Following a review of applications, the Hanover School Division board has awarded the position of Niverville High School vice-principal to Graham Sereda, a senior years teacher at Niverville Collegiate Institute (NCI). Sereda will work alongside the recently appointed principal, Kimberly Funk.
“I put my name forward because I thought it was such an exciting opportunity to basically lead a brand-new school and to set a new culture,” says Sereda. “And even just to re-examine assumptions in education, like, ‘[How] do we assume a school should run?’ So I’m super excited that we have this chance to look at things and say, ‘Is this the best way?’”
Since he learned of his appointment on March 5, Sereda has met with Funk and is looking forward to upcoming conversations regarding enhancements they can make to student learning and staff culture. After their initial meeting, he’s confident they’ll complement each other in their roles.
He believes that one of the reasons he was awarded the position was due to the way his educational philosophies line up with hers.
“We are very much in alignment with our priorities for the school and so I’m really excited to work together with her,” Sereda adds.
The duties of vice-principal will only fill part of his time. The balance of his time at the Niverville High School will be determined before the new school year begins this coming fall.
Sereda began his teaching career at NCI in 2010. In 2013, he became the lead teacher for the school’s science department and later began assisting in the Turning Point Learning Program, an alternative education initiative introduced at the school a number of years earlier. The program caters to Grades 11 and 12 students who Sereda describes as “academically capable but disengaged for one reason or another.” The program focuses less on classroom time and more on community building and internships at local businesses for hands-on learning experiences.
Sereda, a St. Vital resident, says that he’s grown to love small-town life since teaching in Niverville. He doesn’t discount the idea of a move to the community in his family’s future.
“I went to a big urban high school [as a teen] and so it was really neat coming here and teaching in a small rural school,” muses Sereda. “Just to see the differences between the types of schools, I found that I love this setting. At grad time, for every single kid that walks across the stage, I know something about them. I might even know their families… so I really like that.”
Officially, Sereda’s new position doesn’t begin until September, which gives him plenty of time to consider his dreams for the new school.
“This is a really great step for the town, I think,” he says. “I’d really like this school to be more than just a school. I’d love it to be more than just a place where kids go because they’re legally mandated to. I want it to be a place where kids want to go and want to spend time.”
