some clubs and coach some sports teams, as well as the reputation he built as ‘the civics and careers teacher’. Next year he will be working at Napanee District Secondary School, but he is hopeful that he will eventually be able to make his way back to KSS.
Joanne Whitfield will be retiring come summer after being our amazing teacher librarian for many years. I imagine that this summer she will spend much of her time tending to her garden, as well as taking a well deserved break. She will be missed by all, and we are all grateful for all the work she has put into the Sweetgrass Circle at our school and her awareness of all those around her.
Last but certainly not least, one of our current vice-principals, Lonny Gibson, will be switching schools to become vice-principal of Sydenham High School in September. He will miss the friendly and dedicated staff who are always willing to help their students any way they can, as well as the new building. He also enjoyed being able to coach the girls’ hockey team this winter. His absence will certainly be missed by all those who remain, from seeing him quickly in the halls, to hearing him joke with our teachers or be there for us when we need him.
All of these staff members will be sorely missed, and we hope to see them again soon. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
Comments