Kathy McTaggart has been appointed as the new assistant principal of Ponoka Composite High School (PCHS), effective at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. She replaces Barb Pears who will become principal of the Ponoka Alternative Supports School.
McTaggart served as an acting assistant principal at PCHS for the past year and is excited to remain at PCHS as a member of the administration team.
“I had a great year and am looking forward to continuing to learn more about the administration role as I continue my time here,” she said. “I am also super pumped to about our current modernization and look forward to a fresh and innovative learning environment once the renovations are complete.”
McTaggart has a bachelor of education degree from the University of Calgary and a master of education with a major in leadership from the University of Lethbridge. She started her career in education at L’Ecole Secondaire Lacombe Composite High School (LCHS) in 1998. Over her nine years at LCHS, she taught a variety of science, math, physical education, and active living classes. She joined the staff of Ponoka Composite High School in 2009 and became an acting assistant principal in 2010. In addition to her administration duties at PCHS, she also taught several courses, served on the Intervention Team, and was the advanced placement coordinator and the teacher advisor for the school’s Green Club.
“Kathy demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the needs of PCHS students, staff and parents as the acting assistant principal this school year. She is actively involved in supporting the many outstanding initiatives currently underway at her school while maintaining a clear focus on the school’s motto of Putting ALL Learners on Winning Streaks,” said Wolf Creek Public Schools assistant superintendent Jayson Lovell.
McTaggart spends most of her time outside of school with her family working on taming the bare acreage they moved to five years ago. “A lot of our time is spent gardening, digging, mowing, fencing and feeding our collection of critters.”
The McTaggarts also like to go camping at their rustic cabin during the summer and fall, and the whole family enjoys swimming and spends many of their summer weekends at swim meets. During the winter they enjoy downhill skiing and will most likely be found in the mountains during long weekends and Christmas break.
McTaggart’s husband, Todd, works as an instrumentation technician and electrician for Apache in the Stettler area. They have two kids, Aiden is eight years old and going into Grade 3, and Aspen is almost seven years old and going into Grade 2. Both kids attend Crestomere School. The Mctaggarts live in a solar and wind powered off-grid home they built themselves near Gull Lake.