Masters in our Midst

In our School’s mission statement, we set out to support students in developing “a life-long enthusiasm for the spiritual and intellectual growth necessary to flourish in the contemporary world.” This idea of life-long learning is something that our faculty model daily. While much of this learning takes place informally, three members of our faculty have recently completed their course work and the degree requirements necessary to earn graduate degrees in education. Senior English teacher Jenna Pennington and Junior faculty members Eric Kershaw and Pat LePoidevin will be granted Master of Education degrees from Acadia University later this fall and are exemplars of life-long learners within our community.

Mrs. Pennington, Mr. Kershaw, and Mr. LePoidevin now join several of our faculty who have earned graduate degrees in education or their specific field of study. All three were also beneficiaries of our School’s professional development fund which is available to all faculty and staff who wish to undertake educational endeavours that will help strengthen the academic or co-curricular fabric of our School. While Mr. LePoidevin completed his MEd with a focus on leadership, both Mr. Kershaw and Mrs. Pennington focused their studies on the curriculum studies stream.

Mrs. Pennington, who has been a house parent, teacher, yoga instructor, and faculty advisor over her seven years here at KES, commented that her recent studies “helped define the greater competencies and skills we hope to embed in our students, focusing less on the day to day but more on the journey through education.” Reflecting on his last two years of study, our 14-year veteran Junior science, soccer, and robotics teacher extraordinaire, Mr. Kershaw added that he feels “inspired to make many changes in my practice as a teacher, from small everyday things I can do right now, to larger slower changes that will help our School stay innovative and relevant as our learners and the educational tools available to us change.” Finally, former house parent and current bagpipe instructor, tennis coach, and inspiring Junior English teacher, Mr. LePoidevin noted that after seven years at KES, his graduate studies “allowed me to further develop my philosophy of teaching and learning, with a focus on inquiry-based learning, meaningful mentorship, and indelible leadership.”

We congratulate these three valuable members of staff and thank them for the time and effort they regularly give in contribution to the betterment of our School!