As students around the Cariboo Chilcotin prepare to head back to school, new School District 27 superintendent Cheryl Lenardon is ready to greet them.
Lenardon took over at the end of the last school year from former superintendent Chris van der Mark after having spent the last four years as his assistant superintendent. She said she plans to serve the students and parents of SD27 with the support of her staff and teachers.
"I have a lot of help. I have supportive school trustees and a strong team of district and school leaders," Lenardon said. "We have caring professional staff in our schools, shops and offices. We will all work together. It is going to be a good year."
Born in Ontario to a family of teachers, Lenardon first came out to British Columbia as a tree planter and soon fell in love with the province. Since graduating from Simon Fraser University, Lenardon has spent most of her 30 years as an educator working in B.C. as a teacher of all grade levels, a high school principal and most recently as an assistant superintendent at both SD27 and Rocky Mountain School District before that.
Working with youth is something Lenardon has always had a passion for. She finds it rewarding to work with students and their families to change and improve their options in life. That's why as she grew more experienced she moved from teaching to administration to have a bigger impact on the lives of her students.
"The purpose is the same. It's all centred, if you're doing it right, on student success. The difference is the system-level view," Lenardon explained. "The closer you are to it the more you are centred on your own practice and relationships. The bigger the leadership responsibility the bigger the system picture. You're more connected to how all the pieces fit together."
Lenardon said when she came to SD27 it was in the midst of a lot of change and she felt there was a lot of good work to be done. Not only has she enjoyed that work, but living in the Cariboo has also been a huge plus, Lenardon added, noting she finds the community to be a welcoming place.
This year marks Lenardon's first in the superintendent's chair which she said is exciting and humbling. She noted she is aware of the responsibility she now holds and takes it seriously. Going forward she wants to shape the direction of the school district and introduce her own style of leadership.
When asked what she has planned, Lenardon noted SD27 is currently preparing to roll out information on their next three-year strategic plan and didn't want to jump the gun. However, she said one of her main areas of focus is on the concept of collective responsibility and inclusion at all levels of the organization.
"Anytime we're making any plans we're being really mindful that all of us are part of the system and this system has responsibility for all of the students. If I'm a classroom teacher it is about the students that I directly work with but I am also working with the entire school team for the benefit of everyone," Lenardon said. "It's about having collective responsibility with families where it's a partnership. We have a rich network in the Cariboo of community service providers, and community organizations, it's pretty special actually."
Another thing Lenardon plans to promote as superintendent is the use and value of place-based and outdoor learning. She noted there are a lot of educational benefits to outdoor learning as well as mental health and wellness benefits for the students and teachers.
"Time in nature is powerful. Time outside has just so many benefits," Lenardon said. "If you're going to learn about a concept, could you do that outside in our local environment or by bringing community members into the school? It's about thinking and learning local."
The greatest challenge Lenardon foresees is building new relationships with people and making sure any changes made are done with the long-term future in mind. She noted she doesn't expect to be perfect and will make mistakes from time to time.
"I'm not going to get everything right, nobody ever does, but I'm going to try and focus on communication and helping people understand who I am and where I'm coming from."
