OACS News Service
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Retiring OACS director reflects on career in Christian school movement Keith’s first Christian education work sprung out of a volunteer position at Emmanuel Christian School in Dorval, Quebec, which turned into a teacher and then administrative role. In 1984, she moved to Mississauga and became principal at John Knox Christian School for 21 years. Keith says her time at the school was exciting, starting off as a small school and through many people’s efforts growing to be a strong school that relocated and then built an addition to accommodate more students.
Ray Hendriks, OACS director of advancement, has known Keith for more than 25 years, and says she was one of the first women to be part of the Ontario Christian Schools Administrators Association (OCSAA). “Lorna was the female principal sitting around a principal’s table with a pile of males,” he chuckles. Ike Witteveen has worked with Keith in several roles, including as volunteer co-ordinators of a Worldwide Christian Schools program, as members of an OCSAA committee, and School Quality Assurance Program (SQAP) auditors. Witteveen recalls his first encounter with Keith in the early 1980’s at a Toronto Christian School Principals’ meeting, and notes “there was a buzz in the air” as they eagerly waited meeting the new John Knox principal. “What a blessing she was to myself and the rest of us in the organization of OACS. A person rich in faith, knowledge of Christian education, pedagogy, personal relationships and dedicated to the cause,” Witteveen says. Hendriks says a memorable contribution was how Keith made others aware of the wider group of people looking for Christian education than the traditional group that was involved. “She did that in a typical what I would call Lorna manner, it was unassuming, it was just done quietly, she didn’t speak about it, she just led by example,” explains Hendriks. In 2005 Keith decided John Knox was in a good spot and stepped out, and was approached by the OACS with a job opportunity as principal at Burlington Christian Academy (BCA). “It’s amazing how the Lord leads, it was a school that needed some direction and I was free to do that so I enjoyed a great year and got to know some amazing people — parents, teachers, board members — all dedicated to the school,” she says. After her year at BCA and ensuring the school successfully hired a principal, Keith started her position as director of school quality programs at the OACS in 2006. At the OACS she has focused on school quality and rolling out SQAP in elementary schools and Progressive Assessment Framework for Secondary Schools in high schools. Keith also works as a consultant for international student programs. “I’ve loved seeing the schools rise to the occasion of wanting to be better schools,” she tells the OACS News. Linda Williams has worked with Keith on several projects. When she was an accreditation co-ordinator for the Canadian Hallmarks Institute she and Keith worked together in developing SQAP and accreditation processes. “Being new to Christian education, private education and education in the province, I have valued tremendously Lorna’s experience, knowledge, wisdom and commitment to high quality Christian education,” says Williams. “She serves our Lord well through her commitment to Christian education, the students, teachers, principals and boards. Lorna has made a huge contribution to Christian education in the province,” she adds. Administrative assistant Judy Tomczak has worked with Keith for the past four years at the OACS. “I found Lorna to be very dedicated to the success of Christian schools. She went above and beyond and always willing to lend a hand where needed, always with a pleasant attitude and generous spirit,” says Tomczak. Tomczak says she never felt like they were boss and assistant, but rather a team who worked together for a common goal. “I will miss her greatly and wish her much happiness in her much deserved retirement,” she says. Tena Boven, OACS executive assistant, echoes the sentiment that the organization will miss Keith. “I have a lot of respect for her and have found that she is a good person to work with as she is very professional and thorough in her work. She really cares about Christian education and the people she works with,” says Boven. When it comes to the future of the OACS, Keith says she wants to see the organization continue to be true to its vision. She points to words in the vision statement “building a flourishing community” and “achieving excellence in education” as key. “I’m really hoping for the future that the OACS will continue to emphasize these areas, these have been strong areas and programs for the OACS and I just hope they will continue,” says Keith. If you have feedback on this article, contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051 or e-mail jennifer(at)axiomnews.ca. |
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