After spending close to 40 years in School District 47, Brooks Secondary School’s principal has retired.
Kathy Rothwell announced in May that she would leave her position at Brooks at the end of July.
In an interview with the Peak, Rothwell said that she started considering the decision a few months prior to her announcement, but the escalating contract dispute between BC Teachers’ Federation and the government made her choice easier.
“All of this stuff that’s happening right now will fade,” she said. “That’s not what I’ll remember about my work. It’ll be everything else—all the mementoes from my kids and parents and teachers—that’s what’s special.”
Rothwell moved to Powell River in 1974 and over the course of her career has taught in almost every school in the district, she said.
Half of her 39 years were spent teaching and half in administration.
She started at Edgehill Elementary teaching grade three music classes. After 15 years she moved to JP Dallos Middle School. From there she taught at Oceanview Middle School before moving to Brooks in 2006 where she was appointed principal.
“I’ve done it all,” said Rothwell, adding that she has even taught kindergarten music classes.
Two parts of her career stand out as important for her: being involved in the development of middle schools in the province and building dual credit partnerships for trades education for high school students.
Rothwell said one of the biggest changes she has seen over the course of her career has been the diversification of programs of study for students, which she credits to the leadership of the district.
“We’re serving far more students now than we used to,” she said. “That’s nothing but good.
Despite the challenges she has faced as an administrator, she said she missed teaching and interacting with students through those years.
Coming from a fine arts background, Rothwell enjoyed working with her students on musical theatre productions and helped put on about 25 throughout her career. In the later years though, she had less time for the productions and it was something that she missed.
She has worked with “fabulous” teachers over the years and can not say enough about the children and the support from parents, she said.
“I’ve been blessed,” she added. “I’ve had the most satisfying career I could have and as I leave it’s all good.”
She has been approached to take up other projects after retiring from the district, but she said for the time being she has her mind set on some world travelling.
“I really think I need to be away in September when it all starts up, then I’ll look at my options,” she said. “I feel like I’ve got lots of energy.”
