LAKELAND – After a decade of serving students across the Lakeland region, Pamela Guilbault, the superintendent for the Lakeland Catholic School Division is setting off on a new journey that will take her west.
During her 10 years with Lakeland Catholic, Guilbault has held the position of principal at École Notre Dame High School, deputy superintendent, and she spent the last two years as the division’s Superintendent of Schools.
Guilbault is set to begin the next chapter of her career as a superintendent for a Catholic school division in British Columbia. A move that will bring her closer to family.
During the interim, Lakeland Catholic’s former superintendent Joe Arruda, will be taking a temporary break from retirement to fill the position until the Board of Trustees has hired a new superintendent.
Board Chair Mary Anne Penner said Arruda’s experience with the division prior to his retirement will allow for an easy transition into the 2023-24 school year while the division searches for a new superintendent.
Prior to his retirement in 2021, Arruda served the division as superintendent for eight years, following a lifelong career in education as a high school teacher, principal and senior administrator.
Leaving a legacy of literacy
Guilbault started her teaching career as a middle school English and Social Studies teacher, but before she started down her path as an educator, she was an English major graduate.
“I've always had a strong desire to share my love of the English language,” Guilbault told Lakeland This Week. “My passion is in literacy and adolescent literacy. That is the reason why I got into education, to share that love with my students.”
As a child, Guilbault was an avid reader. She fell in love with stories about The Borrowers and Laura Ingall Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie.
“When I was growing up, we actually didn't have TV. My mom believed in the importance of literacy, so we didn't really watch TV. We had movie nights on the weekend but other than that, we just read,” she said, recalling her childhood.
Her love for reading deepened even more in Grade 3. “I remember our teacher introducing us to the Chronicles of Narnia. She would read it every single day to us, and it was so magical. The anticipation of that particular read aloud, just waiting for her to open the book, and the story would come alive,” Guilbault said.
“For me, I believe it ignited that passion for literacy. And that has carried on in my life to the work that you can see has been rooted in Lakeland Catholic with our Literacy Initiative.”
Over the course of Guilbault’s two years as superintendent, programs and services offered to students and families at Lakeland Catholic have been expanded under her leadership – from the Mental Health Matters Campaign and Mental Health in Schools Pilot, to the Indigenous Outreach Worker Program, Collaborative Response, and Literacy Intervention.
The core purpose of these programs is to remove barriers and build community connections for students and their families. That has been the case whether it was working to establish the Hockey Program in Bonnyville and Cold Lake or the creation of the English as an Additional Language lead position during her time as deputy superintendent.
“That's the same with our literacy programs. By having interventions, we're removing barriers for these students,” she noted. “Now that they are able to strengthen their literacy skills, they're able to access programming at a higher level. This, they might not have been able to do before.”
It is the same with the mental health pilot. “They are able to access programs that will provide them with the resources, the skills and the strategies to create balance. This will create a future for them that is stronger and more resilient,” said Guilbault.
When students feel they are part of a connected community, they are going to achieve their potential whether it's in academics or athletics, but most importantly socially and emotionally.
“So, all of these things that we prioritized and put our efforts behind, I’d like to say are not just initiatives that should be one year or two years, but hopefully they will become part of the culture of Lakeland Catholic that families and communities can rely on.”
Teaching teachers to lead
Throughout her career as an educator, Guilbault has taught every Language Arts class at every level from Grade 7 to Grade 12.
Asked if she would return to the classroom to teach English again, she said without hesitation, “I would because it's something that I love, and I believe in the value of it.”
That’s not to say she doesn’t enjoy the work she now does as superintendent.
“As leaders, we cannot underestimate the profound impact we have on ensuring that our teachers are doing the best job that they can... So, now the teachers become my students,” said Guilbault.
By working to support and grow great teachers and administrators, the division ensures they are creating the best possible opportunities for their students to thrive. “That is what brings us joy, that's our legacy,” said the superintendent.
Guilbault’s legacy will continue to expand with her future endeavours as she takes the many different experiences from her years in the classroom and at Lakeland Catholic and brings them to her next role.
“Although I'm leaving after only two years [as the superintendent], Lakeland Catholic is poised at such a successful time and space. There are so many wonderful things happening within the division and within the community at this time, and I'm so deeply proud of the collaborative efforts of all the staff, and senior administrators, of the Board of Trustees and the community members, and of course, of the students and parents.”
She continued, “It has been a privilege to spend the last 10 years as part of the Lakeland area and making Bonnyville our home... The experiences and the learning that I have had here, I will definitely take them and share with others, who I know will have their lives enriched as well.”