‘Ecole George Jay Celebrates Leslie Lee
>> Tania Wegwitz
Over the past seven years, ‘Ecole George Jay Elementary has undergone a tremendous transformation, inside and out. Principal Leslie Lee has been a key part of that change, and the school celebrated her—and all she has helped accomplish—as she stepped into retirement in January.
Lee has been an educator in our region for 37 years, working at the middle school level for most of that time in the Saanich, Sooke, and Victoria School Districts. Lee’s shift to the Principal’s chair at George Jay seven years ago was a big change.
“The concept of leading a school like George Jay, a globally diverse elementary school in an urban area, was new to my own professional experience,” says Lee. “It has been the biggest challenge of my career, and also the most rewarding.”
Lee said that her main goals when she arrived at the school were to ensure quality, equality and fairness in education and to change perceptions about George Jay and its culture. “Demography should not be destiny,” she says.
In support of those goals, during her tenure, the school underwent a seismic upgrade, constructed three new playgrounds, changed systems to support academics, and increased community involvement to enhance many programs (e.g., hot breakfast and music). Lee also helped the school build an admirable collection of technology tools to support its diverse learners.
But it is what Lee calls “the organizational, relational, and instructional systems” that she worked with her team to put in place that truly laid a foundation for change. The first few years focused on developing the elements of safety and belonging, with new approaches to providing supports in the academics layered on more recently.
Over the past four years, the school’s academic performance has grown exponentially. The most recent standardized scores indicate Grade 4 students are performing at 85-100%, meeting or exceeding expectations in reading, writing, and math skills.
Lee also credits her staff. “They are drawn to the school and they love what they do. Every year I ask ‘how are we going to do better?’ and they amaze me even further with their creativity and innovation.”
One key staff member has been Vice-Principal Terri Smith, who has been a part of Lee’s team since she first arrived at the school five years ago, and is now stepping into the role of Acting Principal. Technology and Maker Space teacher, Sunny Jun, is now the school’s Acting Vice-Principal.
Smith, Jun, and the school’s larger community of staff, students, and families are well set to continue on the path of its motto “learning to care, caring to learn.”
As for Lee, she heads into retirement and new adventures happy with what she has accomplished. “It is always great to feel like you made a difference, but to actually see that you’ve made a difference and have people tell you, that has been truly rewarding.”
