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Principal's Message
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Welcome to Dickinsfield School 2019 - 2020! Bienvenue à Dickinsfield!
I am excited as I look forward to the 2019-2020 school year. This year will mark my first year at Dickinsfield School. I am honored to be taking over the reigns from Mary Butlin.
As a new principal coming in, I will need time to meet with parents, students, staff and stakeholders. I need to hear from each of you about what needs to be protected and continued at the school, what needs to be discussed and considered, and what might need to be improved upon. This work takes time and needs to be completed through collaboration. Please know that I value your voices and invite your input as we move through the school year.
Dickinsfield School gets its name from Punch Dickens. Clennell Haggerston "Punch" Dickins (January 12, 1899 – August 2, 1995) was a pioneering Canadian aviator and bush pilot. He was known as "Snow Eagle;" "White Eagle;" and the "Flying Knight of the Northland”. Punch was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba and moved with his family to Edmonton, Alberta in 1909. Rumor has it that his nickname of “Punch” was given to him by his aunt because his clothes wouldn’t stay down over his fat, little tummy! Punch was enrolled in mechanical engineering at the U of A, but left school to fight in the First World War. He became a bomber pilot. It was claimed he eventually shot down seven enemy aircraft, earning the distinction of being one of the few bomber pilots to become an Ace. His skills earned Punch the Distinguished Flying Cross at age 20 in 1919. After the war, he worked at General Motors, earned a commercial pilot’s license in 1921, and then joined the Royal Canadian Air Force where he served as Flying Officer. Punch then became a bush pilot in the Arctic and was responsible for many landmark flights where he often flew under conditions few others could. Punch became a Superintendent in the Second World War and was responsible for training combat fliers. After the war, Punch went on to consult on aircraft construction. Punch flew until he was 78 years old. He died in 1995 and will live on a man who made outstanding contributions to Canadian aviation.
This year our students are organized into Houses that are linked to our namesake - Eagles, Legends, Aviators and Aces. The Houses will be involved in many school spirit events throughout the year. We hope to inspire our students persevere, work hard and demonstrate the intelligence, drive for improvement, and the desire to make the world a better place as Punch did. Panther Pride is strong at our school!
I look forward to building upon all that is amazing about Dickisfield School in a spirit of continuous improvement. Please know that I welcome your input!
Yours in partnership,
Cynthia Kelly, Principal, École Dickinsfield School
(P) 780-476-4646 (E) cynthia.kelly@epsb.ca
