Barrows Elementary Principal Chosen

Heather Leonard will be the next principal at the Barrows Elementary School, according to the Chronicle. Current Principal Karen Callan will retire at the end of the school year.

Leonard is currently the Assistant Principal for the Newbury Elementary School, and has been there for three years. She was previously a teacher and administrator in the Gloucester Public School system.

“Heather was chosen from a field of over 40 applicants and was part of a comprehensive and inclusive process that included parents, teachers, administrators, and students," said Superintendent John Doherty. "The process included a screening committee interview, interview with the District Leadership Team, site visit to the school, interview with students, staff, and parents, and a site visit to her school in Newbury."

Leonard graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Masters of Education with a concentration in Elementary Education, according to the Chronicle. She also has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from the University of New Hampshire.

"I am excited about the prospect of continuing to support teaching and learning in an elementary school setting," Leonard said in her cover letter. "My educational goals focus on creating enthusiastic life-long learners who are active members of their community, supporting and developing strong instructional practices, and creating a school community focused on learning and the needs of the whole child."

According to her cover letter, she is enrolled and has completed the required coursework towards the “Leadership in Schooling” doctoral program at UMASS Lowell and is now in the dissertation phase.

She holds a Massachusetts certification as a principal for grades preK-8, according to her cover letter.

"I am an enthusiastic and outgoing person who is excited to inspire a desire to learn in children and to help foster a community of learning. I have experience working in teams, holding leadership positions, and a desire to expand my own professional knowledge and awareness. I know that I have the creativity, people-skills, and the energy to fill this position," she said in her cover letter.