Submitted
Wolf Creek Public Schools has announced Lois Spate will be principal of Ponoka Elementary School (PES), effective the new school year. Spate replaces Leslie Crawford who is retiring.
"I am looking forward to this new opportunity and am excited about serving Ponoka Elementary School in my new role, supporting students, staff, and parents in our school community,” said Spate. “I am proud and privileged to continue to work with such a caring, dedicated staff as well as a super group of students. PES is a great school and working together we can make a difference."
Spate holds a bachelor of education degree (elementary) from the University of Saskatchewan and a master’s of arts degree in leadership and training from Royal Roads University. She has been a teacher for 21 years, 19 with Wolf Creek Public Schools. She is an assistant principal and a Grade 1 teacher at PES, which has 430 students in kindergarten to Grade 5.
Spate also served as one of the school’s Alberta Initiative for School Improvement leaders, a position in which she was able to share her exemplary teaching and assessment skills with her colleagues. Because of her knowledge and skills in the assessment arena, last year she was selected as one of 12 provincial regional assessment advisors for the Alberta Assessment Consortium. As well, in 2009 Spate was recognized as one of the foremost educators in Alberta when she was presented with an Excellence in Teaching Award. This award signifies Spate’s commitment to the teaching profession, her talent as an educator, and her contributions to the learning and lives of students, parents and colleagues.
"Lois Spate has proven herself as a master teacher, an excellent AISI leader, and an outstanding assistant principal. She always leads with a wonderful blend of personal humility and deep professional will ensuring that the constituents of Ponoka Elementary School are very well cared for,” said assistant superintendent Kurt Sacher. “This particular school community, and Wolf Creek Public Schools as a jurisdiction, is extremely fortunate to have her in the role of principal beginning in August of 2010.”
Spate and her husband Paul are the proud parents of daughter Sara, who is a recent graduate of the bachelor of science honors degree program in anatomy and cell biology at the University of Saskatchewan and is now working on a master’s of physical therapy degree.
Outside of school, Spate is active in the Ponoka community. She enjoys coaching preschool Canskate and serving as the coaching representative on the Skate Ponoka executive. Her spare time activities include reading and fitness classes/activities.