This interactive workshop is designed for new school principals and vice principals seeking to build strong, sustainable leadership foundations. The session will focus on developing systems that support balanced work/life excellence, personal growth, and the ability to maintain energy and effectiveness over time.

Objectives

• Explore the concept that effective systems, rather than sheer willpower, are essential for sustaining excellence in leadership roles.
• Examine how personal growth and self-awareness underpin long-term success and sustainability in school leadership.
• Review current research and practical strategies around rest, energy regeneration, and maintaining wellbeing for ongoing leadership effectiveness.

Session Structure

1. Unpacking Leadership Longevity
2. Discussion on the importance of robust systems that support leaders and help prevent burnout. Participants will reflect on current practices and identify gaps in their own routines.
3. Personal Growth as Leadership Learning
4. Guided self-assessment and group activities focused on understanding individual strengths, values, and leadership styles. Emphasis will be placed on how knowing oneself contributes to sustainable leadership.
5. Rest, Renewal, and Regenerating Energy
6. Presentation and interactive segment exploring recent research on rest and energy management. Participants will develop action plans for integrating restorative practices into their leadership routines.

Workshop Activities

• Rituals and routines for work/life balance
• Self-awareness stretches and reflection exercises
• Conversation circles on personal growth experiences
• Strategy mapping for establishing supportive systems
• Resource sharing on best practices for rest and energy renewal

Intended Outcomes

• Participants will leave with practical tools and systems to support their ongoing leadership journey.
• Increased self-awareness and clarity about personal leadership values and pathways.
• Actionable strategies for rest, renewal, and maintaining high energy levels throughout their career.

Dr. Christopher Fuzessy is the Superintendent of Schools and Chief Education Officer at Foothills School Division (FSD) in southern Alberta. In his role, Christopher is committed to ensuring that FSD is “A Place for All” by focusing on the empowerment and well-being of students, staff, and the broader community. He is a strong advocate for placing education at the center of a flourishing community, a responsibility he holds dearly. With a comprehensive career spanning nearly every role within the education system, Christopher brings a wealth of experiential knowledge to his position. His practical experience is further strengthened by his academic credentials, including a Bachelor of Education and a Master’s Degree, Educational Studies from Concordia University, as well as a PhD from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Christopher’s dedication to education and community well-being underscores his leadership at FSD, where he continuously creates opportunities for growth and development across the entire school division.

Cynthia Glaicar had a successful career with Foothills School Division (FSD) that included school-based leadership, opening a new school, and leading system level learning in the role of Director of Staff and Wellness Learning. Cynthia retired from FSD and stepped into the opportunity to work overseas in an international school supporting a new school leadership team in the role of system instructional coach. She is now working in leadership development and coaching in both the private and educational sectors.

School-based administrators play a pivotal role in shaping whether inclusion is lived as a shared value or treated as a program. This session explores how school leaders set the tone for inclusion through what they believe, what they model, and what they consistently respond to in their schools.

Grounded in Alberta’s inclusive education framework and the being–knowing–doing approach, participants will examine how leadership mindset, professional knowledge, and daily practices work together to create (or undermine) a culture where all students belong and can learn. Using the continuum of supports and services as a practical lens, leaders will reflect on how their actions influence staff expectations, student experiences, and school-wide responses to diversity and complexity.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how their leadership presence and decisions shape inclusivity, along with concrete strategies for strengthening inclusive culture and systems of support within their school.

As a result of participating in this session, participants will have the opportunity to:

• build awareness of how their leadership stance influences inclusive school culture.
• expand their understanding of the continuum of supports and services.
• strengthen their capacity to lead through conflicts of values related to inclusion by responding with clarity, consistency, and professional judgment.

Danica Martin is a leadership consultant with experience as a classroom teacher, school-based leader, and system-level leader. Most recently, she served as Assistant Superintendent of Education Services with Wolf Creek Public Schools, where she held responsibility for leading inclusive education and system-wide supports for learners. Her work focuses on inclusive education, student well-being, and building school cultures where every learner is known, valued, and supported.

