The Superior North Catholic District School Board is proud to announce that Terri Harmer has been awarded Principal of the Year from the Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario (CPCO).
CPCO (Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario) is the professional association for Principals and Vice-Principals in Ontario's publicly-funded Catholic school system.
Terri began teaching at Holy Saviour Catholic School in Marathon in 2007, and when the school’s principal abruptly left in 2016, she stepped up to fill the role of principal when it desperately needed a leader.
Terri is an inspiration to students and staff as well as to her principal and vice principal colleagues. She connects with students and leads her staff through a healthy mix of humour and humility, cooperation and compassion. Maintaining adequate staffing for our schools has been an ongoing challenge since the advent of the pandemic, and Terri routinely steps in to fill the role of staff members for whom no replacement can be found. She has at times this year been an occasional teacher, a casual educational assistant, a custodian, a cleaner, a lunchroom supervisor and her own administrative assistant, sometimes filling multiple roles simultaneously. She has also been an integral part of the local CPCO negotiating committee as well as an integral part of the wider Catholic educational community.
Through her leadership, the school supports the local women’s shelter and retirement home, has championed outdoor learning space to the benefit of the entire town and has coordinated with parish clergy to ensure the ongoing provision of opportunities for faith formation and the celebration of Catholic culture. In between her tireless efforts at the school and throughout the community, Terri has earned a Masters of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership and Management from Royal Rhodes University to add to her academic accolades, including Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from Lakehead University, OCT specializations in reading and religious education, and multiple additional qualifications in special education and mathematics.
All of this is done with a tireless and infectious joy; unwavering dedication to her school, students, staff, community and parish; and a clarity of purpose and devotion to her calling as a Catholic educational leader and servant of Christ.
Terri will be heading to Toronto on April 14, 2023 to attend the awards gala where she will be presented with her award.
Congratulations Terri!