The newly elected board of trustees for the School District of Mystery Lake met for the first time on Nov. 6 to take their oath of office and determine who is responsible for what.
Not only did Don MacDonald reclaim his position as chairperson, a role he’s taken on since September 2017, but fellow incumbent Guido Oliveira accepted the role of vice-chairperson, taking over a position that's been vacant since Janet Brady resigned her seat following her retirement this past June.
In terms of the board’s various standing committees, Oliveira decided to head up finance/property/personnel while the third incumbent Leslie Tucker will be responsible for policy.
Newcomers Lindsay Anderson and Saima Aziz decided to take some initiative by heading up the public relations committee and education and programming committee, respectively.
Fellow rookie trustees Samantha Chartrand and Michelle Tomashewski will serve in supporting roles as standing committee members.
Once all of the board’s roles and responsibilities were filled and accounted for, its members adjourned to a reception with family and friends, where they were able to reflect on their election win and mentally prepare for the four years of hard work that is ahead of them.
“There’s a lot to learn,” said Chartrand, who is serving on the policy committee. “Knowing all the bylaws and just soaking in all that information. I’ll enjoy it, though. I’ve been looking forward to it and I’m happy I’m here.”
Tomashewski said she’s eager to get out of her comfort zone, having never held this kind of high-profile position before.
“It’s very overwhelming right now, but I think once we get established a few meetings in and know how things are going I think it’ll be good.”
Meanwhile, Aziz and Anderson remain steadfast in keeping their respective campaign promises to promote technology and establish an open forum during question period.
The newly formed school board won’t be holding another meeting until Nov. 27 in the school district office at 408 Thompson Drive North.