Danica holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary and is an ACC-level professional coach, bringing both academic grounding and coaching practice to her work with leaders. She is deeply passionate about the belief that every child deserves to belong and to learn, and that inclusive education is shaped as much by leadership mindset as by structures and programs.

This session supports new administrators in understanding how staff wellness is strengthened through everyday leadership decisions that respect the dignity of each person and the realities of school life. With a focus on fostering effective relationships, the session highlights practical ways administrators can build trust, communicate with clarity and care, and create a culture where staff feel supported, heard, and valued. The session also connects wellness leadership to embodying visionary leadership, showing how a consistent vision for wellness shapes priorities, strengthens team culture, and guides decision-making. Finally, the session emphasizes how wellness is sustained through managing school operations and resources, including the routines, structures, and workload realities that affect staff day-to-day, and the strategies administrators can use to reduce friction, improve clarity, and support a healthy, effective workplace. Participants leave with actionable practices they can implement immediately to promote a safe, caring, and responsive staff culture while meeting operational expectations and supporting student success.

As a result of participating in this session, participants will have the opportunity to strengthen their ability to lead with a wellness lens by aligning their vision, relationships, and day-to-day school operations, and by applying practical strategies that support staff well-being while maintaining effective and responsive school leadership.

Vincent Behm is the Chief Deputy Superintendent for Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools, serving approximately 10,000 students. With over 30 years in Catholic education, he has served as a teacher and principal, including elementary, junior high, and senior high leadership. He holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and a Human Resources certification from the University of Calgary, and holds a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation. His leadership focuses on strengthening teaching and learning and supporting administrators and teachers through recruitment, supervision, growth and evaluation, staff wellness, and leadership development. He currently serves as a board member of the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS) and as a sessional instructor at St. Mary’s University.

This session supports new and early-career principals in developing practical, sustainable leadership systems grounded in the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS). Through a story of practice, participants will explore how clear structures, consistent communication, and relational leadership create the conditions for effective school leadership.

Aligned with Fostering Effective Relationships, the session focuses on building trust through clear communication, intentional follow-up, and navigating difficult conversations with both accountability and care. Participants will learn how these practices strengthen relationships with staff, students, and families.

In alignment with Leading a Learning Community and Providing Instructional Leadership, participants will examine how systems such as staff handbooks, communication routines, and clear expectations support staff growth, collaboration, and instructional clarity. These structures enable principals to intentionally support teaching and learning.

Aligned with Managing School Operations and Resources, the session provides practical tools for organizing the school year, streamlining communication, and creating efficient workflows that reduce ambiguity and support responsive leadership.

Finally, in support of Developing Leadership Capacity, participants will explore how clear systems and expectations create opportunities for staff to take on leadership roles, build confidence, and contribute meaningfully to a collaborative and effective school community.

As a result of participating in this session, participants will have the opportunity to:

• develop practical systems for organizing the school year, including staff handbooks and communication structures.
• strengthen their ability to lead difficult conversations with clarity, confidence, and relational integrity.
• implement consistent follow-up practices that support accountability and build trust with staff and families.
• establish clear expectations and structures that support instructional leadership and a cohesive learning community.
• identify strategies to build staff leadership capacity through clarity, consistency, and shared responsibility

Louise Loh is a principal with Sturgeon Public Schools, currently leading both Landing Trail School and Legal Public School in Alberta. With over 25 years in education, she brings a practical, people-first approach to leadership, grounded in the belief that strong relationships and clear systems are at the heart of effective schools.

Louise’s work focuses on supporting staff, building cohesive school communities, and creating structures that make the complex work of leadership more manageable and meaningful. She is known for her honest, relational approach, particularly when navigating difficult conversations and supporting both students and adults through challenging situations.

Her leadership is informed by the Leadership Quality Standard and a commitment to continuous growth, reflection, and collaboration. Louise enjoys sharing real-world strategies and stories of practice to support new and emerging leaders in building confidence and clarity in their roles.

