One of best in Canada from Stittsville

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By John Curry

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Cindy Beauchamp of Stittsville is receiving a 2012 Canada's Outstanding Principals Award.

Cindy Beauchamp of Stittsville is receiving a 2012 Canada's Outstanding Principals Award.

EMC News - Cindy Beauchamp of Stittsville is being honoured as one of Canada's outstanding principals.

The former longtime teacher at A. Lorne Cassidy Elementary School in Stittsville who is now principal at Huntley Centennial Public School in Carp is one of only 40 principals across Canada who will be receiving a 2012 Canada's Outstanding Principals Award.

The award, created by The Learning Partnership, a national charitable organization dedicated to championing Canada's public education system, will be presented at a gala awards dinner and ceremony in Toronto on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Ms. Beauchamp was nominated for the award by the staff, parents and community of Huntley Centennial Public School who cited principal Beauchamp's encouragement of parental and community involvement in education.

She is being recognized for her lifelong learning, her instructional leadership, her thirst for knowledge and her desire to improve educational best practices.

After beginning her teaching career in Val d'Or, Quebec and London, Ontario, Ms. Beauchamp started with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board as an immersion kindergarten teacher at Stittsville Public School, teaching three for three years.

When A. Lorne Cassidy Elementary School in Stittsville opened at the beginning of the 1990's, she became a grade one immersion teacher there. She later became a learning resource teacher at the school until she was appointed vice-principal at Knoxdale Public School in January 2003. She became principal at Knoxdale Public School in 2005 and then assumed her current role as principal at Huntley Centennial Public School in Carp in September 2008.

Ms. Beauchamp recognizes that the role of a principal today is a multi-faceted one with many layers of responsibilities. She sees her leadership role as a shared one with staff, with most decisions being made in collaboration with staff. These responsibilities include the safety and well-being of students and creation of an inclusive school environment.

She also oversees instructional practices and the management of all staff.

A principal also works with the parent community to plan shared goals for supporting student learning and student safety.

The Canada's Outstanding Principals program, developed by The Learning Partnership, annually invites nominations of principals across Canada. Recipients are chosen by a National Selection Committee comprised of Canadian education, community and private sector leaders. Each nominee is scored on the basis of characteristics of outstanding principals, evidence of partnerships with parents and community, a person story illustrating successful change and innovation that resulted in improved student achievement, and letters of support.

This year 40 principals from every province and territory are being honoured with the award. Ms. Beauchamp is the only principal with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board who is receiving this award this year.

Besides joining the group of more than 219 previous recipients of the award who form the National Academy of Canada's Outstanding Principals, this year's recipients will attend a week-long executive leadership training program utilizing the expertise of professors from the University of Toronto's Joseph L. Rotman School of Management and well-known community leaders.