Principal Margaret Paxton whizzed down the hall of Ecole Squamish Elementary last Friday morning. She speed-walked passed the office, through the front doors and down the front steps and over to check on groups of her students who were gathered in response to the incessant fire alarm that made children clasp their hands over their ears.
It was a standard drill and soon the school’s 375 students were zigzagging their way back to their classes, Paxton leading the charge.
Inside, Paxton spoke briefly with the electrician who had brought the noise to an end and then stopped to chat quickly with a parent who had shown up unannounced, wanting to talk about his child. She was polite and efficient, telling the father to come back on Monday, when they could have a proper chat. Meanwhile, as students walked and skipped passed her, many gave Paxton a wave, a smile or a quick hug around her waist. The students definitely didn’t seem to feel intimidated by the leader of their school, and she seemed to know each child by their first name.
Settled into her office, Paxton smiled, caught her breath and spoke of the issue at hand – her newly bestowed appointment as one of 40 of Canada’s Outstanding Principals of 2015.
“I feel very surprised and happy and proud,” said the soft-spoken Paxton.
“Mostly very grateful for all the mentorship I have had. The principals I have worked with, the teachers, the parents and the kids.”
Paxton has worked in the Sea to Sky school district for 17 years and has been principal at Squamish Elementary for seven of those years.
Pressed to explain why she thought she was chosen for the award, Paxton said it is the little things that happen every day that count most.
“The building relationships, the building community in the school is very important to me. Listening, being fair and filling gaps where I see them. If there is a need we will address it, if there is a concern we look after it. The school is like a family. We wrap around each other,” she said.
District staff or parents submit the award nominees, who are judged on such criteria as innovation, instructional leadership, student achievement and professional learning teams set up in the school, as well as partnerships with families and within the larger community, according to Rod Thompson, director of executive leadership at The Learning Partnership, which grants the awards.
Paxton’s nomination clearly stood out.
“She’s actually been transformational not only in her school, but in expanding the district’s focus,” said Thompson.
“[She] really gets students to work in a collaborative way… she is very committed to supporting healthy and secure students.”
Later this month, Paxton will travel to Toronto to receive her award and attend a five-day leadership-training program with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
There are 13,000 principals in Canada.