New principals and vice principals do meaningful leadership work every day—yet can struggle to capture clear, compelling evidence of that work when it comes time to demonstrate alignment with the Alberta Leadership Quality Standard (LQS).

Most school divisions require new administrators to provide evidence that demonstrates they are meeting the Leadership Quality Standard as part of their appraisal processes and employment contract cycles.

This hands-on session aims to take the guesswork out of what evidence could demonstrate proficiency in each competency. It’s designed to eliminate last-minute stress by helping participants intentionally plan for how they can manageably collect a body of meaningful evidence across their first year in the role, saving themselves potential stress to meet appraisal timelines.

Participants will explore practical and intentional ways to gather evidence aligned to all seven competencies of the standard, with a focus on artifacts that naturally emerge from daily leadership practice. The session will highlight a wide range of possible evidence sources, and artifacts.

Through guided activities, participants will map out a personalized, month-by-month evidence collection plan that aligns with their school context, leadership responsibilities, and timelines. Emphasis will be placed on proactive organization, reflective practice, and using existing work rather than creating “extra” tasks. By the end of the session, participants will have a clear, realistic system for capturing their leadership story as it unfolds—without panic, all-nighters, or folders of disconnected artifacts when they need to produce their evidence.

While the session is specifically grounded in Embodying Visionary Leadership and Modelling a Commitment to Professional Learning, there are also aspects of the LQS “front matter” that give relevance to this session:

**Whereas the Leadership Quality Standard provides a framework to support the professional growth, supervision and evaluation of all principals and school jurisdiction leaders.

**Whereas students, parents and other partners in education should be confident that Alberta principals and school jurisdiction leaders demonstrate the Leadership Quality Standard throughout their careers.

**Whereas it is important to recognize the value of a consistent standard of professional practice for all principals and school jurisdiction leaders in the province.

Additionally, the session takes root in Viviane Robinson’s work on Virtuous Educational Leadership. Robinson indicates, “Leadership is not just what you do, but how you do it,” which aligns with evidence-based reflection and professional growth grounded in ethical standards-aligned practice.

As a result of participating in this session, participants will have the opportunity to:

• confidently tell their leadership story by leaving with a practical, personalized plan to collect meaningful evidence throughout the year—transforming everyday leadership actions into clear, credible proof of growth, impact, and alignment with the Alberta Leadership Quality Standard that can be used for their appraisal process in their first and subsequent years in their new positions.
• reflect and identify clear examples of artifacts they can collect that align with the LQS competencies.
• practice matching evidence to specific indicators, so their leadership evidence is intentional rather than ad-hoc.
• map a year-long evidence plan tied to school calendars and natural leadership cycles, reducing reliance on last-minute pushes to gather evidence, enabling the process to be about reflection and growth in addition to meeting their division’s expectations for appraisal process and contract decisions.

Corrine Thorsteinson recently retired as Associate Superintendent-People Services with Red Deer Public Schools. She feels fortunate to have worked in Human Resources Leadership, for over ten years, where she had opportunities to facilitate mentorship, empower others to navigate tricky personnel issues and oversee the implementation of vital HR processes and employment conditions. After 30 years in the roles of teacher, assistant principal, principal, and division office leader in Lacombe, Clive, Ponoka and Red Deer, Corrine started Agiliteams Leadership Consulting where she fills her cup with opportunities to support school and division leaders. Corrine’s BA, BEd and MEd were all achieved at the University of Lethbridge. Corrine gets joy and energy from helping others build their capacity in leadership. Corrine has been happily married to Gary for 26 years and they are the proud parents of two amazing daughters, aged 21 and 24. Corrine is the author of a series of Dailly Reflection Guides for Teachers, School Leaders and Systems Leaders.

