Pembina Trails appoints new superintendent/CEO

Fort Garry

Waverley West

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This article was published 21/02/2024 (595 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pembina Trails School Division will welcome Shelley Amos as its new superintendent/CEO at the end of the 2023-24 school year.

Amos has more than 30 years of educational experience. The Steinbach resident began her teaching career at the former Transcona-Springfield School Division, before moving to the Hanover School Division in 2002. She became vice-principal at Woodlawn Early Years School in 2009, and was promoted to principal in 2011. She held the position until 2018.

Soon after, Amos was assistant superintendent, as well as interim superintendent, at Hanover School Division for four years before becoming permanent superintendent in 2022. Amos describes the transition as bittersweet, a sentiment that has followed her throughout her busy career thus far.

“Some people might look at it as climbing a ladder, but I haven’t felt that way about my journey,” she said. “I have loved each position, and have had conversations with people about, ‘Hey, you would be good at this, hey, have you considered this,’ and taken the opportunity when opportunities arose, and have (consistently) loved the next level of position.”

Amos’s priorities at Pembina Trails will be to continue to focus on high graduation rates, as well as nurturing the inclusive environment she believes Pembina Trails is already known for.

“Understanding all levels of the system, being able to relate with people that are working in all levels of this system, that’s something transferable from one school division to the next,” she said. “Focusing on inclusive practices, that’s one of the things that excites me most about Pembina Trails. They have a really good reputation for diversity, equity, inclusion, and Indigenous education.”

Pembina Trails is also a quickly growing division, she noted, similar to Hanover, which creates challenges when it comes to having enough space for everyone.

“(I’ll continue to work) with parents and the community, in the short term, on how to serve everybody’s needs,” Amos said.

She also plans to use her experience as a parent and nurturing person — and gardener, the odd time she has a spare moment — to create a safe environment for students and teachers alike.

“It’s about being a good human being, and it’s about building relationships. In addition to my professional career, in my personal life, I am married and I have a son and a daughter, and I’m happy to share that with people. Family is a priority for me,” she said.

“I really believe that good work happens in the schools. And it’s important to take care of the teachers and leadership in the school so that they can take care of the kids. And that’s a key role for a superintendent and team to make sure we’re looking after those people.

“Good things don’t happen in schools without staff that are well nurtured and highly respected.”

Throughout her career, she’s tried to push the idea of treating every child like her own, she said, and she hopes to continue doing so for as long as she can.

“I’m really privileged and honoured to have been chosen and selected, and excited to come over and meet new people and work in a system that has got such a good reputation across Manitoba,” she said.

Amos will start with Pembina Trails on Aug. 4.