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The York Catholic District School Board is proud to announce that Giancarlo Schirripa, Principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Elementary School in Sharon, Ontario, will be honoured as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals for 2012 by The Learning Partnership.
The prestigious title is awarded to only 40 principals from across Canada, who will be formally recognized at a gala dinner and awards ceremony on February 28, at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto. Giancarlo will join an exclusive group of approximately 220 previous recipients who form the National Academy of Canada’s Outstanding Principals.
Giancarlo first started as principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) in September 2008, after the previous principal retired. Sharon, which is part of the Town of East Gwillimbury, is a tight-knit community and Our Lady of Good Counsel is the oldest Catholic elementary school there. When Giancarlo first joined the school, there were concerns amongst parents and staff that the school might be closing.
Mary Barcellos, OLGC school council member, who led the team which nominated Giancarlo Schirripa for Outstanding Principal, remembers that it was time of high anxiety, unrest and even anger for the school community. “When he arrived as principal,” writes Barcellos in her nomination, “he met with all of the elected positions of council and listened, just really listened to what we had to say . . . I knew then that we had a different type of principal in our midst.
“At our first meeting he presented a seven page and five year plan for the school, listing each item he wanted to purchase and its cost,” Barcellos shares. “We explained that [we were on a list] designating us as a school that [could not receive more money] because we would most likely be closed due to decreasing enrolment and the age of the school. His response was that together, we were going to find the cash resources to outfit the school with the material resources it needed. He said, together,” Barcelloas reflects, “not ‘council please find the money.’ How refreshing.”
And together they found the money. After motivating the school council, Giancarlo led a 50th anniversary celebration of the school engaging not just the school, but community residents, the local parish, politicians of all levels of government and former teachers and students, including a student from OLGC’s first graduating class.
With the help of the entire school community, OLGC started raising more money than previous years, and school spirit continued to grow under Giancarlo’s leadership. Since 2008, the school has witnessed gains in EQAO test scores, technology, student enrolment and more extra curricular activities are now offered.
Teachers have credited Giancarlo as having an ‘uncanny ability to identify and draw out the strengths in others,’ and ‘encouraging and assisting in staff faith development events to create an inclusive environment for all needs.’
When asked how he feels about receiving the Canada’s Outstanding Principal award, Schirripa humbly replies that, “the award is a recognition of our entire school team. The staff is committed, innovative, creative and professional. The parent community is supportive and involved. The students are receptive and the support from our school board team has been wonderful.
“I don’t work alone. In a school environment it is critical to build a collaborative learning culture and actively engage staff in key discussions so as to create a sense of ownership, belonging and accountability,” he says. “It is my responsibility to promote collaborative learning cultures by enabling the entire school community to work together and learn from each other, with a central focus on student-achievement and well-being.
“We build relationships and develop people by treating them as Jesus did: fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect,” Giancarlo says. “I lead by example, modelling Gospel values, especially service of others and like to demonstrate transparent decision making and consistency between words and deeds.”
“We are thrilled that Giancarlo has been honoured as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals,” says Susan La Rosa, Director of Education for the York Catholic District School Board. “He’s an extraordinary principal who truly inspires those around him to work together and strive excellence. On behalf of the board, I congratulate Giancarlo and his entire school team on this outstanding accomplishment.”
The Canada’s Outstanding Principals program, developed by The Learning Partnership, is now in its 8th year. Principals are nominated by their peers, school staff and community members in an extensive nomination and selection process. The Learning Partnership is a national charitable organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system through innovative programs, credible research, policy initiatives and public engagement.
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Elementary School is located at 53 Morton Avenue in Sharon, Ontario and has a current enrolment of 214 students. It is a member of the York Catholic District School Board, which delivers quality educational programming to over 55,000 students in 101 schools throughout the Regional Municipality of York.