Council meeting, new principal and v-p

I will write up a full account of yesterday's Council meeting as soon as I get a chance, but I wanted to quickly summarize our meeting with the new principal and vice-principal, Ms. Persaud and Mr. Frenette. They made a favourable impression. Between them, they have a great deal of experience overseeing large and complex schools. They also seem to have a good balance of skills, including French and English. Ms. Persaud spoke from the perspective of a parent, and seemed to understand the importance of creating a safe, nurturing and enjoyable learning environment for the children. She mentioned professional development for teachers as an important priority. Parents expressed considerable concern about the turnover in the principal and v-p positions at Clairlea in recent years, and Superintendent Dickinson, Ms. Persaud and Mr. Frenette seemed to understand and sympathize with this concern. Ms. P and Mr. F assured us of their intention to make a long-term commitment to Clairlea, barring any unforseen circumstances. (At least, that was how I interpreted their response to the question.) For anyone who's wondering why Ms. Bismilla is being transferred out, the reason is that Ms. Persaud was considered the ideal candidate for principal of Clairlea (there was reportedly some competition for her from other schools), but she doesn't speak French, so Clairlea needed a French-speaking v-p. Ms. Bismilla is returning to Oakridge, where she originally worked as a teacher. Some very kind words were said about Ms. Bismilla and it's clear that she will be missed by Clairlea and warmly welcomed back to Oakridge. More on the rest of the meeting in a day or two.