Jodi Smith is the Associate Superintendent- Personnel with Red Deer Catholic Schools. Jodi feels rewarded by the opportunities to serve educators in Red Deer Catholic in the area of human resources. Jodi has been in the education field for almost 30 years. She was a classroom teacher for 10 years as a French Immersion Teacher. She was VP/Principal for 10 years and in the last 5 years, she has been a key member of the Sr. Team at Red Deer Catholic. Jodi is a lifelong learner and continues to learn as much as she can about all areas of education – from curriculum implementation to inclusion strategies and trauma-informed practices to Occupational Health and Safety legislation that needs to be in schools. Jodi recently completed her coaching ICF through FLOW coaching, which has allowed her to become a stronger leader of leaders. Jodi draws inspiration from Ken Blanchard’s quote: “Leadership is about investing in the growth of others.”

One of the most common struggles for school and system leaders is finding ways to do the work in a reasonable amount of time on a weekly basis. For many of us, this challenge is complex and, at times, overwhelming. Each week, we are expected to meet the needs of those we serve, get the work done, align practices with division policies, admin procedures, or processes, as well as check all the boxes on our LQS competencies. We often find ourselves working twelve-hour days during the week only to add some weekend hours catching up on paperwork, emails and documentation. In addition, the device in our hand constantly flashes notifications that there is more work to be done and more people that need our time. Leaders across the province regularly report workweeks of 60-70 hours and beyond. New leaders are particularly vulnerable as they rise to meet the expectations of their school, community, and central office leaders. This mini-session is designed to help, because leaders shouldn’t have to sacrifice their health or their family to make a difference in a school or system.

As a result of participating in this session, participants will have the opportunity to develop their own personalized plan for 53-hour workweeks with powerful strategies and tools that will allow them to be more effective at work, at home, and at play. They will also leave with compelling reasons why working 10-15 additional hours each week adds little-to-no leadership value but ultimately sacrifices their family, relationships, and well-being.

Ray Hoppins thoroughly enjoyed his thirty-three year career as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, and central office leader in Vegreville, Innisfail, Sundre, and Olds. Ray, a proud alumnus from U of L and U of C, retired from the role of associate superintendent of people services with Chinook’s Edge School Division in 2024. His teaching and leadership experiences transcend all grade levels from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. For the past twenty-seven years, he has facilitated workshops, short-courses and sessions for leaders on topics such as instructional leadership, communication, staff health & wellness, human resources, relationships and culture. Today, he continues this passion as a leadership consultant serving school divisions, post-secondary institutions, municipalities and other provincial organizations. Ray was raised on a family farm in Central Alberta, is active in his community, and currently resides in Olds with his wife Sandi. They have four grown children who regularly reach out for help with laundry, finances, and auto repair. Ray has presented at the CASS Start Right and/or Leading for Learning Short Courses for the last 20 years.

Our daily thoughts, actions, and interactions with others impact the students we teach, the colleagues we work with, and the community we live in. The more conscious we are of the decisions we make every day regarding the language we use in our school, the more positive impact it will have on us personally and professionally. Learn some key words and phrases Maureen uses when interacting with students, staff, and parents, focusing on developing and maintaining positive working relationships.

As a result of participating in this session, participants will have the opportunity to:

• gain a better understanding of the impact that language has on our daily interactions.
• recognize key words and phrases that they can use to effectively foster positive working relationships with students, staff and parents.
• set personal goals for improving their language use.

Dr. Maureen Ference is the Director of Learning Excellence with Lakeland Catholic School Division, where she leads division-wide professional learning, curriculum implementation, and leadership development. Over the past 21 years, she has been a principal of an online school, a Pre-K to Grade 12 school, a Hutterite colony school, and a middle school. Earlier in her career, Maureen served as an assistant principal, program consultant, counsellor, and teacher in junior/senior high and elementary school settings. Maureen sits on the Alberta Education Leadership Standards Committee and is a member of the Association Administrator Instructors Corps. She has served as a member of the Association’s Professional Practice Review Committee, a board member of the Learning Networks Consortium, and an executive member of the Council for School Leadership. Maureen has presented at uLead, teacher conventions, division leadership cohorts, the Association’s Leadership Essentials for School Leaders program, University of Alberta’s Summer School on Leadership Excellence, and CASS summer programs.

