Replacing him behind the desk will be current vice-principal Luke McLaren, a career teacher with almost two decades of experience at the school in special education, social studies and administration.

Burns said while he is still energized by working with kids at the school, it was time for him to step away to spend time with his wife and family.

“My wife and I are at the age now where our friends are retiring and my wife is very much looking forward to me slowing down a little bit and spending more time with her,” he said.

Burns said when he came on board at PHS two years ago he focussed on making sure students were taught individually, since each student’s solution is different.

“We were looking at making sure that everybody understood that one size fits one,” he said. “We have to look at every student individually and instruct and assess them based on who they are, their strengths and their weaknesses.”

Burns said in a community where many kids are in “difficult circumstances,” the school must remain a place where kids can remain in good care.

“Even in some of our most difficult behavioural cases, school is the safest place for them, and they’ll tell us that they just want to be with us,” he said. ”We need to continue to be that institutional place that the community can rely on.”

Burns, an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, said even though he’s giving up his seat behind the principal’s desk next year, he will still continue his life’s work as an educator, working part-time at a church in his hometown of Brockville.

He said he and his wife will also be doing work in Ukraine, where he previously spent time as a pastor doing mission work as a schoolteacher.

“I’ll be working with an organization called Loads of Love out of Chatham, Ont., and we’ll be helping with the basic needs of the people that live in the east.”

McLaren, a native of Braeside, graduated from Lakehead University in 2007 and then did a teaching placement in Renfrew before landing a permanent gig at PHS, where he has remained for 18 years. He started in the special education program, then taught Grade 7 and 8 social studies before becoming vice-principal four years ago.

He said he made the change to administration because he wanted to have a greater impact on the students.

“I had been very involved in the administrative aspect of the special ed department, and I enjoyed it, and there are things that you can make a larger difference for [on the admin side],” he said.

McLaren said when he officially enters the principal role this fall he wants to continue going above and beyond for the students, just like Burns did before him.

“You have to have a connection with the students that you’re working with, and the behaviour side of the school. It’s the positive, caring connection with the students, and that has to also be seen at the admin level as well,” he said.

McLaren said in his 18 years he has been enthralled by both the quality of the community and the calibre of the teaching at PHS, and wants to make sure those things continue under his leadership.

“We have a very deep teaching pool at our school. The talent level at PHS is exceptional,” he said. “They’re running programs both in the classrooms and extracurriculars, so it’s just to make sure that they’re able to do what they need to do so that our students get the best education possible.”

Burns said he was happy with the news McLaren would be taking the job.

“He knows our system. When news got out that I was retiring, the faculty of the school were very much hoping he would get the job and lead them,” he said.

McLaren has similarly positive sentiments for Bessie Tsatsoumas, a former Dr. S.E. McDowell Elementary principal who will be taking his current job of PHS vice-principal this fall.

“She has been in different schools, in different positions, and she’s going to be a great asset to our school and our community. I’m very much looking forward to working with Bessie,” he said.

Tsatsoumas began her career in education administration in 2009 with the English Montreal School Board and has worked in various administrative positions in Quebec school boards since then.

“For me, I know we can make such big impacts, and that’s what I’m all about,” she said, explaining why she is drawn to administrative positions.

“Luke and I have the same vision, so we’re definitely going to work as a team. [ . . . ] I think my role will be more to work with the students, which I’m excited about, because the principals do more of the ministry stuff.”

Burns, for his part, had one final piece of advice for McLaren and the school in general.

“What we need to do in the future is help kids rediscover a love for school. We have a significant amount of kids where school is not a happy experience for them,” he said, noting the additions of PHS’ program in welding and the upcoming Firefighter 1 course as examples of alternative forms of education students can consider.

“We just have to make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that education is relevant to where they’re going.”

With files from Sophie Kuijper Dickson.

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