Largest professional development gathering in a decade brings various Chinook’s Edge staffing groups together
Approximately 1,100 Chinook’s Edge staff met in Olds on September 19, 2025 for a combined professional learning day. Teachers, educational assistants, administrators, administrative assistants, librarians, technology staff, student support leads, and family school wellness workers were gathered in the largest combined professional development opportunity in the division in 10 years.
This is the first of three common professional learning days in the division this year, where staffing groups with the same focus will meet together. November 28, 2025 and March 20, 2026 are the two remaining dates.
On September 19, all of the staffing groups who were involved in the day met together in one large combined session at Ecole Olds High School. After hearing from the division’s new Superintendent, Ryan Sawula, as well as other division office leaders, staff broke into smaller groups, gathering with colleagues in the same role, and in school buildings in Olds (as well as one group in Innisfail), for tailored professional development.
“It was an honour to be a part of this day,” says Ryan Sawula, Superintendent, Chinook’s Edge School Division. “I appreciated the opportunity to visit schools over the past few months. I was pleased to observe that Chinooks’ Edge has a strong sense of family, as well as shared values and innovative approaches to diverse student needs. Our staff are the heart of our schools, and I am honoured to be on this journey with them. I am excited to work together - fostering curiosity, collaboration and shared learning experiences.”
“It was humbling to stand with over one thousand professionals who day in and day out make a difference in the lives of over 11,000 students,” says Karyn Barber, Associate Superintendent of System Services, Chinook’s Edge School Division. “Coming together and connecting in the same space, is an incredibly powerful opportunity, and one that will have a lasting impact on student learning.”
More than 600 teachers spent the day working on curriculum, according to Chris Adamson, Associate Superintendent of Learning Services. “By sharing best practices, co-creating resources, and exploring new curriculum, our teachers demonstrated that true professional growth happens when we collaborate. As the new provincial curriculum rolls out, we need structures and processes to ensure teachers are prepared to support students. This professional learning day was an important step in achieving this goal,” says Adamson.
Educational Assistants met registered in one of six newly developed, and made-in-Chinook’s Edge sessions tailored to the needs of EA’s (outlined in a separate article).
Administrative support staff learned about the new digital newsletter platform and about entering field trips in the division’s online system. Librarians, technology staff, family school wellness workers, and student support leads also met.
Abigail Janzen, a teacher at Ecole Fox Run School in Sylvan Lake, is in her second year of teaching. “It was so fun to meet with people from other schools,” she says. “It’s good to be able to connect and share resources.”
“It was exciting to see everyone come into the gym,” says Kevin Hronek, teacher at Ecole Olds High School. “I enjoyed seeing people I haven’t seen for a while. This is my 21st year in Chinook’s Edge, and one thing I appreciate about Chinook’s Edge is the level of connectedness we have. It’s different from what others I know experience in other divisions. It makes me feel like part of the team and that my work is valued.”