The new Director of Education at the Northwest Catholic District School Board here took it as a good sign when the restaurant she was having lunch at yesterday served raspberry tea—her favourite.
And the tea was just one part of what turned out to be an excellent first day on the job for Dr. Laurie Bizero who just recently moved here from Ottawa to take over the position.
Sitting behind her immaculately clean desk—which she swears will stay that clean—she wears a crisp pinstripe suit, is engaging, kind and clearly enthusiastic about this opportunity.
With a background in dramatic arts, a Doctorate in Education, and vast experience that includes once working at the Cree Reserve in Goodfish Lake, Alberta, and presenting to educators at workshops in Brazil and Peru (to name a couple), Dr. Bizero is more than up for the challenge.
Dr. Bizero had been working as the Superintendent of the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board when she saw the add for the opening here in the Globe and Mail.
She applied for the job and was very impressed with the way the application process was orchestrated. There was an interview, of course, but there was also a written component which asked her “How would you marry the diverse geographic nature of the board with the fundamental need to meet the needs of the individual?”
Dr. Bizero said she believed that that sort of approach really spoke to the level of dedication that this board had to quality Catholic education.
“Because the board’s strategic plan is built on schools of hope, it actualizes their commitment to building the kingdom of God,” she said.
Dr. Bizero was also very encouraged about the pending move to Fort Frances, right from the first time that she visited.
“Coming in on Bearskin [Airlines] I had quite a sense of the tree aspect when I flew in,” she said. “It really resonated for me, a real echo of my childhood with the trees and water, because I grew up literally right across from a park. It just calls me constantly.”
Both she and her husband, who is also a dramatic arts teacher, feel right at home here. The couple both have a penchant for children’s and adult’s theatre, love the outdoors, their two Pekingese dogs “Ying” and “Yang,” being in nature, and jogging—or, as she calls it, “slogging”—and she said that the kindness of people here has been incredible.
“It was very much a case of the actions behind the words ‘we’re friendly’,” she explained. “It’s the immediate and results based approach to hospitality. The minute people knew it was formalized that I was coming here, I was flooded with phone calls.
“I really feel that the staff here is small but mighty.”
Colleagues even sent her digital pictures they had taken of her first trip here, and they already had paint chips organized to re-paint the office.
In addition to the new paint job, Dr. Bizero is on the lookout for five ornate frames to hold the rotating artwork of students. It is a tradition she began in her former position that she wants to continue here, where her office walls showcase student’s art for about a month or so, then they get their work back and a new student’s art goes up.
But Dr. Bizero may not be spending that much time in her office. She is the type of administrator who likes to get her hands a little dirty, being involved in more than just administration.
“I’m really kind of a teacher first, leader second and administrator third, people usually think the other way,” she said. “[I like to be] present and engage people by working directly with them.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to work within the lens of schools of hope to ensure the learning styles of all students are embraced as the gifts they are.”
Dr. Bizero added that she believes that it is important to establish strong relationships with the parents to maximize their children’s education, especially at a young age.
“I really follow brain-research and I think it really utilizes our ability to work with everyone,” she explained. “We know it is really important to start working with children at an extremely young age. Junior and senior kindergarten are more important than we originally thought.
“You really have to have a strong commitment to communicate with your kindergarten parents about the exact program that’s going on. The further parents are educated and invited into it, to embrace the program, the sooner we can asses the individual needs of their individual children.
“These children are gifts from God. [The parents] have these children first and are entrusted to our care,” she enthused.
After only one day on the job, Dr. Bizero—who likes to be cognizant of a year in advance—already has quite a full schedule, including principals’ meetings, organized.
But in the meantime, Dr. Bizero and her husband will continue to look for a home here, hopefully get involved in arts and theatre events, and plant some permanent roots in St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
