Like many area residents, Stacy Lair moved to Creighton for what she thought would be a year or two.
A dozen years later, and with a heavy heart, the Creighton Community School (CCS) principal is only now preparing to move on.
“It’s really hard to leave somewhere so beautiful,” said Lair. “The seasons, the welcoming, nice people. You blink and a decade goes by.”
Lair was hired as an industrial arts teacher at CCS in 2003 before working her way up to vice-principal, a position she held for four years. She was named principal in 2013.
This fall Lair will step into the vice-principal role of Tisdale Elementary School in Tisdale, Saskatchewan.
Lair recently announced her resignation from CCS with June 30 being her last day.
“It’s going to be a sad day,” she said.
Jason Straile, current vice-principal of CCS, will be promoted to principal – a good choice, in Lair’s view.
“It is easy to leave everything in Jason’s hands,” said Lair. “We made a very good team and thought the same about a lot of things. I know he won’t skip a beat and will have bigger and better things going on. It does make it easier.”
Struggling
Though her confidence in Straile makes it easier to leave, Lair says she’s still struggling with the fact that she won’t be a part of CCS this fall.
While she was in the interview stage for the Tisdale position, Lair watched as one of CCS’s elementary students, Emma Gardiner-Long, had her long, beautiful hair cut to raise $875 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“And I thought, ‘I can’t leave this,’” said Lair. “The school is so awesome and has so much support for good causes. Seeing a young student like that and I thought, ‘What am I doing? What am I leaving?’”
Lair decided to continue on to Tisdale, but says it’s the memories of the past dozen years that make it easier to depart.
“There are numerous times you see kids stand up for themselves, for each other and for a good cause,” she said. “They have the confidence to do it even when their peers aren’t behind them. And that makes your job worth it.”
Lair’s first job at CCS had her teaching high school students, where she was most comfortable, but a switch to administration taught her more about elementary school students.
CCS staff have also played a role in her learning.
“The teachers have taught me the importance of focusing on the little things,” said Lair. “It’s the little things that grow into big impacts of learning.”
Something as minor as a student pushing the boundaries of the dress code could soon turn into a classroom distraction, a recess issue and then “all of a sudden it has a life of its own,” said Lair.
“All of a sudden it’s a big issue when really it started out as something small that could have been resolved quickly. I’ve learned to pay attention to the little things because they matter.”
As is true for CCS’s nearly 500 students, learning is an everyday affair for Lair.
She has learned how to bestow confidence in the students and continues to show her support for extracurricular activities and school spirit.
“It’s important that every student, when they leave here, they need to believe that I think they will succeed. I believe in them,” said Lair.
“Kids can pick up on the little things. They can sense what you believe and what you believe they can accomplish. I’ve learned from colleagues to support those kids. They need to know and understand you believe in them.”
Flown by
With fewer than three months before her last day at CCS, Lair is reflecting on just how quickly the time has flown by.
For Lair, a statement from a now-retired colleague has rung true: “The days are long, but the years are fast.”
“It feels like yesterday,” she said, thinking back to her first day on the job. “It’s been a good chunk of time. I can’t believe it’s been 12 years. It goes fast.”
Lair will leave behind not only her job, but also the community the married mother of two has called home since 2003.
“This is our home. It’s hard to leave,” she said. “But we’re wanting to be closer to our families in the Prince Albert area, especially with our children getting older.”
Surprised
While Lair is ready for the new job, she is surprised that her career has taken her to an elementary school.
“If I could turn back the hands of the clock and see myself working in an elementary school, I wouldn’t believe it,” said Lair with a laugh, as she imagined she would always stay at the high school level. “I always thought high school was my niche. I am very excited, though.”
With Lair set to begin her new position in Tisdale, a five-hour drive from Creighton, she hopes to maintain ties with the latter community.
But she will still miss the staff, students and parents in Creighton.
“I hope to see the same sorts of things continue at the school,” Lair said. “Education, schools and communities evolve. As evolution is happening, I [hope to see things] strengthen with everyone working together.
I hope they continue
the cooperation and
collaboration.
“It takes a village, a town and a partnering city to raise a child. Work together, work for the kids.”
