SD 60 Board Selects New Superintendent
SD 60 Trustees have confirmed Assistant Superintendent Stephen Petrucci as the school district’s next Superintendent. Petrucci will take over from retiring Superintendent Dave Sloan who is stepping down in October. Petrucci has been the Assistant Superintendent for the past seven years. Originally from Fraser Lake, Petrucci began his career in SD 60 as a teacher at NPSS. In addition to his teaching experience, Petrucci served as an administrator at both Clearview Elementary Junior Secondary School and Ecole Central Elementary School of the Fine Arts before moving to the Board Office as a Director of Instruction.
Northeast Elementary School Named For Anne Roberts Young
With a nod to both history and geography SD 60 Trustees have elected to name the new northeast elementary school after Anne Roberts Young, Fort St John’s first registered nurse. Superintendent Dave Sloan believes the name is fitting given the new school’s location across the street from the Fort St John Hospital and Birthing centre and the fact that Anne Roberts Young dedicated much of her professional life to providing health care in her community.
The new school name was selected after a process of community consultation that saw the registered nurse’s name emerge with the greatest number of nominations. The Young family are thrilled that their mother’s memory is being honoured in this manner. This name selection marks the second time that trustees have chosen to recognize a female pioneer and continues a move towards greater gender parity in the naming of district schools.
District Schools to Recognize Indigenous Learners
The board thanks all community members for the many suggestions it received around the school naming process, especially those who suggested school naming as a means to recognize contributions of the area’s indigenous peoples. In consideration of these suggestions, and with input from local First Nations, the Beaver language word for school “Dane jejehde” will be added to the signage of district schools, beginning with NPSS and Upper Pine this fall.