Submitted
Gerry Varty, director of instruction for Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS), has emerged as the successful candidate for the vacant acting assistant superintendent position.
Varty has served Wolf Creek Public Schools and Ponoka County for more than two decades. He originally moved to Ponoka to take a position at Ponoka Composite High School, teaching high school sciences. He then relocated and served as principal of Mecca Glen from 1990 to 2000. In 2000, Varty transferred to the WCPS central office to spearhead the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) Middle Grades Math project for three years prior to becoming the WCPS AISI co-ordinator in 2003. In 2007 he was named director of curriculum and instruction for Wolf Creek.
“I am very excited by the challenge of taking over this position in Wolf Creek, and humbled to be given the opportunity to help our jurisdiction continue to develop and achieve success for all learners," Varty said. “Throughout my years in this jurisdiction, I have been privileged to work closely with incredibly talented people at all levels of the organization. I have done my best to learn from their tremendous examples, and I look forward to continuing to grow and learn from them as we work together in this new role.
“I can't think of a better way to spend a life than serving the communities and people of Wolf Creek — this is truly a job worth doing.”
Varty and his wife Lee are “empty nesters” who reside in Ponoka. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.
Galloway appointed new AISI co-ordinator
Brent Galloway has been appointed the new AISI co-ordinator, replacing Varty.
“I am absolutely thrilled about returning to Wolf Creek Public Schools,” said Galloway. “Wolf Creek is an extremely progressive school division with effective teams in place that make a difference to student learning and success, and it is an absolute privilege to be given this opportunity to grow and learn myself.
“During my last five years of working at Red Deer College, I have worked hard to embed sound instructional practice and assessment for learning into our Middle Years Education Program, and thanks to the powerful instructional team we had, it has been very successful.”
Galloway has a long history with Wolf Creek Public Schools, having started his education career in 1983 as a teacher at Eckville High School. He has since served an assistant principal in Mirror and Clive and a principal in Clive. He also has spent time teaching overseas and was seconded by Red Deer College (RDC) in 1999 for a two-year term as the co-ordinator of the Middle Years Education Program. His success at RDC was evident when he was asked to return in 2003 as the permanent co-ordinator of the Middle Years Education Program as well as an instructor in the program, positions he has held up to this point.
Brent and his wife Kathleen, an assistant principal at École Secondaire Lacombe Composite High School (LCHS), reside in Lacombe and have three children.