For the last decade, Alice Normand has been a source of creativity and compassion at Cold Lake Junior High (CLJH). In her role as school librarian, she continues to build strong connections with students and staff, all while finding innovative ways to support student success and celebrate diversity.
Alice is in her 11th year at CLJH, first as an educational assistant before transitioning to her current role. Over the years, she has taken the lead on a number of important school-wide initiatives, including the school’s Breakfast Club, Culture Club, and PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program.
Through PBIS, Alice helps promote positive behaviour by recognizing students who are modeling the school’s shared values. She hands out tickets to students demonstrating kindness, responsibility, and respect—tickets that can be exchanged for small concession treats like chocolate milk, corn nuts, and beef jerky.
“It might seem small, but it’s a way to say, ‘I see you, and what you’re doing matters,’” she said.
Alice is especially proud of her work leading the school's Culture Club, a student-driven program that started as a way to highlight First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures and has since expanded to include cultural celebrations from around the world.
“Even though I’m not Indigenous myself, I grew up with strong connections to First Nations and Métis communities in Saskatchewan, the Elizabeth Métis Settlement, and Cold Lake First Nations,” she explained. “That’s where the idea came from.”
Throughout the year, students help create hallway displays celebrating culturally significant holidays like Día de los Muertos, St. Patrick’s Day, and Ukrainian Easter—shining a light on the diverse backgrounds represented at CLJH.
“At heart, I think I’m a humanitarian,” Alice said. “Helping students learn about cultures around the world—it’s my happy place.”
Her passion for global citizenship was shaped in part by a life-changing experience teaching in Uganda.
“We lived and taught there for three and a half months,” she shared. “It was a remote village in the jungle, in the middle of nowhere. But it was an incredible experience—immersing ourselves in the community, teaching children, and learning from their way of life. It really broadened my perspective on what it means to serve others.”
For Alice, the most important part of her work is the relationships she builds with students.
“If I can help a student who doesn’t want to be at school feel welcomed, appreciated, and want to be there just a little bit more—if I can help this be their safe place—that’s what matters most to me,” she said. “I want to help them succeed, with whatever success looks like to them.”
Principal Chan Cusson says Alice’s positive influence is felt throughout the school.
“She continuously exudes positive energy in her work with both students and staff,” he said. “She always highlights student strengths and looks for meaningful ways to support their growth.”
Northern Lights Public Schools is proud to recognize Alice Normand as this month’s Staff Shining Star for her unwavering dedication to students, her commitment to inclusion, and the many ways she helps create a caring and connected school community at Cold Lake Junior High.