Ellwood named new superintendent

Fort High principal Terry Ellwood will step up to take over the role of superintendent for the Rainy River District School Board on Aug. 28.
The news came at last night’s board meeting here as trustee Gord McBride explained the appointment.
“I think everyone knows [current assistant superintendent] Betty Ann LaRocque will be retiring this June so we decided we would go through the process of hiring a superintendent.
“The qualified applicant went through the two-hour interview process, and the recommendation unanimously was that Terry Ellwood be appointed superintendent,” he noted.
“I’ve had a very enjoyable and rewarding four years as principal of Fort Frances High School and I’m looking for forward to the next stage in my career,” remarked Ellwood just before a burst of applause.
Ellwood has been in the education field, at both elementary and secondary levels, for more than 25 years. Before becoming principal here in 1996, he worked as a teacher and then principal under the Dryden Board of Education from 1973-1990.
In other news, the board gave its Recognition of Excellence to three individuals and/or programs, including Fort High student Aimee Pelletier, who was awarded the Canadian Merit Scholarship-Weston Garfield National Scholarship in February.
The OAC student is not only involved with activities such as the Student Executive Council and musicals but started the school’s recycling program in September with Melanie Halvorsen.
Also honoured was tutor Ken McKay, who works at Sixth Street School under the provincial “Tutors in the Classroom” program.
With “Tutors,” post-secondary students are hired to serve as tutors for teachers and students in the field of computer technology. Along with teacher Laurie Holliday, he developed a computer checklist to aid students with simple computer skills in the future.
The third Recognition award went to six grade five students at Huffman School and their teacher, Laurie Holliday, who worked with Videon to create the “Millennium Minute”–a one-minute TV production reflecting activities in our community.
Jenna Nowak, Sarah Mueller, Brittany Shine, Brian Glavish, Dylan Mainville, and Darcy Jones worked to submit a story on Rainy Lake, which then was turned into a video production with the help of community programmers Cathy Richards and Chuck Croker of Videon.
The video was entered in the YTV “Millennium Minute” contest and if it’s a winner, will be broadcast on national TV.
In other business, the board:
•heard a report from chair Dennis Brunn on Education minister Janet Ecker’s Code of Conduct, which was released last week in which Brunn noted he hoped support funding from the ministry would be included to suspended and expelled students;
•received the monthly financial report for seven months ending March 31, so far showing total revenues of $17,441,491 and expenditures of $17,902,644 (the 1999-2000 budget is $29,295,000);
•approved seven policies and rescinded one (policy #3.11–remuneration of occasional teachers) from the previous board which have been revised or been requested rescinded by the policy committee;
•submitted more than 60 policies and procedures for stakeholder consultation (these will be considered until next month’s regular board meeting, and over the summer break if need be); and
•looked over the May personnel report, which noted the appointment of Sara Freeman as a maintenance summer student, Margaret Lowes as special education assistant at Fort High, and Erin Deschamps as classroom assistant at both Huffman and Sixth Street.
It also noted the change in assignment of six employees, including special ed. co-ordinator Donna Kowalchuk and teacher Andrew Hallikas entering the vice-principal pool; and teachers Gemma Lamonato, Penny Newman, Kendall Olson, and Jody Labossiere becoming vice-principals at Robert Moore, Sixth Street and Huffman, Sturgeon Creek, and Atikokan High School respectively.
Six employees have taken leave of absences, including bus driver Terry Angus, special ed. assistant Cheri Whatley, caretaker Diana Elieff, and teachers Amanda Lowes (Riverview), Vicki Ogilvie (Sturgeon Creek), and Connie Schwartz (FFHS).
It also noted the resignation of special ed. assistant Margaret Cameron.