Tentative Dates for Board Meetings for the 2023-2024 School Year

Wednesday           September 20, 2023           6:00 pm

Wednesday           October 18, 2023                6:00 pm

Wednesday           November 22, 2023            6:00 pm

Wednesday           November 29, 2023            6:00 pm – Annual General Meeting of the Society**

Wednesday           December 20, 2023            5:00 pm

Wednesday           January 24, 2024                 6:00 pm

Wednesday           February 21, 2024               6:00 pm

Wednesday           March 20, 2024                   6:00 pm

Wednesday           April 24, 2024                       6:00 pm

Wednesday           May 15, 2024                       6:00 pm

Wednesday           June 12, 2024                       5:00 pm

Westmount’s Charter Board director profiles are below:

Kimberley Bufton (Parent Director) – is a parent board member with a gifted child at the mid-high campus. Kimberley is a Partner at McLeod Law LLP and has been practicing law for 25 years. Kimberley is committed to supporting the school, children and staff of Westmount in their objective to provide an environment of learning under the inside out mandate. Kimberley obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Simon Fraser University and her law degree at the University of Alberta.

Simon Corrin (Vice-Chair and Parent Director) – Simon is a parent board member who has three children at Westmount; two at the Elementary Campus and one in the Mid-High. Simon has a long-term interest in supporting the school’s vision and mission. His family’s prior experience at other schools has highlighted the difference for them between a standard education and one that supports the varied needs of gifted students from the inside out.  He wholeheartedly supports gifted education, recognizing the critical roles of student resiliency and self-awareness. Simon is Vice-President of the University Heights Community Association and President, CEO / Consultant of Vannin Technology Consulting Inc.   Vannin specializes in Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS). He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Information Technology and Bachelor of Science with Specialization in Physical Psychology (Neurology), Major: Physics.

David Holland (Non-Parent Director) – is a retired educator with more than 40 years of highly varied experience. He has been intimately involved in gifted education for half that time, including teaching junior and senior high Humanities courses in both the GATE program for the Calgary Board of Education and at Westmount Charter School. David was the Learning Commons Coordinator at Westmount’s mid-high for two years before he retired. He served the CBE as an AISI Learning Leader, coaching teachers to improve their assessment practices and their pedagogy, and as the system specialist for gifted education. Working in other jurisdictions with many gifted students in both congregated and inclusive settings makes David aware of how special Westmount’s nuanced understanding of those needs is. David welcomes the opportunity to extend his previous experience as a Westmount Board member (2007-09) and as a member of Westmount’s staff (2014-19) by contributing his energy and understanding to Westmount’s current board and community.

Peter Khu (Chair and Parent Director) – Peter is a parent board member who is focused on supporting Westmount’s inside out charter mandate. He values the goal of creating an environment where administration, staff, parents, and students can be partners in helping each child at Westmount reach their highest personal potential. Since 2011, he has been the President of the University Heights Community Association and has served on the South Shaganappi Strategic Planning Group; a regional community advocacy group within the Northwest sector of Calgary. He is also an active supporter of the arts community in Calgary and has served for two years as the President of the Tritones Rhythm Society, which brings international faculty to teach workshops at an annual tap dance festival. Peter has worked as a management consultant serving clients in North America. Currently, he is a principal in a private investment and asset management company which has land and real estate holdings in Western Canada. Peter believes in the core values of communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement and is the father of two spirited children at the Mid-High, who have thrived with Giftedness from the Inside Out as the guiding principle.

Hoda Kilani (Non-Parent Director) – Hoda Kilani is the owner of Right Career Fit, a career coaching practice that helps young adults (ages 14 to 25) and women-in-transition find education/career direction. She is a Certified Professional Career Coach and a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARW/CC). Her continued lifelong learning, career and volunteer involvements provide her with up-to-date expertise in educational project design, business experience and continuous improvement processes. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and Political Science, a Master of Education and a Doctor of Education.

Tun Myo (Non-Parent Director) is an Independent contractor for companies in the oil and gas, mining, power generation and not-for-profit sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, a Chartered Accountant designation from CPA Alberta and is a USA Certified Public Accountant.

Diane Shirra (Non‐parent Director) is Vice President of Business Development for Black Swan Energy. She brings experience as a parent of two gifted children who graduated from Westmount Charter School, broad professional experience in various business functions and a commitment to charter schools and gifted education. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD (Institut European d’Administration des Affaires).

Myrtle Sproule (Non-Parent Director) is the Team Lead, Accounts Payable with the City of Calgary. Prior to commencing her term as a non-parent director, Myrtle served as President of the Westmount Charter School Parent Fundraising Society and Treasurer of Westmount Charter School Council. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University and a Masters in Business Administration from McMaster University.

Uthpala Tennakoon (Parent Director) is Associate Professor for Human Resources Management at the Bisset School of Business, Mount Royal University. She brings a background in finance, human resources the Board. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Moratuwa and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resources & Organizational Dynamics from the University of Calgary.

Click here to download the Westmount Charter Board Policy Handbook.

Introduction

These policies are statements, adopted by the charter board, that:

• guide the governance of our school;
• reflect our values as a board; and
• create a framework within which we charge our superintendent to administer the operations of the school.

Our policies set the terms by which the charter board governs. They are written expressions of our principles.

Administrative procedures are the procedures and practices established by or adopted by the superintendent that direct the administration in the implementation or achievement of the results expressed in or intended by board policy statements.

Whereas board policy statements express values and define important objectives, administrative procedures focus more closely on how the administration operates and manages activities within the school.

Last Updated: March 1, 2023

Email: BoardChair@westmountcharter.com