Good Spirit School Division #204
Six candidates are vying for three City of Yorkton at large seats on the Good Spirit School Division Board of Education. In alphabetical order, they are:
David Deswiage is commercial insurance producer for Western Financial Group. He has experience on boards of directors with Kidztown Prince George-a community based non profit group which provides ministry outreach to children-and as a director and treasurer for Panda Bear Preschool. He has also owned and operated two businesses dealing with educational services for children with developmental disabilities. "Yorkton and the surrounding area have experienced and will continue to experience population growth in the years to come," he said. "I believe that by following the Strategic Plan that was unveiled just prior to the start of the school year, Good Spirit School Division will become a leader in the province for student excellence. I believe in frequent and supportive communication with the students and their parents. I also believe that by understanding and following the strong mission, vision and values statements that Good Spirit School Division has, growth and sustainability for our students now and in the future will be certain.
Gordon Gendur is a retired administrator and educator with a experience in both elementary and secondary schools. He currently works for both University of Regina as teacher intern supervisor and for the University of Saskatchewan as an instructor. He sits on the Board of Directors for the Sunrise Health Region and has previously served on the SIGN board. Gendur was a founding Board member for Parkland Victim Services as well as holding the position of president for five years. Gordon is married and he and his wife have one son working overseas in the oil industry. Gordon's educational experiences range from elementary to secondary to post-secondary but they also include being asked to be a guest lecturer for the University in Odessa, Ukraine, and Delene, North West Territories. "I believe a school board can be compared to the rudder on a large ship," he said. "The board can help set the direction and constancy of the "Students Come First" philosophy. If corrective measures are needed then the board can assist in steering and pointing out the possible dangers of staying on course."
Richard Haacke is a retired GSSD teacher and principal who served as an educational administrator for 30 of his 34 years with the division. He says his own education in Yorkton in "excellent schools with great teachers" helped inspire him to be first a good student and later a teacher who "always put the needs of his students first." Haacke says he would like to continue working in the field of education to ensure that Yorkton's students get an excellent education and are able to pursue any field they choose. Haacke graduated from the Yorkton Regional High School after attending Columbia,Simpson and Composite schools. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan and a post-graduate Diploma in Educational Administration from the University of Regina. One of the highlights of his teaching career was receiving the "Distinquished Administrator of the Year Award" from the Saskatchewan School Based Administrators Group in 2003-2004.
As a resident in the Good Spirit School Division and the parent of a six year old, Lenore Pinder feels she has a vested interest in ensuring high quality, safe and sustainable education for students in the division. She has served as a school board trustee for the past three years and was involved with the development of the new strategic plan to guide activities of the school division over the next number of years. "I will continue to act in a manner to support a school system that fosters development of our children as students, individuals and as responsible citizens," she said. "I look forward to my daughter's involvement in a leading education system. I look forward to this opportunity for all children in the Good Spirit School Division.
Bonnie Rushowick is a parent and a registered nurse. She has been a school trustee for 14 years because she says, "I believe in public education." She and her husband have lived in Yorkton for 30 years and their three children attended school here. "Children must be considered first whether we are improving reading and math skills or ensuring safe environments in which to learn," she said. "I am committed to balancing fiscal responsibility and innovation with our children's physical, social and learning needs in order to create opportunities to provide the education and knowledge they need to succeed in today's fast changing world.
Ray Sass has been a trustee with the Good Spirit Board of Education for ten years and chairperson for eight of those years. As part of the school board, Sass has served numerous committees, internal and external, representing the Good Spirit School Board and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association. His most recent board appointment has been to the Municipal Employees Pension Plan representing the Saskatchewan School Boards Association. Sass holds the designation of Chartered Director (C.Dir.) from The Directors College and is an active board member with the Anglican Church of Canada on a local, provincial and national level. He is also Vice President of the Saskatchewan Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and a member of the National Civil Air Search and Rescue Association Board of Directors. "I believe that public education must provide students with an array of educational opportunities so that all students will achieve success now and in the future," he said.
It has been an honour to serve the Catholic education community as a board member for Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division for the past three years, said Doreen Rathgeber. "I believe student-centred approach to learning is absolutely vital to the education of each child and youth in CTTCS division. I will continue to support the focus of ensuring we meet the expectations of each student, parent, and the Catholic community. At the same time, I promise to ensure the emphasis is placed on the needs of the teaching staff with the necessary tools and personnel to assist them with this most important task of delivering excellent instruction." As a former educator, Rathgeber taught in four Catholic school divisions throughout the province: Yorkton, North Battleford, Saskatoon, and Estevan. She has a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan and one year of administration classes from San Diego State University. "Service is a part of my life so I've served on the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Council as well as numerous educational committees and boards," she said.
"I look forward to the opportunity to serve as a trustee for Christ the Teacher RCSSD #212 representing the City of Yorkton for another term," said Jerome Neizgoda. "I will strive to ensure we will have excellent programs and resources in place for the success and achievement of all students. We aim to educate the whole child; academically, physically, emotionally and spiritually with a distinctively Catholic education that will make a difference in their lives and in society. I believe nurturing partnerships among parents, schools and parishes is important to help stakeholders know, understand and support the mission of Catholic education."
Dwayne Todas is Rosemarie and Mervin Todas's eldest son. He has two brothers Daryle who teaches in Calgary and Darcy who teaches at Sacred Heart. He and his wife Faye Todas have two children, Sarah who teaches in the Public system and Braden who is apprenticing as a carpenter. Todas has 20 years experience in the human services field working as an income security worker, young offender worker, adult corrections worker, and child protection worker. "I have been involved in the community teaching and guiding families through the process of change in order to have a healthier family unit, coached numerous sports, been a Catholic board member previously, and am faith oriented," he said. "I believe every child and youth have a right to an education regardless of their abilities and are important members of our community.
This is Patricia Zarysky's second term as a Catholic school trustee. On the previous board she represented Yorkton rural. "I am active in our local parish, which makes it even more rewarding to advocate for children's learning and catholic education," she said. "My kids were involved in catholic education so I became engaged in the school communities at a local level. My personal growth as a board member has been challenging and rewarding. I have decided to run for election again because I enjoy the challenge and know that it all comes down to ensuring students come first in decision-making.
Dwight Guy is a husband and father of seven children aged five to 18 years. he has lived in Yorkton for the last 20 years and has volunteered in a variety of coaching positions and school activities. After working throughout Saskatchewan with TransCanada Pipelines, he completed his Journeyman Industrial Mechanic and moved on to Transgas/SaskEnergy. "Always excited to try new challenges, I recently joined Mosaic Potash where I am currently employed at the K2 mine site near Esterhazy," he said. "Having strong Catholic values, I became a member of the Knights of Columbus and remain very active in my St. Gerard's parish. With my children involved in the Catholic school system, I am committed to the advancement of Christian faith and development and look forward to being a contributing member of Christ the Teacher School Board.
