After thirty-two years working in the Hanover School Division, Ken Klassen has only a few days left to punch in.
    
Klassen began teaching at Niverville Collegiate in 1980. He taught there approximately 14 years before moving to Landmark as Principal. In 2002, Klassen took over as Assistant Superintendent and then five years later filled the role of Superintendent following the resignation of John Peters.

Klassen says those first few weeks on the job were very exciting. He says the position interested him because he had been Assistant Superintendent for five years and had already been working with a great board. "I saw a lot of things that we could do and things that I really believed in and was excited about getting done," notes Klassen. "So it was a great opportunity for me when I was offered it."

One of the areas that needed attention was the considerable growth being experienced in Hanover, notes Klassen. He admits five years later it's a major accomplishment to see Clearspring Middle School standing and construction started on Steinbach Regional Secondary School.

Klassen says for him the job has always been about education and students. On December 4th, Klassen attended his final board meeting, which he refers to as bittersweet. Klassen says at that meeting there was a presentation by a group of students from Green Valley. He notes the presentation reflected on social responsibility, touching on what students in Grunthal are doing in their school, such as anti bullying, the environment and raising food for the food bank. "I just sat there in awe, that I've been a part of this too," says Klassen. "Developing student voice, student leadership, really stressing social responsibility and to see it presented back to me by students as something they've taken ownership of, that was tremendously satisfying."

As for challenges, Klassen says growth has been the biggest hurdle. He notes Steinbach alone went from being monoculture to having over 40 different nations represented in their schools. That has created challenges in terms of developing many areas of student services as well as developing an English as an additional language program.

The five and a half years as Superintendent can be summed up as "busy", notes Klassen. "It's been really challenging and exciting because I was one of the lucky ones to be involved in a school division that's been growing and growing and growing. And that brings with it challenges but it also brings with it huge opportunities."

Klassen will stay on as Superintendent until December 31st, though his last active day will be December 14th. He will assume his position as Executive Director for Superintendents of Manitoba on January 1st. In addition to that, Klassen will be teaching a course at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Education. "All the way through my career I've wanted to hang on to some form of connection to teachers and teaching and students," says Klassen. "And so going forward I'll still have that."

Randy Dueck will take over for Klassen following his departure.