February 14th, 2017

It’s with mixed emotions that I share news with you today. I have been appointed to the position of Superintendent of Achievement and Well Being within our District School Board and this new position will commence on Monday, March 20.  I am so very humbled by this appointment and so very sad to say goodbye to this exceptional school community. This news has just been shared publicly within our district school and I felt it was important that you, as parents and caregivers, hear it from me first. Please feel free to discuss this with your child this evening and I will speak with our students tomorrow as I plan to visit with each of the classes.

As many of you may know, I have had the good fortune of working in Education for over 20 years and have been an administrator with the Waterloo Region DSB for the last 12 years. I have been a Vice Principal and Principal at a variety of school sites within our board; elementary, composite and 2 senior schools. During my tenure as school Principal I have had the privilege to serve on a variety of system initiatives and projects which have given me the opportunity to learn, grow and broaden my leadership reach and perspective.

I am deeply passionate about student learning and well-being and the positive impact we, as educators, have on the lives of students and families each day. I am committed to the success of each child, to deepening the instructional capacity of our staff and further developing the leadership capacity of our tremendous school administrators. Through my leadership as Superintendent of Student Achievement and Well-Being, I aspire to provide exemplary service to our schools, staff and greater community of the Waterloo Region.  I am excited to join our exemplary Senior Leadership Team while working in partnership with our committed trustees to collectively actualize our Strategic goals and priorities each day.

We are currently in the process of transitioning leadership here at Margaret Avenue over the next month. The process to appoint a principal to Margaret Avenue Public School is currently underway. I look forward to engaging in this important discussion to help ensure a seamless transition from my principalship to the new Principal. Once a decision has been made we will surely communicate it with you in a timely fashion.

The students here at Margaret Avenue inspire me each day. They are kind, caring and so deeply committed to being the best they can be both inside school and out in our community. I have appreciated getting to know each of them, and so many of you, over my years here as Principal. The staff is exceptional in their knowledge, skill and ability to support the learning and well-being needs of our students and I will miss them, and our students, tremendously.

Thank you for the privilege to serve this extraordinary school community.

Sincerely,

Mrs. E. Giannopoulos, Principal