Robert Fisher
Staff Reporter
BARRY’S BAY – Madawaska Valley District School (MVDS) has welcomed Kim Carruthers as the new principal, taking over for Jennifer Schooley.
Carruthers comes from the Niagara Region where she was a principal and is looking forward to getting settled in Renfrew County. She and her husband have a home on Centennial Lake and she applied to the Renfrew County District School Board last autumn with the anticipation that she might find a position for the school year beginning next September. “When the opportunity was presented, as much as I was sad to leave my former school, I was incredibly excited to make the journey here,” she said.
Her school in Niagara was much larger than MVDS, about 1,200 students and secondary grades only. “I think what I appreciate about the size of this building; as much as we’d love it to grow, is that it’s such a warm,” feeling place. Her former school had a community feel, too, “but it’s easier to establish that and build relationships in a school that is smaller.
“What I’m already loving is that our teachers, our educational assistants, our staff, they really, truly know the kids in this building and they understand them.” She said the connections at a smaller school run deeper. She also noted that there has been growth at the school with new people moving into the area.
The closer connections, she said, can help improve the educational experience for students by creating an atmosphere where students feel valued, welcomed, cared for and have a sense of belonging. “If we can set that stage for our students, it makes the academic learning that much easier.”
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