Confidence, community and ownership at heart of new class
When classes at Sun Peaks School (formerly Sun Peaks Elementary School) resume this fall, grades eight and nine will be incorporated into the school for the first time, and local Keith Massey will be the teacher leading the way. Previously students would attend the Sun Peaks Secondary Academy, run by the Sun Peaks Education Society (SPES) when they reached grade eight.
A long time ski instructor, Massey moved to Sun Peaks in 2013. He worked as the facilitator for senior students taking online classes through the SPES until 2017 before taking a number of shorter contracts at schools in Kamloops and Barriere, all the while continuing to be a ski instructor.
“I really enjoyed helping people achieve their goals,” Massey said of ski instruction. “It wasn’t just about the skiing for me, it was about helping people and guiding them on their learning experience.”
Massey said it was experience instructing that led him to complete his Bachelors of Education and Science in Alberta. After graduation he worked in rural schools for a few years before moving to the mountains. In 2018 he and his partner Fiona Haynes bought a house in the community and welcomed their daughter in 2019.
“We’re really rooted here and happy to be up here,” he said.
Looking ahead to the fall and getting into the classroom, Massey said he appreciates the path that led to this development for the school.
“I really respect the work that Sun Peaks Education Society, parents, teachers and even the kids have put into making this stepping stone into a reality…it’s a huge stepping stone for equitable education in this community.”
Plans are already underway to welcome the grade eight and nine students. Massey said the three focusses in the classroom will be community, confidence and ownership.
“I feel like for kids in modern day classrooms a sense of control is vital for their success, rather than them feeling like they’re passive vessels of education. I like to see them take some control. To me that starts with defining exactly what ownership is and teaching them that it’s not just about themselves, it’s about everybody else. If there’s a struggling kid in the class it’s not just my problem and that kid’s problem it’s everybody’s problem and we all have to help out.
“And it’s not just building that sense of community in the classroom but also reaching out to the community as a whole and trying to build a bit of a bigger bond, that’s when you’re going to build that confidence…I firmly believe that with those three things you build resiliency for the kids.”
Another of Massey’s goals is to help his students balance the aspiration to be a professional athlete many Sun Peaks kids have with valuing their education.
“I got my level four while I was in Sun Peaks and the learning and opportunities there always fed the education piece. And vice versa the education piece for me was always a really big stepping stone into ski teaching, so the two always run hand in hand. I really see an opportunity to see if we can blend these two really cool things because alpine sport is really deep in the heart of this community.
“We all know that those are really coveted roles that you can get..for me it’s really important that if you have that dream not to give up on it but to set yourself up so that if you don’t achieve that dream you’re still in a really good spot.
“(It’s about) making sure that the kids view school and skiing as two different goals that go in the same direction…I don’t want them to choose between school and giving it up because they want to be a professional skier, I think that you can do both.”
Sun Peaks School principal Mike Johnson said he was excited to see where Massey can take the class.
“I’m super super excited to have him and so excited that somebody in the community up here was able to get the position,” he said. “He’s someone that’s so dedicated to the vision.”
Johnson said they expect around 19 students in the first year.
“I totally believe it’s just going to continue to grow,” he said. “I think it’s a really good opportunity and I think that face to face instructing is good for kids and they’re going to benefit from it.”
Most of all, Massey said, he’s excited to getting to know the students and their families.
“This is a dream come true.”
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