Navigating teacher growth, supervision, and evaluation can feel overwhelming, especially for new school leaders balancing endless tasks and competing priorities. This session is designed to help principals, vice-principals, and assistant principals cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters—improving teaching and learning.

Participants will immerse themselves in the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS) and Leadership Quality Standard (LQS) through engaging presentations, case studies, and dilemmas. They’ll leave with a simple, effective 2026-27 Instructional Leadership (IL) Plan that aligns with Teacher Growth, Supervision, and Evaluation (TGSE) policies—ready to implement immediately.

Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on key research-based strategies, meaningful discussions, their own experiences as teachers, and even some laughter along the way. This session is designed to provide new and developing leaders with clear action steps to enhance school culture, maximize teacher impact, and escape the “big magnet” pulling leaders into their offices. Join us for a session that’s practical, energizing, and transformative!

To help participants learn and build their plans, the facilitators will present case studies, scenarios, dilemmas, stories, experiences and key insights from research for participants to consider and share. Powerful educational research from Hattie, Robinson, Jackson, Reeves, Marzano, Guskey, Elmore, Leithwood, Fullan, and others, along with the participants’ own experiences, will guide our work for the 180-minute session. We also believe that Start Right should be energizing and fun so we’ll also use a smattering of enjoyable activities, challenges, stories of our own mistakes and opportunities to connect with one another to make our time together engaging and worthwhile.

Participants will come to understand how their 2026-27 IL plans will help them:

• Enhance a positive school culture. “A school’s culture is defined by the daily interactions between leaders, teachers and students. Strong instructional leadership makes those interactions purposeful and inspiring.” (Michael Fullan)
• Be purposefully present in classrooms. “If you want to improve teaching and learning, start by being present. Listen, observe and engage where learning happens – in the classroom.” (John Hattie)
• Be curious and energized by the work of teachers; “Effective principals aren’t just evaluators of teaching; they are fascinated by it, eager to learn alongside their teachers.” (Richard Elmore)
• Improve teaching and learning; “Strong instructional leadership ensures that professional learning is not an event but a culture – one that continuously improves teaching and student success.” (Douglas Reeves)
• Use student data in meaningful ways; “Instructional Leaders use data not to judge teachers, but to guide and support them in improving student outcomes. (Robert Marzano)
• Build a professional culture that capitalizes on teacher efficacy; “ Leaders who focus on improving teacher efficacy improve the collective ability of the school to deliver high-quality education” (John Hattie)
• Focus on the important work in classrooms and avoid some societal distractions; “The most effective school leaders block out the distractions of the world, keeping their attention on what matters most – improving teaching and learning” (Ken Leithwood)
• Celebrate quality assessment and planning practices. “Leaders who recognize and celebrate strong planning and assessment practices help create a culture of high expectations and continuous improvement in their schools” (Thomas Guskey)
• Escape the ‘big magnet’ that pulls school leaders into their offices; “School leaders who prioritize instructional leadership have nearly four times the impact on student achievement compared to those who focus primarily on administrative tasks.” (Viviane Robinson)

Although our time together will focus on LQS 4 (Leading a Learning Community and LQS 6 (Providing Instructional Leadership) we will also explore how LQS 1 (Fostering Effective Relationships) and LQS 3 (Embodying Visionary Leadership) are foundational for school leaders to support teacher learning and growth. We will also examine the TQS and help participants understand how their expectations can help teachers grow.

In preparation for this session, participants should be familiar with our provincial TGSE Policy as well as their own related school division’s policies and administrative procedures.

Ray Hoppins thoroughly enjoyed his thirty-three year career as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, and central office leader in Vegreville, Innisfail, Sundre, and Olds. Ray, a proud alumnus from U of L and U of C, recently retired from the role of associate superintendent of people services with Chinook’s Edge School Division. His teaching and leadership experiences transcend all grade levels from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. For the past twenty-seven years, he has facilitated workshops, short-courses and sessions for leaders on topics such as instructional leadership, communication, staff health & wellness, human resources, relationships and culture. Today, he continues this passion as a leadership consultant serving school divisions, post-secondary institutions, and other provincial organizations. Ray was raised on a family farm in Central Alberta, is active in his community, and currently resides in Olds with his wife Sandi. They have four grown children who regularly reach out for help with laundry, finances, and auto repair. Ray has presented at the CASS Start Right Short Courses for the last 20 years.

