Canadian Rockies Public Schools (CRPS) searched high and low for a new educator and all the while he was right here in the backyard.
After an extensive international search, CRPS announced Chris Rogers has accepted the position of principal for Canmore Collegiate High School (CCHS) and will assume his new role as of August.
Rogers, currently in the role of assistant principal, will take over from Glenn Nelson, who is retiring at the end of the school year.
“Glenn told us a month or two ago that this was his last year and he’s retiring, and I had been working here for two years as the assistant principal,” Rogers said. “When I first came here I was at Lawrence Grassi and CCHS wasn’t built, and when we opened the school in 1995 I came across when we opened it.”
Rogers said back then faculty members were involved in the planning of the new high school in terms of what it would look like.
“This place is pretty deep in my bones because I was here right from the planning, to building it out and as a teacher,” Rogers said. “I’ve been teaching in the humanities, but also helped with the computer stuff, CTS technology, so I was involved in the whole setting up of the first network here, right from the laying of the cabling to mapping it all out, to getting it to work, to doing our first email system.
“I know where all the closets are and how things run because I’ve been here since it started.”
Rogers said he had to apply for the position just like any other educator vying for the job.
“I mean, there was no guarantee because obviou
sly when they were looking for a principal, Chris (superintendent MacPhee) opened it up and looked outside. But I thought, you know, why not give it a try and apply. So I went through the same interview process as everyone else.
“There was a panel of people and I submitted my resumé just like everyone else, all very formal, but it was good,” Rogers said. “The interesting thing is I found out on my birthday, which is April 30. People say, ‘what did you get for your birthday?’ and I say, ‘a new job.’ “
Originally from Flowers Cove, Nfld., Rogers moved west in 1987 after completing his B.S. (Hons) in Marine Biology at Memorial University to pursue graduate studies at the University of Calgary. After a brief stint at the University of British Columbia where he completed his B.Ed., Rogers came to the Bow Valley and started work with CRPS at Lawrence Grassi School in 1992.
Since becoming a member of CRPS, Rogers has been deeply involved in building educational capacity at a national level (Network of Innovative Schools), provincial level (CTS Curriculum Development), local level (AISI Lead Teacher, One to One Computer Initiative), and presently as vice-principal of CCHS and Alpenglow Community School.
