ASSINIBOIA — Brent Chadwick is now in the last three months of his remaining term as principal at Assiniboia Composite High School. Brett Tiffen has been selected as his replacement, moving from his role as principal at Mossbank.
Chadwick reflects on what remains for his time in the principal’s office at ACHS, saying, “The last three months are always an exciting time in any school year. For me, it’s the joy of working in two separate school years at the same time. Timetables are beginning to take shape and staffing must be completed all before we leave in June.”
The ACHS principal acknowledges that their student population will be past 190, so this in turn has 190 schedules completed with teachers submitting their timetables of what they are teaching and when to co-ordinate everything for the upcoming school year.
“Spring also brings lots of fun activities with the students as we close out the school year; car show, spring dance, extracurricular awards and lastly graduation. The year has gone quickly, but every May and June goes by very quickly,” affirms Chadwick.
Continuing in reflection for his last three months of tenure, “I think of all the school has accomplished and what great heights our future students will attain, makes me proud to have been part of the journey. When I think back of my own journey from teacher to vice-principal to principal, there was always opportunity to go elsewhere, but I so enjoyed the kids, the athletes, colleagues and of course the community. Former principal Barbara Compton always told me that Assiniboia was a great place to teach and raise children. She was right.”
The ACHS principal says he is proud that both of his children have done well after completing their education at ACHS and moving on to the real world.
“My hope was always that all students had a positive experience and got the most out of working with me in all the roles that I had during my tenure.”
The soon-to-be-retired principal is teaching his last class, Grade 9 Math.
“Graduation seems so far but I know these last 12 weeks will go in a blink of an eye so I am trying to enjoy every minute.”
Chadwick says retirement will be about time, as for 30 years of his life, he has run by a calendar from the school board, the school bells and the sports of the season.
“With both my wife (Marni at AES Grade 5) as well as me retiring, we have the unique opportunity to travel and enjoy the fruits of our hard work during the 30 years of school. I am heavily involved with both Softball Canada, World Softball and Saskatchewan Baseball. There is much to do and much to see in this world and I look forward to many further adventures.”
Chadwick affirms that since he told the World Softball Organization about his retirement, they have sent him a tournament schedule for the next few years, and the opportunity to travel is ongoing and exciting. With no school to keep him away, he will be available to travel whenever he wishes.
“The sights and opportunities that I have been part of to date have been great, but I still enjoy any opportunities in the future to travel and enjoy new places and new opportunities.”
Retirement for Mr. Chadwick will be a slower pace. He and his wife plan to go on a trip to Europe and have looked into a river cruise.
“My hope for the school is the students will return to ACHS and continue the traditions we have created over the years, and hopefully find success in new opportunities that [present] themselves. New leadership may show some different paths to students and provide a chance to see some different adventures than what the past was providing.”
Is there a Brent Chadwick legacy that will be left at ACHS?
“The legacy I hope to have left for ACHS was that the experience that the students got from ACHS was something they enjoyed and also learned from. My goals over the years were to provide every possible opportunity that I could for both students and even staff. When I think of legacy, I think of the athletic facilities for all of our sports. From new football field to new sound systems and score clocks in the gym, I believe we now have the ability to host any event that we would want to be part of.”
Chadwick also looks at the recognition ACHS students have earned over the years and says ACHS has a great recognition program in all areas of the school. From scholarships for grad classes totaling $40,000, academic awards, extracurricular awards, along with all the recognition students earn in the world outside of Assiniboia.
“The thing I will always highlight is the many people I had the great fortune to teach with over the years at ACHS, and the countless students who came through and I got to be part of their journey through their final years of school in Assiniboia. Whether it was teaching, coaching, or just enjoying the daily buzz of a school, I will always cherish my time at ACHS.”
