There are some major movements taking place within the upper management structure of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division that will take effect in time for the start of the new academic year.
The division's board of trustees announced this past week that Kelly Hilkewich has been appointed deputy director of education, a newly created position that was approved by the board earlier this year.
Hilkewich will work in tandem with Lynn Little, who was just recently hired as the division's director of education to replace Marc Casavant, who is moving on to a neighbouring school division.
Prior to Casavant's resignation, Little, who had been superintendent of education, had been hired to take on the deputy director's role. She now takes on the director's job later this summer, and Hilkewich has been hired to take on her just-abandoned job as deputy director.
As noted, Little had been plucked from her position as superintendent of education so that job will now be in the hands of Rhae-Ann Holoien who comes to Cornerstone from the Prairie Valley School Division where she had carried out similar duties.
Cornerstone also announced that the superintendent of schools in the eastern sector of the division will be Shelley Sargent while Michael Merriman has been appointed superintendent of schools for the southern areas of the sprawling Cornerstone division, which covers all of southeast Saskatchewan and embraces a student population of over 8,200.
Hilkewich is being plucked from Cornerstone's pool of administrative talent to serve as deputy director since he was already providing services as superintendent of schools for the western area of the local public school system.
Hilkewich will assist Little in the division's overall daily business operations and strategic planning.
Hilkewich completed his bachelor of education degree at the University of Saskatchewan and received his master of education degree from the University of Regina in 2003. His first teaching assignment took him to the Kawacatoose Education Complex where he taught students from kindergarten to Grade 12 from physical education to English language arts. He later became principal at Ogema School and then vice-principal at Assiniboia Park elementary school in Weyburn and then principal at Haig School in that same city. He was appointed co-ordinator of curriculum and instruction in 2004 and co-ordinator of school administrative services in 2007 before assuming the superintendent's duties.
"I am truly excited to continue working with the senior leadership team and accomplishing the goals of the board of education as we create opportunities for the success and achievement of students," he said.
Little said Hilkewich will bring a steady, experienced and compassionate outlook to the school system and the leadership team.
"His varied experiences will provide new perspectives and assist us in enhancing student opportunities and outcomes," said Little, also noting that experience and administrative skills being brought to the table by Holoien, Sargent and Merriman will be welcomed.
Holoien holds a master of education degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor of arts and bachelor of education in French immersion from the University of Saskatchewan. She began her teaching career at Ecole Zenon Park School, later moving on to Melfort and their Unit Comprehensive Collegiate. She later taught at Albert Community School in Regina then Smeaton School and then Deer Park School Division's Davison School where she accepted a leadership role as principal in 2005 with the Horizon School Division, and three years later, the superintendent's role for curriculum and instruction then as superintendent of education with Prairie Valley in 2013.
Sargent is currently completing her current school year as principal of Carlyle Elementary School before moving into the superintendent's job for the eastern schools in the Cornerstone system. She holds a master of education administration and bachelor of secondary education in physical education from the University of Regina. She began a teaching career in 1988 at Broadview School and later moved to Stoughton School as vice-principal and then to Carlyle as principal.
Merriman currently serves as executive director of academics and college programs at Athol Murray College in Notre Dame. He holds a master of education administration from the University of Regina and a bachelor of education from Ohio State University. He began his teaching career in 1995 at the Williston, N.D. junior high school. He later assumed the position of special education teacher with the Thunder Creek School Division before moving on to Notre Dame in 1999 as a high school teacher. He then served as a middle years teacher with Nuiyak School in Nunavut and later became vice principal on the Inuksuk High School in that territory before moving on to Abu Dhabi Education Council in the United Arab Emirates. He returned to Notre Dame in 2010 as assistant director of academics and then director of academics and executive director of academics and college programs.
All the new assignments are slated to take effect Aug. 1.
