麻豆视频

Treating every person in our schools and in our
offices with dignity and respect should always be at the forefront of everything we do.
鈥� Barb MacKesey
Superintendent of Education

Barb MacKesey has spent virtually her entire life in the Yorkton area Catholic School system.

Now in her 26th year as a staff member and on the verge of becoming Christ the Teacher鈥檚 top administrator, MacKesey has no regrets.

鈥淚鈥檓 thankful for being in this spot,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just grateful for the opportunity to work with our school board and continue to provide Catholic education for our students.鈥�

Learning

MacKesey was born in Yorkton and attended St. Paul鈥檚 Elementary School as a child then St. Joseph鈥檚 Junior High and finally Sacred Heart High School.

She said it was that experience that guided her into the field of education.

鈥淚鈥檓 actually a person who loved school,鈥� she said.聽 鈥淚 think high school might have been a really significant experience for me in that the Sisters Servants were at our school and they welcomed us into their building all the time so we spent a lot of time living in the school and being a part of the school leadership and it just seems like that鈥檚 something that remained in my heart and spirit and lived on. It was something that I had to do.鈥�

So, it was off to the University of Saskatchewan. Not only was it her first time away from home, but it was her first time in Saskatoon.

鈥淚t was a big city for a small city girl,鈥� she said.

She was not intimidated, though.

鈥淚 have to say that studying generally was something that was interesting to me so being on campus and meeting some people in the same classes in education, felt okay; it felt normal.鈥�

Teaching

After achieving her Bachelor of Education, it was back to Yorkton, although that was not necessarily the plan.

鈥淚 applied various places and was offered this job at St. Alphonsus School right out of university,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 had to think about that and I thought I鈥檒l just stay in Yorkton maybe for a year and then leap to a bigger centre, but I really enjoyed it and ended up staying in our school system the whole time.鈥�

She moved up the ranks quickly being appointed vice-principal at St. Mary鈥檚 after just three years.

鈥淚t was exciting and scary all at the same time and I鈥檓 thankful that the administrators at that time accepted me as a rookie, someone new to that area,鈥� she said.

She was also happy not to lose her connection with the kids.

鈥淥ur vice-principals are in the classrooms also so it just added a little bit of learning and administrative work. That鈥檚 actually a very nice transition into administration.

After five years at St. Mary鈥檚, she made a lateral move to St. Paul鈥檚 as vice-principal for five years before returning to St. Mary鈥檚 as principal.

Becoming principal was also a fairly easy transition.

鈥淏eing in the classrooms is a huge, huge piece of our lives, so being a principal you move out a little bit more, but principals are still in the classrooms also,鈥� she said.

Administration

MacKesey is candid that moving into a fully administrative role, as she did in 2010 when she became assistant director (now changed to superintendent of education), was more of a challenge.

鈥淚 would say that鈥檚 been quite difficult, especially at the start,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 still get to be in the schools a lot, but in a bit of a different role than the teachers when you鈥檙e in the classroom. You鈥檙e there but you really don鈥檛 have that relationship with the students.鈥�

Nevertheless, she has found it rewarding in other ways.

Working with the teachers or working with the students, that just seems to be a complete alignment with helping our students,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 similarly influential, I guess. If we take care of our staff well, we can take care of our students well.鈥�

Transition

MacKesey does not fully take over the reins until August and is grateful that outgoing director Darrell Zaba will be around for the next few months for a smooth transition.

鈥淒arrell has always been very supportive and a great person to be working with and under,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 sorted out formally who will do what pieces for the rest of the year, but we鈥檒l work together to make that happen.

鈥淒arrell鈥檚 been an amazing director, focused on our students, focused on student achievement, but really brings to life creating capacity in the school division and so I guess for me personally, and for our other administrators, he is always helping us and leading us and working to make sure we have collective capacity as a division. He is the perfect person to be having as a director as you鈥檙e coming in as the next director. Having him available will be awesome.鈥�

As director, she said she will be guided by the school board鈥檚 new mission statement that reads:

鈥淎s a Christ-centered [sic] learning community we鈥� Engage and challenge all learners; Model and form character; Know Christ and make Him known.鈥�

MacKesey is excited about overseeing the implementation of the mission into action.

鈥淭his gives us a chance to make sure those foundations are part of our strategic plan,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or me, if you are running the division we need to have a shared vision and make that come to life, so those pieces will need to be framed in our strategic plan.鈥�

The mission will also guide her personal approach to the position, she said.

鈥淚 think my personal stamp actually matches the start of our mission as being a Christ-centred learning community because if you really analyze the words in that statement there鈥檚 a lot of responsibility that comes with that, so treating every person in our schools and in our offices with dignity and respect should always be at the forefront of everything we do.鈥