The moving van has yet to arrive in Prince George, but School District 57's superintendent is already on day eight of her new job.
Marilyn Marquis-Forster, former superintendent of a school division in northwest Manitoba, said getting ready for the new role will take "lots of listening."
It helped that she made the 17-hour drive in time for a three-day gathering with district leaders.
"It was great preparation for moving into the school year because I had a chance to be with that leadership team," said Marquis-Forster, who has already purchased a home in Prince George.
"It's a real opportunity to learn together and to look forward as to what we want to accomplish."
Chairperson Tony Cable said it's been a whirlwind first week.
"We're very pleased to have Marilyn here," he said. "She's coming from the Swan Valley School District and she comes to us with a wealth of experience from Hamilton school district before that."
Equipped with a Prince George map and a cheat sheet of staff faces, Marquis-Forster has some basic tools to blend in. Her plan is to visit all schools by the end of December and has passed through some of the rural areas on her drive from Manitoba, and a study session in Valemount. Mackenzie is still on the list.
Her first impression is that the region is stunningly beautiful.
"Certainly with some geographic challenge because the district has the obligation to serve educational needs in each of the communities. It doesn't matter where you go to school, students have the same expectations."
To prepare for the new position she said she's researched the differences in provincial approaches as well as B.C.'s new curriculum.
"That of course is a big challenge. It's also an exciting challenge because it's focusing on students and really developing capacity, big ideas and skills they can take out into the world."
Just over a week into her new role, she said it's likely premature to speak comprehensively about the challenges she expects to face or the district's priorities, but she said the district's strategic plan - started before she was hired - will act as good guidance.
The district's 31 elementary schools and eight high schools are a jump compared to Swan Valley's nine schools, but Marquis-Forster said she also draws on her experience with Hamilton-Wentworth, which had some 35,000 students.
School District 57 has more than 14,000 students and 2,100 teachers and support staff.
"I have had experience in large divisions with many departments and small departments with lots of hands-on experience through all of that. It's always, regardless of where you're serving, to know what the goals are and to really come to know your leaders and to support them to do their work, whether you've got five people on your leadership team or 10 people, that job remains the same."
She praised Prince George as a leader in aboriginal education, which she said is a priority, as is literacy improvement for early learners, an area she can draw on from her experience with Swan Valley's success.
Marquis-Forster replaces Brian Pepper, who abruptly resigned in December 2015 for "reasons connected to health and opportunity" after 10 years in the superintendent's chair.
In the 2013/14 fiscal year, the most current year that figures are available, Pepper's superintendent salary was $147,241, the same rate of pay he had received since 2009/10
-- with files from Mark Nielsen
