When Airdrie’s newest kindergarten to Grade 8 school – the newly named Windsong Heights School – opens in September 2017, Penny Beaudry will be the face students and parents see in the principal’s office.
This isn’t the first time Beaudry has opened a new school; she has been assistant principal at C.W. Perry School for two years and assisted with its opening in September 2014.
“I learned a lot of things from opening this school,” she said. “How important it is to establish a relationship with the parent community, the Rocky View (Schools) community and our students, which is very nice because some of the students I have here will be coming over with me.
“I also learned a lot about planning and being thoughtful in each decision you make because those decisions can last the lifetime of the school. You’re setting a foundation.”
Beaudry has more than 20 years of educational experience, including stints as assistant principal at Manachaban Middle School in Cochrane and as a teacher with the Fort McMurray Catholic School Division. She has a master of education from the University of Lethbridge and a bachelor of education from the University of Calgary.
“With a proven record of building supportive relationships and an in-depth knowledge of the curriculum and pedagogy in upper elementary and middle school grades, I know this new school will see many successes ahead,” said Rocky View Schools Superintendent of Schools Don Hoium.
Beaudry will assume her new role March 1, 2017, giving her six months to help with the planning for the opening of the school.
“First (I’ll be) making connections with our parents and our children who will be coming in in the fall,” she said. “A lot of planning around staffing, even things like ordering materials and furniture and placing the bulletin boards – all of those things happen ahead of time.
“It’s exciting. Luckily, I’ve had this experience, which is invaluable. I think it will be lovely to have a nice community school with kindergarten to Grade 8 where kids can continue on for a while.”
