Since the school named after him opened in the 1980s, influential Regina educator Henry Braun has made a point of maintaining a connection with its staff and students.
Because he’s been attending assemblies and events and participating in award ceremonies for years, people in the community have come to, if not know him, know of him.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, he hasn’t been able to be as big of a part of school life as he would normally.
Upon learning about Braun’s upcoming 90th birthday from his daughter, Rhonda Haus, the principal of Henry Braun School in Regina’s Glencairn neighbourhood, said she thought, “‘OK: we need to celebrate and do something with this.’ ”
Thursday morning, on his birthday, Braun sat down in front of a Macbook hooked up to a big screen to be greeted by a group of smiling faces that he’s been missing.
“He just lit up,” said Grade 5/6 teacher Tara Lazurko, who organized a Zoom call between Braun and the school’s various classrooms.
Each one prepared a special birthday wish for him, according to Lazurko.
“There were definitely a few tears shed,” she added, on the parts of various people involved.
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As the Zoom call was wrapping up, Haus said Braun left them with food for thought.
“He said, “The best thing you can do is appreciate others,'” relayed Haus. “I think that’s a very timely message and one that we all definitely took in and recognized and acknowledged. He’s a very special man.”
Braun worked for Regina Public Schools between 1965 and 1983, according to a media release from the school named after him.
He taught math at Thom Collegiate before moving on to serve as the vice-principal of Massey and Westmore schools and then the principal of Massey School and Cochrane High School. Later in his career, he was appointed to an assistant superintendent and then superintendent.
The school named after him in the Glencairn area of the city’s east end opened in 1986.
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