Dr. Wilbert Keon School’s (DWKS) newest principal wants to see the school remain the important community cornerstone she knows it can be as she embarks on her first year in the job.
Allison McLaughlin has worked in education for over 20 years, as a teacher, a literacy consultant for the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) and as an evaluator for the Quebec education ministry’s Secondary 5 English Language Arts exam.
She has taught on and off at DWKS since 2002, serving briefly as principal while then-principal Neil Fleming was on sabbatical. She took on the job of principal in June of this year, when Fleming retired after a long career in education. She said she has come to appreciate the school’s role in the community.
“There’s a strong sense of community belonging here [ . . . ] and the school affords kids the opportunities to even reach beyond community, to get a foundation and sense of self,” she said.
With around 200 students from P-12, DKWS is one of the smallest in the WQSB. This means it also gets less money from the school board.
“Our operational budget is very minimal. It’s the grants and the mesures that the government allocates to schools [and they] absolutely support a lot of the work we do,” she said.
But McLaughlin said she is proud of the many opportunities the school offers to students despite its size, calling it the “little school with a big heart.”
Through outings to the Chapeau Market, musical and theatre performances, and trips to the neighbouring Chapeau Gallery for a hot dog lunch cooked up by the volunteers, she has seen the takes-a-village mentality in action.
“It’s not just the parents and the families, it’s the community, and I think the school is a meeting point that intersects all of those good people,” she said.
As McLaughlin steps into the principal’s chair, she acknowledges the challenges of running a small rural school – low budgets, endless construction, even behaviour issues.
But she said what prepares her for the role is the different approach she takes to education, one that meets students where they are at and works with them toward realistic learning goals.
“I had a student say to me once that [I] teach differently [ . . . ] There’s a flexibility [to it]. I like to make sure they are engaged and having fun. And when kids are enjoying the process, they’re more open,” she said.
She said the flexibility comes from educating students in a small community, and understanding their lives and challenges beyond the classroom. It’s a philosophy she describes as using the three Fs – fun, fair and firm.
“I can deal with difficult situations, but I can also have a lot of fun. And [as for] the firm part, we’re also dealing with kids and teenagers that are learning and growing,” she said.
McLaughlin enters the role at an interesting moment when it comes to literacy, as many students are now shifting away from traditional forms of book learning. A longtime literacy educator, she wants to make sure alternative forms of literacy and media consumption are taught.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say kids aren’t reading, they’re reading differently [ . . . ] they’re reading online more, and they’re reading a variety of texts. It’s the rise of the graphic novel [and the podcast],” she said.
Book learning isn’t lost yet, though. She recalls a student last year who didn’t like books, so she took it as a personal challenge to find a book the young lad would enjoy.
“I found him this Gary Paulson book about deer hunting, and he didn’t put the book down.”
She said it is moments like this that keep her tank full, and wants to keep giving kids those experiences while also encouraging them to participate in their community.
“I care about the students of this school. I care about the staff, I care about the school and the community. It’s a pivotal community feature.”
