DIDSBURY - Scott MacDonald, the new principal at Didsbury High School, comes to the job with extensive education and administrative experience.
Replacing 14-year principal Garth Dagg, who retired in June, MacDonald has previously taught and administered at several schools in the region.
“I started off in Cremona a teacher 21 years ago and was there for 10 years as a teacher, four years as vice-principal,” MacDonald said. “Then I moved to Innisfail as VP and the last four years has been in Penhold as principal.”
There are almost three hundred students, as well as 16 teachers, at the grades nine - 12 Didsbury High School.
“It’s been a good start to the year and the kids have been great,” he said. “The staff has been welcoming and helpful and it’s been a really good start up.”
Originally from Prince Edward Island, MacDonald, 51, took degrees in science and education before completing a Masters in Education at University of Calgary.
“My background as a teacher is basically I was the science department at Cremona, the high school portion,” he said. “I taught all the courses in science from grade nine right through to Physics 30, Biology 30 and Chemistry 30.”
As well as his principal duties, MacDonald will be teaching Physics 20 and Physics 30 at Didsbury High School.
“I think it is important for principals teach so when we are talking to teachers about teaching we are doing it ourselves,” he said.
The 2022-23 school year will hopefully be the first term in several years without COVID disruptions and restrictions, something he says everyone is looking forward to.
“The school has always had a good reputation for strong academics and an amazing band,” he said. “We will try to get everyone back in the groove of having a normal school year. I don’t plan on making any major changes until people get their feet under them and get through a normal year for a change.”
MacDonald applied for the principal position at Didsbury last spring after Dagg officially announced his plans to retire.
Although he knows he’s got some big shoes to fill, MacDonald says he plans to make his own mark.
“I’ve told the people who’ve said I have big shoes to fill that I’m not even going to try to fill them. I’m just going to be myself. They will see some differences and they will see some similarities and we will just keep moving on,” he said.
Scott’s wife Corina MacDonald is vice-principal at Sundre High School.
