There will be a new face wandering the halls as the principal of George McDougall High School this fall.
Rocky View Schools (RVS) announced on May 18 that Scott Bloxham will be the high school’s new principal starting in August. Bloxham is currently the principal of Muriel Clayton Middle School and has been with RVS for 17 years.
According to a previous press release from RVS, Bloxham has held both teaching and administrative positions throughout his time with the public-school division. He enjoyed stints as an assistant principal at Bert Church High School and Cochrane’s Bow Valley High School prior to his current role as principal of Muriel Clayton.
Before Bloxham stepped into the principal’s office, he was a drama teacher who spent time at Springbank Community High School, Chestermere Lake Middle School and Bert Church High School.
However, this will be the first time that Bloxham has been a principal of a high school – a challenge he said he is looking forward to.
“Within all the different levels, there’s different challenges and opportunities that kind of come out just based on the different ages that are present,” said Bloxham, when asked about the transition from middle school to high school.
He added there are different privileges available to junior high and high school students, such as the opportunity to participate in extracurricular programs, and that additional student freedom can place a varying range of responsibilities on administrators.
“When you’re an administrator of a high school, the complexities are a bit different,” he said.
Bloxham said he enjoyed his previous time as an assistant principal at Bert Church and is looking at his move to George McDougall as a great opportunity to get back into the realm of Airdrie’s public high school community.
“I’m really excited to get into a different school community – although still in Airdrie – and just get a chance to meet all the great students and all the great staff and the families that are attached to the school as well,” Bloxham said.
According to RVS, Bloxham holds a Master of Science Education from Kaplan University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria.
In their news release, RVS touted George McDougall’s new principal’s involvement with programs outside regular school hours.
“In his various roles, Bloxham is well known for dedicating significant time to extracurricular programs like drama productions, sports teams and speech and debate clubs,” the release stated. “He has also helped modernize a learning commons, served as a mentor and facilitator for RVS’ Administrative Leadership Program and organized international travel groups.”
With a focus on building positive relationships with students, family and faculty, Bloxham said students can expect him to be present in their classrooms, extracurricular activities and the community as a whole next year.
“I love the community,” he said.
