LAC LA BICHE - After nearly three decades of teaching in local schools and serving in administration, Rob Wicker will be retiring at the end of June.
Wicker is the current principal at Lac La Biche’s Vera M. Welsh Elementary School, a role that will be filled next yeear by Kim Nashim-who currently serves as an assistant principal at JA Williams (JAWS) High School.
Looking back over the past 29 years, Wicker says that he has really enjoyed his career. Each school community, he added, has amazing people-including students, parents, staff, and community leaders-who love their community and want the best experience for their children.
“Interacting with students, staff and parents has been the best part,” Wicker told Lakeland This Week.
Wicker completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of Alberta and his Masters from the University of Calgary and finished his student teaching at JA Williams High School. From there, he started teaching at Vera M. Welsh, a school he would return to as principal decades later during the final leg of his career.
“A teacher went on a leave, and I replaced her for May and June that year,” he said.
The following fall, Wicker got his first experience as a school administrator when he went to teach at Caslan School. Many of the students he taught in Caslan, where he stayed for nine years, were from Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement.
Wicker spent two years as assistant principal at the Grade 4-6 Central Elementary School (now École Sainte-Catherine in Lac La Biche) before assuming the role of principal at Dr. Grade 7-9 Swift Middle School, which later became Light of Christ. As Wicker explains, the middle school configuration changed and the new Aurora Midddle School brought in students from Grade 4 to Grade 8. His next six years as principal at Aurora were memorable. Amalgamating Central Elementary and Dr. Swift into Aurora Middle School, he says, was a very “interesting and rewarding” part of his career.
Over the past four years, Wicker continued, it has been a joy to once again be part of the Vera M. Welsh staff. He stated that it is a wonderful school with amazing students and staff.
“I have really appreciated the great parents here and the kids are really joyful, friendly and enthusiastic.”
Sweet retirement
What does a local schoolteacher do upon calling it a day after three decades in the profession? Wicker and his family run a bee and honey operation in Lac La Biche County called Christy Creek Honey, and he is looking forward to expanding on this upon retirement.
While he may no longer be educating young minds, Wicker still plans to continue helping others through being involved in his church and in the community. He also hopes to find a way to continue supporting local schools. The veteran educator is looking forward to retirement but knows it will be a change.
“I will miss interacting with all of the wonderful students, parents and staff the most,” he said. “I will also really miss the regular interaction with other administrators and Division Office personnel from across Northern Lights Public Schools.”
