Josh Gibbon appointed vice-principal for Coalbanks Elementary School

Lethbridge School Division is pleased to announce Josh Gibbon has been appointed vice-principal at Coalbanks Elementary School, commencing the 2024/2025 school year.
Gibbon is passionate about helping kids see their potential, their personal worth and their ability to contribute to their communities and believe above everything else, relationships are what leads to successful students and schools.
“Spending the time to build trust and confidence in the people you work with builds strength in a school as a whole,” he said. “Kids tend to take a greater interest in their learning when the adults they work with take an interest in them.”
His educational career began in Las Vegas, Nevada at an inner-city school, where Gibbon taught Grade 3 during the day and Adult ESL classes at night. After two years there, he decided to move back to Canada and took a job at Prairie Land School Division teaching Grades 1-3 part time at a Colony School and part time as a high school options teacher at Youngstown School. Gibbon taught Spanish, Art and CALM.
The following year, he was hired as the Learning Support Teacher at Delia School, where he also taught Elementary Physical Education classes.  After a few years there, Gibbon accepted a Grade 6 teaching job at Grasslands School Division in Rosemary School. After his first year in Rosemary, Gibbon took on the role of Athletic Director, and also began to teach junior high Science and P.E. classes. He also took on the role of Learning Support Teacher.
During that time, Gibbon started his Masters program in School Leadership and Administration through Gonzaga University. At the conclusion of that program, Gibbon took on the role of vice-principal at Rosemary school.
Two years later, another opportunity came up at Bassano School, where Gibbon served for another two years as vice-principal and taught Grade 5 Science, Math, junior/senior high Spanish classes and Learning Support.
Gibbon was then hired to be the principal of Rosemary and Gem schools, where he has also taught elementary and junior high P.E.
He has also been heavily involved with coaching basketball, track and field and cross country in each of the schools he has worked.
“I am very excited to join the team at Coalbanks Elementary,” said Gibbon. “I have heard a lot of positive things about the school, staff and students there. The school's vision of, Building community through nurturing relationships and developing global, empathetic citizens, and the Mission of, Striving to nurture an inclusive environment where students learn the skills to be dynamic members of the global community, fits very well with my own philosophy, personal experience as a teacher and leader in the previous schools where I have worked, and what I want most for the kids we work with. I am hoping to use my experiences as a K-12 principal and vice-principal and use what I have learned to support the continued success of Coalbanks Elementary School, its students and staff. I am also hoping to use some of my background in teaching Spanish and living in Mexico to support the Spanish Bilingual Program at the school.”
His degrees include a Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education, with a Minor in Teaching English as a Second Language, from the University of Alberta, and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration, from Gonzaga University.