WCR This Week

Patricia Grell

My faith has motivated me to run as a Catholic school trustee in the 2013 municipal election. It is what motivates all parts of my life. It is what motivated me to study theology and work and serve in the Church.

I try to live out my faith in everything that I do – whether it is serving my family, my community, my parish, the constituents I serve as a caseworker for Laurie Blakeman, MLA, or the students and staff of ECSD.

I am motivated as well by the fact that I am a Catholic parent with children ages five and 14 currently attending ECSD. As a parent and member of my children's parent advisory council, I know the issues of students, parents, teachers, and staff first hand. I want to be a voice for them on our board.

We are at a crossroads with Catholic education in our province. I believe that our district's role is to provide excellence in education while also nurturing the spiritual needs of our students.

How are we fulfilling this role? I believe it is worth assessing to see if there is more that we can do through enhancing our religious education curriculum, the formation of teachers, and deepening our relationship with the archdiocese.

I am running in Ward 71 because I live in Ward 71. My neighbours are telling me that they want appropriately-sized schools in their new neighbourhoods, they want viable schools in their mature neighbourhoods, they want a safe, inclusive and spiritually rich school environment for their children.

These are all the things I want for my children too. If elected, I will represent the needs of Catholic parents, the Catholic community and residents of Ward 71.

Terry Harris

Thank you for investing your time to become an informed voter. The decision on Oct. 21 is important for our students, and for the future of Catholic education in our city and province.

We face serious fiscal challenges, and at the same time we are responding to fundamental changes on the educational landscape (regulatory, technological, demographic and competitive).

These changes bring opportunities and they present new challenges across the scope of our resources: financial, physical, human and learning resources.

With your active support, incoming trustees will help frame responses to these challenges shaping our Catholic schools, our district and Catholic education in Alberta for years to come.

As voters we must elect trustees whose values, skills, experience and judgment will help us navigate in these times, while protecting and strengthening the essential Catholic nature of our schools and district.

I am a committed Catholic family man who has lived in and been active in our Catholic community for many years.

I am a graduate of Edmonton Catholic Schools, a person who worked for our district for several years, and a Catholic parent whose children attended and graduated from our Catholic schools.

My background in business, human resources, and labour relations and my extensive experience on boards that directly relate to the Catholic community and to the education of our young people have prepared me to contribute meaningfully as your trustee, working with you to build and sustain a Catholic educational environment that is second to none.

As your trustee from Ward 71, I commit to seeking your input and to keeping you informed of board decisions.

Please visit my website www.harris4trustee.ca for more information or contact me by email at terry@harris4trustee.ca.

Vote for "New Leadership . . . for excellence in Catholic education."

On Oct. 21, vote Terry Harris for trustee Ward 71.

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