Rocky View Schools’ (RVS) Superintendent of Schools, Greg Luterbach announced a series of principal and leadership appointments at the public school division that will be effective this August.
“Our administrative leadership team is a dedicated, experienced and passionate team of educators,” said Luterbach in an RVS press release. “I congratulate each of our principals and assistant principals on their new roles and look forward to another great school year shaped by their leadership.”
Shane Dempster, Bow Valley High School, Cochrane
Shane Dempster will join RVS from High Level Public School, where he is currently principal, to lead Bow Valley High School in Cochrane as the new principal.
Dempster has worked for 20 years in education with the Fort Vermilion School Division in northern Alberta. During that time, he’s been a junior and senior high-school teacher, curriculum coordinator, assistant principal, and principal. He has spent almost a decade in school-based leadership.
He holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Education in Kindergarten-to-Grade 8 education from the University of Maine, and a Bachelor of English and history from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
A passionate educational leader, Dempster prides himself on open and honest communication.
Jim Reilly, C.W. Perry School, Airdrie
Jim Reilly will become principal of C.W. Perry School in Airdrie, after spending four years at Bow Valley High School, first as acting principal in 2018 and then as principal beginning in 2019. He has also been a teacher and acting assistant principal at Cochrane High School and an assistant principal at George McDougall High School in Airdrie.
Reilly holds a Master of Education and Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary, as well as a Bachelor of Journalism with an English Minor from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and an Associate in Music Diploma from Malaspina University-College.
As an educational leader, he strives to empower others and foster a culture built on respect, caring, achievement and celebration.
Lindsay Adams, École Edwards Elementary, Airdrie
Lindsay Adams will return to École Edwards Elementary School in Airdrie next school year, where she held her first administrator role as an assistant principal beginning in 2013.
Adams’ career in education began in 2004 in Ontario and she has previously worked as a literacy coach, early reading intervention teacher, and French Immersion teacher. She was appointed to her first principalship at Elbow Valley Elementary School in 2016 and later as the first principal of Airdrie’s Northcott Prairie School in 2019.
She holds a Master of Education, a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology, all from Nipissing University, as well as her Leadership Quality Standards certification. During her time with RVS, she has served as chair of the French Immersion Benchmarks committee and as a member of the Literacy and Numeracy task group.
Shannon Storey-Heffer, Langdon School, Langdon
Shannon Storey-Heffer will assume her first principalship in RVS at Langdon School next school year, after serving as assistant principal and acting principal at East Lake Elementary School in Chestermere since 2018.
A teacher at Chestermere High School beginning in 2003, Storey-Heffer became an administrator with RVS in 2017 as assistant principal at Bow Valley High School in Cochrane, before joining East Lake.
Storey-Heffer holds a Master of Education in Administration and Leadership from the University of New Brunswick, a Bachelor of Education in Social Studies from the University of Calgary, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of King’s College/Dalhousie University.
A priority for Storey-Heffer is better understanding and supporting students’ social and mental well-being, while also mentoring and coaching teachers.
Devon Sawby, Northcott Prairie School, Airdrie
Devon Sawby will continue to lead Northcott Prairie School as principal after serving as acting principal at the school in 2021-22. This will be Sawby’s first time as principal after becoming an assistant principal at École Edwards Elementary School in 2016 and later serving as assistant principal at Bow Valley High School in 2019.
Before becoming an administrator, Sawby taught social studies and French Language Arts at George McDougall High School for eight years beginning in 2008.
Sawby holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Management from Royal Roads University, as well as a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Humanities from the University of Calgary. She believes all students can reach their learning potential when they are trusted and respected.
Tammy Rahn, Rainbow Creek Elementary School, Chestermere
A long-time RVS administrator, Tammy Rahn will move on from her current role as principal at Langdon School to become principal of Rainbow Creek Elementary School in Chestermere. Rahn became an administrator with the division in 2008, assuming the role of assistant principal at Chestermere Lake Middle School. In 2010, she became principal of that school and later moved to Langdon School in 2017.
She first joined RVS as a teacher in 1995 and worked at Mitford Middle School in Cochrane and Chestermere Lake Middle School. She began her teaching career as a special education teacher in Stony Plain, Alberta.
Rahn holds a Master of Education in Inclusion and Diversity Leadership from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Education with a specialization in Special Education from the University of Alberta. Rahn is a student-centred educator who is not afraid to try new learning approaches that will benefit students.
Glen Brooker, Springbank Middle School, Springbank
Glen Brooker will assume his first principal role at Springbank Middle School in August, after serving as assistant principal at W.H. Croxford High School in Airdrie since 2019.
Brooker has been an RVS administrator since 2016, when he became assistant principal at Cochrane High School. Before that, he worked as a teacher or athletic director since 1998 at schools including Bert Church High School in Airdrie, Bow Valley High School and RVS’ Building Futures program.
He holds a Master of Education from the University of Victoria, a Bachelor of Education in History from the University of Alberta, and a Distance Adult Education certification from the University of Calgary. He believes the foundation of learning is built around equity, diversity and inclusion for all learners.
Earl Castiglione, Westbrook School, Rocky View County
Earl Castiglione will become principal at Westbrook School after serving as assistant principal at Bert Church High School since 2018. A teacher and learning specialist since 1992 with Chinooks Edge School Division and the Calgary Board of Education, Castiglione first joined RVS in 2017 as assistant principal at Sarah Thompson School in Langdon, before joining Bert Church the following year. This will be his first principalship.
Castiglione holds a Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as a Bachelor of Education in Secondary English and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Calgary.
Castiglione believes an effective school provides opportunities for young people to understand the world, find opportunities and engage in personal growth.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, congratulations to each of these administrators on their new assignment as Principal,” said Fiona Gilbert, Board Chair, in the press release. “We value their strong commitment to student success and their contributions as leaders within our schools and communities.”
Additionally, the following individuals will take on new administrative roles in the division:
- Shawna Neis – from principal of Prince of Peace Lutheran School in Rocky View County to assistant principal of A.E. Bowers Elementary School in Airdrie.
- Dan New – from assistant principal of Prince of Peace Lutheran School to assistant principal of Bert Church High School.
- Tim Hasiuk – from principal of Millarville Community School to assistant principal of Bow Valley High School.
- Aaron Hiebart – from vice-principal of Brooks Junior High School to assistant principal of Chestermere High School.
- Lesley-Anne Petcoff – from assistant principal of W.G. Murdoch School in Crossfield to assistant principal of Cochrane High School.
- Susan Noble – from acting assistant principal of Bearspaw School to assistant principal of East Lake School.
- Kelly Beaton – from acting assistant principal of RVS Community Learning Centre (CLC) to assistant principal of RVS CLC.
- Tracy Lyons – from assistant principal of Cochrane High School to assistant principal of RVS CLC.
- Gwen Dawes Harker – from assistant principal of RVS CLC to assistant principal of W.G. Murdoch.
- Scott Thompson – from acting assistant principal of Bow Valley High School to assistant principal of W.H. Croxford High School.
