This article is part of the Tri-City News' Back to School series this and next month.
Cheryl Woods feels like her appointment as principal of Port Moody’s Heritage Woods Secondary makes a full circle.
A graduate of Burnaby Central Secondary, Woods went on a basketball scholarship to UBC where she was captain for three years — taking the varsity women’s team to the national championships at the University of Calgary for the first time in 30 years for UBC.
So, much like the Kodiaks at Heritage, basketball runs in Woods’ blood.
And since she was named to replace Todd Clerkson, who is now the principal at Riverside Secondary in Port Coquitlam, Woods said she has connected with so many people at Heritage who are in — or where once part of — the basketball community in the Lower Mainland, including a parent who coached Woods while she was a student at Burnaby Central.
Back to School in SD43: Riverside Secondary gets a new principal https://t.co/pn2bdIdnRz
— Tri-City News (@TriCityNews) August 29, 2024
But it doesn’t end there.
Woods’ full circle at Heritage has come by seeing the faces of many students who she's worked with over the years at the elementary and middle school levels in School District 43 (SD43).
Prior to Heritage, Woods was principal of Summit Middle, Pinetree Way Elementary and Harbour View Elementary, “so I recognize many of the same families. It’s nice to see the kids grow and have them now at Heritage.”
A Port Moody resident, Woods started her career in education with the Burnaby School District in 1995 as a math, science and PE teacher (she has UBC degrees in math, science, human kinetics and education plus a master’s degree in education).
In 2012, she moved to SD43 after being hired as a vice principal for Pinetree Secondary.
At every school along the way, Woods said, she has started by poring over picture books to get a grasp of the students’ names and school spirit.
When the new academic year comes on Tuesday, Sept. 3, Heritage students can expect the same study from their new principal.
“I’m going to be out there and learning names,” she told the Tri-City News during a school visit on Thursday, Aug. 29.
“There are going to be a lot of conversations and I’m going to be asking for your name a million times, and on the millionth time, I will remember it, but I also want to know more about you and your interests. I want to be present and support the students fully.”
Woods vows to be at extracurricular events, like basketball games, musical theatre productions and music concerts, to make more connections with Heritage families and their supporters. In addition, she wants to find ways to bring alumni back and be part of the school community again.
This past spring, she linked in early with the Parent Advisory Council “and all this week, Grade 12 students and staff have been working with me to make sure the Kodiak traditions continue.”
Her aim, she said, is to create experiences and ensure participation levels remain high among the 1,500-student body and 125 teachers and staff because “this is where you make memories that stay with you for the rest of your life.”
To keep the Heritage community on the same page, Woods promises to lay out school expectations clearly and regularly with her vice principals: J.J. Hyde, Renee Mazzucco and Shelley McClenahan — the latter, a fellow ice hockey player.
Woods said she’s looking forward to the upcoming events that start in September with the Grade 9 welcome barbecue and the Senior Sail.
And, in November, Woods plans to grab a front row seat at the Kodiak Classic basketball tournament at Heritage.
“For me, always, without reservation, at the centre of every decision are the kids. It’s important to create lasting relationships.”
Tomorrow, the Tri-City News will highlight the trends with French Immersion in B.C.
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