The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Tammy Ballant-yne has no trouble fitting in as the new principal of Ruth Betts Community School. After all, before assuming the top job last week, she had spent more than a decade as a resource teacher at the downtown school. 'It's great when I've been here for this long and I know the parents and I know the students,' says Ballantyne. 'I am thoroughly enjoying it. I have a great staff and I love the students.' Originally from Creighton, Ballantyne brings to the principal's office nearly two decades of educational experience. Earned degree In 1995, she earned her education degree from the University of Saskatchewan through the Northern Teacher Education Program, better known as NORTEP, in La Ronge. Ballantyne benefitted immensely from the small class sizes afforded by NORTEP, not to mention its emphasis on hands-on learning in real classrooms. Months after graduating she started her first job, teaching grades 1 and 2 at Kistapiskaw School in Deschambault Lake, a 90-minute drive from her hometown. She remained on the reserve for seven years, eventually becoming a resource teacher, helping students who need extra attention, as well as a vice-principal. See 'Mem...' on pg. 7 Continued from pg. 1 It was a memorable start to her career. 'In Deschambault the people were very, very accepting,' says Ballantyne, whose husband hails from that community. In 2002 Ballantyne accepted an offer to move back home when a resource teacher vacancy opened at Ruth Betts. For more than a decade she would work with some of the school's more challenging students, providing them with extra support and helping them formulate educational and behavioural plans. It wasn't the easiest job, but it was rewarding. Helping a student succeed, Ballantyne says, brings 'an indescribable feeling.' She still remembers a junior high student with whom she worked during her first couple of years at Ruth Betts. The student was reluctant to receive help, but in time Ballantyne won her trust. Several years later, the student, now a grown woman who had moved away from Flin Flon, made a point of visiting Ballantyne to thank her for her assistance. 'That's why I'm doing what I'm doing,' Ballantyne says. In 2011-12, knowing she wanted to move up to administration, Ballantyne took part in the school division's leadership program, which allowed her to learn the ins and outs of that aspect of education. Newfound skills She didn't know it at the time, but her newfound skills would be put to use in short order. Last year, after John Clark announced he would retire as principal of Ruth Betts and its nearly 240 students at the end of 2012, Ballantyne was named his successor. For Superintendent of Schools Blaine Veitch, she was a clear choice. 'Tammy comes with a strong resource background that will help her work with staff and students in programming and ensuring quality of education for all students in the school,' Veitch says. 'She has good organizational skills and a commitment to the community school philosophy, and is a great fit with Ruth Betts Community School.' Ballantyne sees the staff and families of Ruth Betts as the school's chief asset, a strength on which she hopes to build as principal. She is also a big believer in 'extras' that benefit some of the students. Ruth Betts offers a range of such programs, including a morning snack giveaway and the availability of the library, computer lab and gym during recess. The school maintains a 'recess planning room' where students are sent to refine their social skills if they are found to be lacking in certain areas. And the gym and computer lab open up early each morning for students to utilize before classes begin. One of Ballantyne's goals in the coming months is to spend more time visiting and observing classrooms, seeing firsthand the students and their progress. That's the aspect of education she likes the most. It's part of why she dreamed of becoming a teacher from the time she was a little girl. 'I always knew I wanted to do this,' Ballantyne says. Which is another reason why she has no trouble fitting in as the new principal of Ruth Betts.
