Submitted
Kathleen Terry has been appointed as the new principal of the Ponoka Alternative Supports School (PASS), effective at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. She replaces Maureen Montegary who has accepted a teaching position in the Centennial Centre Patients’ School next year.
“This is a terrific team that shows great dedication to ensuring that the students in our program learn the skills they need to be successful,” said Terry. “I am very excited about continuing my involvement with such a great staff and am looking forward to the challenges and celebrations that are to come.”
"Kathleen has a wonderful ability to connect with students, staff, and parents. With her leadership experiences as an Assistant Principal located in the YES program in Lacombe, her leadership experience as an Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) Leader and a Special Education Facilitator (SEF), she has already proven that she has the people skills and the staff development strategies to help PASS and the Education Centre become the best schools they can possibly be,” said assistant superintendent Kurt Sacher.
"Kathleen has worked very hard to become a principal in Wolf Creek Public Schools and we have every confidence she will continue to provide excellent leadership for us in her new role."
PASS is an elementary, middle and high school level program that facilitates academic learning while incorporating a mental health treatment component. Terry will also oversee three other educational programs that fall under the umbrella of PASS:
• The Centennial Centre Patients’ School offers an education program for clients in the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, adult psychiatry, and out-patient programs;
• The Youth Experiencing Success (YES) program in Lacombe is for students in grades 1 to 12 and is based on the individual needs of each student and helps to develop skills to foster positive behavior program;
• The Twin Oaks residential treatment centre which is run in conjunction with Heritage Family Services.
Terry has 14 years of teaching experience in kindergarten through to Grade 7. Over the years, she has taught in combined grades, inclusive classrooms and learning support classrooms. She joined the team at YES in 2008 as a special education facilitator and classroom teacher and was appointed as the assistant principal of PASS in 2009. In this role, the majority of her duties have focused on the Youth Experiencing Success (YES) program located in Lacombe.
She holds a bachelor of elementary education degree from the University of Alberta as well as a master’s of education degree from City University of Seattle. Terry has also invested considerable time into expanded leadership, interpersonal and instructional training. She also is a past graduate of Leadership 2000, a program developed within Wolf Creek Public Schools to allow classroom teachers to develop their leadership capacity should they wish to become an administrator in the future.
Terry lives in Red Deer with her husband, a field development biologist who works with Syngenta Crop Protection Canada. Away from school, she enjoys spending time outside camping, hiking or working in the yard. She also likes reading and spending time with her family.