New Superintendent pushes perseverance

Elk Island Catholic School's Chris Diachuk wants to provide quality Catholic education

Chris Diachuk

By BILL GLEN
WCR Staff Writer
Sherwood Park

Students need to be schooled in perseverance, says the new superintendent of Elk Island Catholic Schools.

"Life can be hard with its challenges and when you meet that first challenge and say 'That's it. I'm done,' you aren't going to be successful," says Chris Diachuk.

"But figuring out other ways to achieve success is important to learn as an individual and to teach as an educator or as a parent."

Diachuk, assistant superintendent for Elk Island Schools for the past 10 years, takes over as superintendent of the 5,800-student school division from Doug Aitkenhead. Aitkenhead has moved to Edmonton Catholic Schools to serve in human resources.

Elk Island has 16 schools in Sherwood Park, Camrose, Fort Saskatchewan and Vegreville.

Diachuk, 53, sees his top priority as providing quality Catholic education to children.

"Catholic education is a true gift we have in Alberta - something that isn't shared among all other provinces," he said. "It's something we have to nurture and take to heart as we provide a service to our kids and their families within the context of our Catholic values."

A father of three, Diachuk enjoys free time gardening with his wife Gail, on the golf course or running marathons.

For 21 years, he served Edmonton Catholic Schools in a number of roles, as a teacher, counsellor and administrator.

Transition

He has observed numerous instances where families have made the transition from the public school system to Catholic schools.

"The division sees itself as Catholic schools for kids, as opposed to schools for Catholic kids," he said. "It's our faith belief that draws our community together.

"The quality of the educational program provided through our schools is exceptional. Parents are looking for a values-based, moral upbringing for their children in an inviting family environment."

Diachuk, who holds a doctorate in educational psychology, is an adjunct professor at the U of A in the faculty of education.

He was instrumental in establishing the master of education (school counselling) program that has trained school counsellors and psychologists for 16 years through the department of educational psychology.

A noted speaker, Diachuk has delivered numerous keynote addresses at conferences in Canada and North America for some 25 years.

It is in those talks that he emphasizes the role of perseverance in contributing to success in life.

Troubled students

Much of his career has been spent working with troubled and troubling children and adolescents. Many of his early teaching assignments with Edmonton Catholic Schools were with students who were sentenced by the courts to attend school.

"I learned very early how important it is to form a positive relationship with your students and really try to understand what is going on in their lives," he said.

"I went into some of the saddest homes. I learned that non-attendance and behavioral issues are not a cause, but a symptom of what is going on in a child's family life.

"Kids don't leave their troubles behind. They take them wherever they go."

Diachuk said people are happiest when they are learning new things and that it is incumbent upon the division and its educators to prepare students for the future by becoming effective problem solvers.

"Our role in schools is to create that excitement, not only in our students but within the family as well. A lot of our schools are focused on family activities to get the parents into the schools to experience part of the culture of what goes on with their children."

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