Arcola School hosted a back to school BBQ and community welcome night on Thursday, Sept. 3.
The BBQ was sponsored by Plainsview Credit Union, with employees of the Kipling branch coming down to cook. There were various informational booths set up in the gymnasium as well where anyone in the community could stop in an learn about clubs or service groups in the area.
Students and parents could also catch up with teachers, while getting the opportunity to meet new teacher, Amy Singleton, and new principal, Ron Wardrope.
Singleton is returning to teaching after some time off.
“I'm a mom of four kids, so we were done making our family and they're old enough they're going to school,” she explained.
“I grew up in Carlyle and my husband is from Kisbey, he went to school in Arcola, so I'm excited to be teaching here.”
Singleton has the grade four class in the mornings and a grade four/five split in the afternoons.
“It's great being back in the classroom again teaching students,” she explained. “Everyone has been very warm and welcoming, the community, staff, and students. I'm excited for the year and what's to come. I'm very much looking forward to working in the community and the school.”
New principal Ron Wardrope, is not new to the Cornerstone School Division, but he is new in Arcola. Wardrope has been in the area for five years with three of them spent in Manor as principal and two in Redvers.
Making his way to Arcola was a way to be closer to home as he lives with his family in Carlyle.
Wardrope explained there are approximately 235 kids in Arcola School this year and is eager to work in the school.
“I'm looking forward to getting to know the staff, the students, and the community, and to help in whatever way I can,” he said. “Helping students find as much success as they can and supporting both the staff and students to do that is what I'm planning.”
“We're really focused on two things this year, which are part of a provincial mandate, and those are literacy and student engagement. So, we're going to really try to maximize our literary results in the early years and focus on engaging all of our students.”
Wardrope will be teaching History 10 this semester, Law 30 next semester, and Social Studies 9 for both terms.
Additionally, Wardrope has been involved with getting Model United Nations classes going wherever he has been and hopes to do something along the same lines in the future in Arcola, although he is not sure exactly what it will look like yet in the school.
