Trettler honoured
A dedicated St. Albert trustee and historian received one of her profession’s highest honours today, posthumously.
The Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta gave the Dick Baker Legacy Award to the late Joan Trettler today during its spring general assembly in Red Deer. Accepting the award (a plaque) on her behalf was her widower, Ron.
Trettler was a teacher, administrator, trustee, and board chair with St. Albert Public for some 44 years and an active volunteer with the board after her retirement. She died Jan. 4 at age 75.
PSBAA director Carol Picard said she knew Trettler through the latter’s many years of work with the association, which included four years as its president.
“Joan took so much of her own time to help the newbies,” Picard said, referring to Trettler’s efforts to mentor new trustees, and was always the voice of reason and intellect at the PSBAA.
“She was a ferocious advocate for public education and students,” she continued, and crisscrossed the province in defence of both.
The Dick Baker award recognizes a trustee who embodies the values of integrity, compassion, respect, and leadership in their support of public education, Picard said. This is only the second time it has been awarded.
“For us as public trustees, it’s the highest award you can get,” Picard said.
The St. Albert Public board nominated Trettler for this award due to her dedication to children’s and public education, said chair Glenys Edwards.
“She was a real model of what leadership is.”
Trettler also established and chaired the Historical Foundation for School District 6, which organized a series of displays on the history of the St. Albert Protestant district in a room at St. Albert Public district office.
Edwards said that the St. Albert Public board agreed earlier this year to designate that room the Joan Trettler Heritage Centre, which would officially happen in a ceremony this September.
Speaking prior to the award ceremony, Ron said that Trettler helped establish the Dick Baker Award and would have been proud to receive it.
“I’m feeling happy for Joan and sad she’s not alive to receive the award.”
Demko open house
St. Albert’s newest school will open its doors to the public for the first time this Wednesday.
St. Albert Public Schools is holding an open house for the new Joseph M. Demko School this June 5. It’s the first time that the general public will get to see the school’s interior.
Located at 200 Jensen Lakes Boulevard next to Sister Alphonse Academy, this K-to-9 school has been under construction since roughly 2017 and is set to open this fall. It was supposed to open last September, but was pushed back by weather delays.
“As you know, construction is never on time!” joked principal Les Kirchner.
Still, the school is all-but complete at this point aside from some finishing touches and the rooftop solar panels, he continued. The school’s logo and team name (the Demko Stars) are in place, and the furniture is on order.
“If you walked into a classroom, you’d actually think it’s ready to go.”
Guests will get to do just that at about 6:30 p.m. this Wednesday during the open house, which will be preceded by a fundraiser barbecue for the school’s playgrounds.
Joe Demko, the school’s namesake, said he last saw the school’s interior two months ago and planned to be at the open house.
“I think the school is probably one of the best schools that’s being built in the province right now,” he said, joking that he might be a little biased towards it.
The open house runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with tours starting at 6:30. Call Kirchner at 780-218-2497 for details.
