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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOver the last nine years, 260 principals have received the award for building partnerships with parents and the community, and innovating classroom teaching styles to improve student achievement.<\/p>\n
From reading programs to unparalleled professional development opportunities, Moffatt has played a key role in implementing a division-wide push to strengthen literacy skills among its youngest students since arriving at Heritage five years ago.<\/p>\n
“Having literate kids is the biggest gift we could give them,” Moffatt said.<\/p>\n
“That’s the building blocks for success.”<\/p>\n
Heritage has twice played host to internationally-renowned educator Regie Routman as part of her residency program, drawing teachers from across the division to the school, Moffatt said. As part of her residency program, Routman, a former teacher turned popular education author, embeds herself in school classrooms to help teachers refine their literacy instruction skills and improve the writing and reading skills of students.<\/p>\n
Heritage has also launched a summer reading program in an effort to combat a “dip” in skills common among developing youth, Moffat added.<\/p>\n
“There’s such a dip over the summer with skills. Some kids will lose half,” said the Silver Heights resident, who has served stints as a teacher, vice-principal and principal throughout the St. James-Assiniboia School Division, including Buchanan, Hedges and Brooklands schools.<\/p>\n
“Having them still be engaged in reading has helped maintain their skills for when school starts again. To see the progress in those students is the real time to celebrate.”<\/p>\n
Heritage is a unique “melting pot” of students because of its surrounding community, Moffatt added, drawing kids from both a lower-income Manitoba housing complex, as well as an affluent middle class suburb.<\/p>\n
A school must be active in getting parents involved in the school as much as students, Moffatt said, noting Heritage established a community kitchen program to allow parents to network with each other while cooking nutritious meals they could take home.<\/p>\n
“The school belongs to the community,” he said.<\/p>\n
“This job is about finding less traditional and (more) positive ways to make the school accessible.”<\/p>\n
Strathmillan School principal Sue Marlatt said she nominated Moffatt because of his abilities to open doors for his students, parents and co-workers.<\/p>\n
Moffatt embodies patience, kindness, care and concern while having high expectations, she said.<\/p>\n
“He considers the whole child, that balance between having high expectations for his kids and their emotional and physical needs,” she said.<\/p>\n
“He’s very hands on, he’s very much about the children and whatever needs to happen he will do it to make it happen for any kid.”<\/p>\n
Marlatt, who received an Outstanding Principal award in 2009, also noted the school’s regular family nights throughout the year, as well as a breakfast program for students it provides with the help of the school’s parent council.<\/p>\n
Two other Manitoba principals made the list, including Sharon Pekrul of Isaac Newton Junior High in the North End, and Tom Gallant of West Lynn Heights in Lynn Lake.<\/p>\n
At the end of the month, Moffatt and his Manitoban counterparts will head off to Toronto for a gala event and a week-long education and business workshop at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.<\/p>\n
For more, visit http:\/\/heritage.sjsd.net or www.thelearningpartnership.ca.<\/p>\n
matt.preprost@canstarnews.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Facebook.com\/TheMetroWPG
Twitter: @metroWPG<\/em><\/p>