Dear Families,

The first week of school is under our belt! We start each year with excitement for the possibilities of each of your children and we are happy to be working with them. Our teachers have planned and prepared to provide great learning opportunities for your students and we look forward to seeing how they grow as we go through the year together.

A new school year often brings staffing changes and we’d like to update you on our new staff roles this year.

Kristin Atherton – Chief Administrative Officer

Mrs. Atherton is not new to our staff but is changing her role this school year. In prior years, she has worked with our finances and taught in our classrooms. Now she is taking on the new part-time role of CAO. This position is to assist with school administration, supplementing the role of Mr. Shankel as he dedicates time to our Haskap project. She reports to the school board and is in place to support our teachers and families. Mrs. Atherton is currently scheduled to work Mondays and Thursdays, as well as checking in with staff other mornings of the week. If you have questions or concerns not best addressed by your classroom teacher, feel free to contact her or another member of our administrative team.

Gilles Assigbe (“Mr. G”) – Homeroom Gr. 6/7

Mr. G comes to us from Dawson Creek, where he lives with his family and has taught for 13 years. He is originally from Togo, West Africa and his wife is from Indonesia. Together, they have a 7 year old son and 3 year old daughter and enjoy church, gardening, music, and eating tempeh. We are thankful to have Mr. G as part of our team this year.

Damien Hoffman – Athletics/Math

Mr. Hoffman is from Lacombe, AB, where his passion for teaching grew. He joins his mother in the profession and is primarily teaching math and physical education. Mr. Hoffman loves sports, particularly hockey and snowboarding, and is learning to play the guitar. He also enjoys working outdoors and has experience as an arborist.

We look forward to a good school year with you and your family. We are here to support you and your children in their learning, growth, and development. If there are ways we can better facilitate that, please let us know.

Regards,

Norm Bunker
Chair, PCS School Board