The incoming superintendent for SD73 wants to create schools where students are excited enough to run to classes in the morning.
And, if Mike St. John has his way, he wants staff and teachers to approach each school day with that same level of excitement.

“We want to create a school where kids run to school and walk home,” St. John told the Chronicle. “But that only works if the staff runs to school as well.”

St. John, whose appointment as superintendent was announced at a meeting of the Kamloops-Thompson school board in late November, says he plans to foster that enthusiasm among students and staff through a humble leadership style.

He’s not coming to Kamloops to “rewrite the book” for SD73, he said. In fact, the district’s strategic plan was one of the reasons he applied for the job, citing its balance between intellectual development, mental health supports and career development skills.

“The strategic plan was really, really thoughtful,” said St. John. “It was truly acknowledging the notion that good education cares so there has to be that balance between the two.”

Society is more complex than ever, St. John acknowledged, and schools reflect that reality.

There was a time when the school day could be compartmentalized between academics and lessons on self-regulation. Now the two concepts are intertwined, he said, noting the strategic plan recognizes that shift.

St. John said his first priority is to build trust among staff and fellow administrators, creating a sense that students are supported by leaders who are present and prepared. He plans to do that through authenticity in his leadership.

“So I will be real, I will be authentic, and humble. I’m not coming in here to rewrite the book. I’m asking about the book,” said St. John, adding he intends to spend significant time learning what makes Kamloops schools — and the broader community — successful.

“At the same time, where are those things that need support?” he asked. “We can never feel like we’ve arrived. We have to be positively relentless in supporting those in our care and then work at it in a positively relentless manner.”

St. John said he is also mindful of increasing polarization in society and hopes to promote respect for differing perspectives while encouraging collaboration across the district.

“We’re all different but we’re all the same,” he said.

St. John brings more than three decades of experience in public education, much of it in Ontario’s urban and rural districts. He has worked as a classroom teacher, school leader and senior administrator, most recently with the District School Board of Niagara. Colleagues there describe him as collaborative and community-minded — traits reflected throughout his career, including his recognition in 2012 as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals.

Interim superintendent Mike McKay will remain with SD73 into the year to support St. John’s transition.