Corrine Thorsteinson recently retired as Associate Superintendent-People Services with Red Deer Public Schools. She feels fortunate to work in Human Resources Leadership, for over eleven years, where she has had opportunities to facilitate mentorship, empower others to navigate tricky personnel issues and oversee the implementation of vital HR processes and employment conditions. After 30 years in the roles of teacher, assistant principal, principal, and division office leader in Lacombe, Clive, Ponoka and Red Deer, Corrine founded Agiliteams Leadership Consulting. Corrine’s BA, BEd and MEd were all achieved at the University of Lethbridge. Corrine gets joy and energy from helping others build their capacity in leadership. Corrine has been happily married to Gary for 26 years and they are the proud parents of two amazing daughters, aged 21 and 24. As a family, they’ve travelled the world. Corrine grew up in Southern Alberta and has made Central Alberta her home for the past 31 years.

This session will help participants become fully aware of the new complexities they will face as a new school based administrator. The presenters will use storytelling and small group participation to ensure high levels of engagement throughout. Participants will leave the session better able to build and nurture critically important relationships with all of their constituents. The presenter will share a wide range of relevant experiences that will be both practical and sensible. Expect to come away with new tools in your tool kit that have been proven over time to help new leaders transition effectively into new roles. Participants can also expect the presenters to share some powerful insights relative to wellness.

Participants will be given an array of supports, ideas, and processes for building and enhancing interpersonal relationships. This will be the most significant component of the practice standard that will be targeted. There will also be time given to ensure participants know and understand how to begin their roles as visionary leaders and they will also be given some key insights into staying well in difficult times. Kurt will also provide some compelling personal insights with respect to staying well in the midst of chaos and personal trauma.

As a result of participation in this session, participants will have the opportunity to become fully aware of the new complexities they will face as a new school based administrator.

Kurt Sacher has established a new consulting company, Sacher Solutions, in July 2025 following his retirement as Superintendent (CEO) of Chinook’s Edge School Division on May 31, 2025. He served in this role for 15 years and was recently honoured with the Board’s Roy E. Cope Award in recognition of his significant impact on students across the division.

Prior to his superintendency, Kurt served for eight years as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources with Wolf Creek Public Schools. His career spans 39 years in education, including 11 years as a school-based administrator. His leadership roles have included Head Teacher of an Outreach School in Penticton, British Columbia; Assistant Principal and Principal at Trochu Valley School; and Principal of Lacombe Composite High School, where he served for five years.

Kurt has been a longstanding contributor to professional learning, presenting at Start Right for over 22 years and at Leading and Learning for more than a decade. He served as President of the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS) for the 2018–19 school year, followed by two years as Past President, and is also a member of the C21 CEO Academy of Canada.

In 2021, Kurt was awarded the CASS EXL Award for Excellence, recognizing outstanding system leaders who demonstrate exemplary leadership and have made a lasting contribution to the profession of school system administration.

Dr. Marcie Perdue is currently the Associate Superintendent of Student Services for Chinook’s Edge School Division. She joined Chinook’s Edge in August, 2014 and has served as both Student Services Coordinator and Learning Services Coordinator since that time. Marcie has nearly 27 years of teaching and leadership experience. During her time with both Rocky View and Golden Hills School Divisions, Marcie served as an English teacher, department head, learning specialist, instructional coach and administrator for programs for at-risk youth. Marcie was also an adjunct professor for Western University as well as a consultant who shares her expertise with school divisions across the province. Marcie is passionate about supporting students with diverse learning needs and loves finding unique ways to create system wide supports for students and their families. Marcie’s formal educational background includes Bachelor degrees in Education and Arts (English) from the University of Alberta as well as a Masters degree in Educational Leadership and a Doctorate of Education in K-12 Leadership, both from the University of Calgary.