McNamara Retiring After 34 Years
After more than 30 years as a educator and administrator, Jamie McNamara has decided to call it a career.
The St. Thomas Aquinos Roman (STAR) Catholic School division superintendent will officially retire at the end of August.
"I've spent many years in education, 34 to be exact. I believe in making changes...I've been provided with the opportunity to move forward...it was the right time for me to (go)," McNamara said.
McNamara has spent the last eight years of his career with STAR Catholic as the superintendent. Before joining the STAR head office in Leduc, McNamara spent 24 years in various roles with the Red Deer Catholic School division.
"I was a teacher, guidance counsellor, principal, vice-principal, and divisional principal," McNamara explained in an interview with the Pipestone Flyer.
McNamara got his teaching start in Fort McMurray, teaching Grade 6 students.
“Jamie is always fair in decision-making and sincere in what he does. He is one of the best superintendents I have ever worked for. I’m happy for him but for us it leaves a huge hole to fill,” reflected Luigi Gatti, Principal of Notre Dame School in Leduc in a press release from STAR Catholic School division.
The outgoing superintendent has spent his entire career within the Catholic school system.
"I was very blessed to have that opportunity," he said. Since joining STAR Catholic in 2005, McNamara has seen significant growth within the entire division. The student population has increase by 25 per cent during the past six years, including three new schools in Lacombe, Drayton Valley and Beaumont.
"The focus on student learning has been excellent...we've been blessed with the addition of three new schools. We went from seven schools to 10 schools in that time," he explained.
Last year, STAR Catholic was successful in expanding into the Pigeon Lake/Falun region, to offer parents in the region funding to bus their children into Sacred Heart School in Wetaskiwin. McNamara said there were already 20 students being bussed into Wetaskiwin from Falun.
"Sacred Heart has had the largest growth out of the schools with 400 students this year," McNamara said.
As for his replacement, McNamara said the school board will start looking in February and hope to have a new superintendent named by May.
"I'll be here until the end of August. There will be some transition time, about a month of cross over time. That will make the transition smoother, and to get them familiar with the division and get to know the staff and principals," McNamara explained.
When asked what he will miss the most about the job, McNamara said, the people.
"There's a lot of fond memories. I've made some wonderful relationships at STAR," he said.
"I'm most proud of the growth all the leaders across the division have been a part of. I really commend them on helping to advance Catholic education," he added.
McNamara said all the staff, board members and teachers at STAR Catholic are some of the best he's had the privilege to work with. "The division is in great hands...the whole board has been excellent to work with."
- Griffiths-Scott News Sun burns are appearing and this just shows that summer is on its way. With only a month of school left at Griffiths- Scott, provincial achievement tests are being written and students are studying for final exams. The ...
- LIGHTING UP PERFORMANCES The Wetaskiwin Summer Games Committee presented the Wetaskiwin Theatre Society with a cheque for $25,000.00 toward the stage lighting. Russ Aney presented the cheque to Ted Eden with Eldon Roth, Dot Brekke, Dave Dowler and ...
- Airport Mysteries Unveiled EIA TOWER (31) The new NAV CANADA Control Tower at EIA offers a wide view of the runways, with paperless state-of-the-art technology. DominiqueVrolyk The Pipestone Flyer Leduc County AB – Disclosed globally via TV broadcasts, ...
- DARE to resist drugs and alcohol During the 2012-2013 school year, Cst. Jackie Tessel of the Breton RCMP taught the DARE program at local schools. Approximately 100 students in grade 5/6 at Alder Flats Elementary, Winfield Elementary and Breton Elementary ...
- Leduc High School Soccer One of the few sports not recognized by the Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) is Soccer. Since 1957 when the ASAA was first formed to provide a provincial tournament for basketball the ASAA has added eleven additional ...
- Single Mother’s Day Event " Single Mother's Get Free Pampering At Single Mother's Day Event at Lighthouse Church."
- What Does Nisku Mean? Most of the names of the communities located in central Alberta were acquired in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. Many of the names came from individuals who first opened up the country as explorers or missionaries or by ...
- Mothers Are Worthy Mothers, daughters, and grandmothers from the Warburg area celebrated Mother's Day this year with the annual Mother's Day Shortcake Tea May 11 at the Warburg Cultural Centre. The event was organized by the Warburg Bloomin' ...
- Calmar Prairie Players New Hit: The Dangers of VD (Valentines Day) The cast of The Dangers of VD (Valentines Day) from back left to right: Nicole Sullivan as Jacqui Dyck, an overdramatic, boy crazed young lady that just can’t wait to be a grown up; Kelly Ainsworth as Jean Witherspoon, a ...
- Possibilities Redefined Spencer West speaks to the students at Ecole Corinthia Park School in Leduc at the first stop on his marathon from Edmonton to Calgary to raise money to bring fresh water to third world countries. Students at Ecole Corinthia ...
- Happy Fish Story Volunteers from Wizard Lake Stewardship attaching fish to the fence. A “Stream of Dreams”... The onset of spring’s warm weather melts the winter’s snow, creating streams of water draining from the fields and ditches ...
- Palmer..Who? Stephen Palmer recently brought his folksy, one-man guitar extravaganza to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Thorsby for the 2013 Spring BBQ fundraiser. During the British Invasion of the '60s and '70s, Palmer's band opened ...
- From Trails to Highways When the Hudson Bay Company gained a trading monopoly over all land and waterways within the Hudson Bay watershed in 1670 they set out to establish what was the extent of their holdings. To accomplish this feat they first ...
- City with Heart The Youth Award of Merit was presented to Mr. Timurlane Cakmak at the 2012 Citizens Of Distinction Banquet. Upon receiving his award Timulane (center) drew a laugh from the crowd by throwing his arm around Mayor Krischke ...
- Bath Time Who could resist those eyes! Charlie does not look thrilled about being in the tub for the CLASS fundraising Dog Wash at For Paws over the weekend but if he knew he was helping out other animals that are not being so well ...
- Leduc Lions Donate To Community The Leduc Special Olympics organization were thrilled to receive a donation of $1,500.00 from the Lion's Club of Leduc. The Leduc Lion's Club recently gifted the Leduc Boy Scouts with a cheque for $4,000.00 to renovate their ...
- Kids + Bikes = Safety If you have a small someone running around your home who is between the ages of 6 and 11 years old, and you are worried their new found freedom on two wheels might be a cause for concern as far as safety goes, then the ...
- Flying High At EIA V.P. of Community Development at Edmonton International Airport, Myron Keehn, spoke of the ways that EIA has grown and contributes to the local economy and community. The May Chamber luncheon opened with the information ...
- 6000 Ladybugs on the Wall Berta Briggs, owner of ARBER GREENHOUSES talks about the 6,000 ladybugs being released that day... -Photo submitted Millet, AB – An icon of this vibrant little town since 1981, ARBER GREENHOUSES recently hosted a Ladybug ...
- Wetaskiwin Co-op Returns 1.8 Million to Members On April 25 and 26 Wetaskiwin Co-op members were greeted with the first general cash repayment in many, many years. It started at 9 a.m. Thursday morning at the Wetaskiwin Co-op and concluded on Friday at 5 p.m. at the ...
