A tale of two principals

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/07/2022 (1414 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NORWOOD

WINDSOR PARK

Two longtime educators in southeast Winnipeg have retired.

When schools closed their doors for the summer on June 30, Charlene Smallwood, principal of Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, and Karen Haluschak, principal at Windsor Park Collegiate, both officially called time on their careers with Louis Riel School Division.

Smallwood had been principal at the Norwood-based school since 2018, having previously been vice-principal since 2015. Haluschak had been principal at the Windsor Park-based school since 2018. The longtime colleagues are also good friends.

With some loose ends still to tie up at the end of school year, both Smallwood and Haluschak had bits and pieces of school-related business to take care of beyond June 30, so the fact they won’t be returning to their respective offices at the start of the upcoming school year might take a while to sink in.

“For me, it’s a bit hard for the idea of retirement to sink in at the moment, as I’m normally on holiday now,” Haluschak said, noting that she usually starts planning for the school year ahead and picking up supplies during the summer.

“I keep wondering what the last two weeks of August and the beginning of September look like. I plan to do more holiday-type activities this summer, but it doesn’t really feel like I’ve retired yet.”

On the subject of holiday-type activities, the pair is considering heading west towards the mountains for a trip later this summer.

“We’re thinking about taking a journey somewhere when the others are going back to school, maybe B.C. or Canmore — somewhere picturesque where we can enjoy being outdoors,” Haluschak said.

After the unprecedented experiences of dealing with COVID-19 during the last two school years, both Smallwood and Haluschak were delighted for their students and their families that they were able to return to in-person graduation events recently.

Nelson McIntyre Collegiate’s returned to The Forks last month, and Windsor Park Collegiate’s was held at the fieldhouse at Dakota Community Centre.

“We were back at The Forks, and had 65 graduates this year, which is a big class for us. Knowing it would be outside helped assure us about the safety factor,” Smallwood said.

“It’s so special for us to have this partnership with The Forks and being able to return to an in-person graduation was so special. We welcomed lots of families and extended family members, and everybody wanted to be part of it.”

When asked about what they think they’ll miss about day-to-day school life, both women had similar responses.

“My answer will always be the people. This includes welcoming the new batch of kids that come every year, as well as saying goodbye to the ones leaving. I’ll also miss the staff I’ve worked with, and the parents,” Haluschak said.

“I had such an amazing team, and I’m so proud of everything we’ve created together — that energy, that synergy. I think we’ve done some amazing work and watched some amazing things unfold,” Smallwood added.

In terms of what’s next for the retiring principals, Smallwood has taken a position with provincial department of education, and Haluschak is thinking about what her next adventure might be.

Smallwood’s replacement at Nelson Mac is Shelly Hopper, while Haluschak’s replacement at Windsor Park is Robbie Mager.