CAP President

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"An Association of School Leaders "

Maria Di Perna , CAP President 2007-2008
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President’s Message – Maria Di Perna

Welcome to the website of the Canadian Association of Principals. I am honoured to be serving as the association’s president this year.

As stated in our Strategic Plan, CAP’s mission is “to represent the professional perspectives of principals and vice-principals at the national level, to provide the leadership necessary to ensure quality educational opportunities for Canadian students and to represent students’ interests at all tables where educational policy is being discussed.” Representing all principals’ and vice-principals’ affiliates at the provincial and territorial level, CAP is able to connect with school administrators across Canada to hear and understand the issues that are important and relevant and to provide information and resources to our members so as to further our successes in all areas of our work.

The expectations of principals and their work continue to grow. From servant leadership and instructional leadership, to building manager, to child advocate, to community activist, we try to excel in all – and we succeed! The annual recipients of our CAP Principal of the Year Award, Vice-Principal of the Year Award and our partnership with The Learning Partnership and its Canada’s Outstanding Principal Award have demonstrated the excellence that is representative of our profession across our country. How do we do it? If one remains in the immediate, a principal’s job can be quite lonely and solitary. It is in connecting with colleagues and sharing common concerns and knowledge that we become part of a community of leaders, working together to further our individual and collective successes.

As I sat at my first CAP Board of Directors’ meeting in Toronto in the fall of 2003, as I spoke with educators in the Yukon last month and in every exchange I have had in between with principals across our nation, I have noted how truly common and basic our concerns are: we want our students to succeed - all of them, we will work with anyone who can help us achieve that success and we want enough funds to be able to do so. With some variance in local “colour”, that is really what it’s all about.

CAP has taken a leadership role in seeking out those who can and want to help us achieve that success with our students. I encourage you to visit Our Partners on this website for a list of our educational partners and a link to their websites for more in depth information on the work they are undertaking in education, in our schools and the resources available to you as principals. Time is a valuable commodity, a limited resource. Connecting to a larger community allows for greater discovery and less time consumed for re-invention! We hope you find relevant, useful information here.

One of CAP’s objectives, as outlined in our Strategic Plan, is ‘to develop, initiate and maintain professional growth and leadership for members.” To that end, we are excited about the issues that are planned for our CAP Journal this year. Our fall issue, due end of September/early October, addresses the topic of School-Centered Leadership. Our winter issue in January/February focuses on Succession & Sustainability and School Improvement/ Development is the subject of our spring issue in May/June. Keep an eye out for the Journal as it arrives in your school. We encourage you to share it with your school team and consider making your school a CAP member should you wish to receive a second copy of the Journal on a regular basis.

Our greatest professional development activity, the annual CAP conference, is being held in St. John’s, Newfoundland this year on May 14-16, 2008. Hosted by the Newfoundland Labrador Teachers' Association School Administrator's Council, the theme of the conference is Charting New Waters, The pre-conference and keynote speakers include Dr. Avis Glaze, Barry MacDonald, Alfie Kohn and Gywnne Dyer. It promises to be a stimulating and informative conference in a most beautiful setting! I encourage you to join us. For more details, visit the conference’s webpage which is provided as a link on this website. Online registration will soon be available.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our national corporate sponsors. Please note them on our homepage: Premier Agendas, Lifetouch, Jostens, McDonald’s and Herff Jones. Their tremendous support facilitates CAP’s ability to continue its fine work and fulfil its mission. We are most grateful for their continued sponsorship.

In conclusion, a principal’s work cannot be done by one person in isolation. Our teachers are our greatest allies and support. Whether we are part of our Teachers’ Associations and Unions or not, we strive with our teachers to support and develop the most authentic and sacred of relationships in education, that of teacher and learner. Our parent and school communities are essential nutrients in helping this relationship flourish and in reaping the treasures that are created in consequence. Finally, the community at large is both responsible for the education of its young and benefits from the successes of this education. It is in this last forum that we believe CAP can be of assistance to you in your work, in our profession. I encourage you to visit our website regularly. Let us know how we may be of greater service to you, either through your local (affiliate) principals’ association or directly via our CAP offices. If you are not a member, I extend an invitation to you to join the Canadian Association of Principals, your national voice for principals and vice-principals.

I wish each and every one of you a smooth “re-entry” to this new school year, satisfaction in the many challenges that will come your way and great pride in the endless successes you will experience.

Respectfully,
Maria Di Perna

Light is the task where many share the toil. Homer

When work, commitment and pleasure all become one and you reach
that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible. Nancy Coey

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.
Sydney J. Harris