Lloyd George in search of new principal
NEWS/ SCHOOLS — Lloyd George elementary principal Rob Schoen is the school district’s new assistant superintendent for human resources.
Rob Schoen. (KDN)
And that means the search is on for a new principal for the French-immersion school, preferably one who is bilingual.
District assistants supt. Karl deBruijn said labour relations is an area that has seen a growing need and focus over the years. With 1,500 full- and part-time staff, maternity and paternity leaves and people off for sickness or injury, the district is constantly posting and filling jobs.
“That department has increased in complexity,” he said.
Schoen did not speak French himself, nor have the last few principals at the school. Lloyd George’s last French-speaking principal was Barb Stratmoen, who retired several years ago.
Lloyd George elementary is the largest school in the district, with 436 students. The school was dual-track English and French immersion until reconfiguration four years ago, when the English students were moved to Stuart Wood elementary to boost enrolment numbers there.
DeBruijn said the school is full and demand for French immersion continues to grow. There is still room for a couple more classes at the other French immersion school in Kamloops, South Sahali elementary, but the demand has been so strong the district is putting together a committee to look at the potential for a third location.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Hi Peter
You have some facts wrong. Kamloops has two french immersion schools: Lloyd George and South Sahali. We used to have three, all of which had English and French schools, until reconfiguration four years ago. Then the district board – against the wishes of ALL three FI school parent groups – forced two to go French only (in the case of Lloyd George, English kids were sent to Stuart Wood to keep it open as it had fewer than 100 kids) and sent Arthur Hatton students to the south shore schools and closed John Tod. There are still catchment areas for the FI schools, but in making Arthur Hatton unilingual English, the board promised to bus kids to Lloyd George. I’m sure parents would welcome English kids there again, as they had argued to keep it a neighbourhood school in the first place. However, you should know there are inner city kids who arrive at Stuart Wood late on a regular basis because their home situations aren’t ideal. What if they miss the bus to get to the old Beattie school, as has been recommended? It’s still a good half-hour walk for them to get to Lloyd George from their homes. And it is another blow to the downtown. Many Stuart Wood kids are from the area, don’t forget. Lloyd George is bursting at the seams with 436 kids and there’s a waiting list, South Sahali is almost full. the district is looking at a third FI school. Hopefully back on the north shore, undoing what they did four years ago. Personally, I think losing Stuart Wood as a downtown school would be devastating. Fewer families will move to the area and that’s bad for any downtown.
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Now Mel, this is a story you need to rattle your sabre about! Think about it, They bus in all these kids in from all over the District to attend our only French Immersion School in Kamloops. Lloyd George, if they close Stuart Wood School, will be the only school in the dowtown area of Kamloops. I believe that it would be in the interest of all concerned if they made Lloyd George, as it was before, an English and French immersion school. What a great idea! That would solve the problem that the parents of the school children now attending Stuart Wood will encounter when that school closes……maybe!
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