Carpanatomy’s Taylor Newlands sat down with our new principal Ms. Gonsalves to ask a few questions.
What did you do prior to becoming the Principal at Earl Haig?
Prior to becoming a Principal, I followed the route that many other administrators take. I started out as a teacher, then became a department head, a vice-principal, and then finally a principal. I worked at several schools before Earl Haig including Western Tech, Riverdale, and Oakwood where I was the Principal for five years.
How would you say that this school is different or similar to the other schools that you’ve worked at in the past?
I think that one of the biggest differences between this school and the other schools that I’ve worked at is the location. I’ve spent my entire career working in the inner city of Toronto so Earl Haig is the first North Toronto school that I’ve worked at. Although the location is different there are a lot of similarities between this school and the other schools that I’ve worked at. I was pleasantly surprised to see the diversity and the sense of community in the building, which does give it an inner city feel. It brings back a lot of memories of being downtown even though the location is North York.
Many of the schools that I’ve worked at also have strong arts programs. Oakwood, the previous school that I was the Principal of, has a fabulous arts program that includes drama, visual arts, music, and dance. The arts program at Oakwood is similar to what we have here, only smaller. There are a lot of talented young people and fabulous teachers so that’s similar as well.
Earl Haig is also one of the largest schools that I’ve been to, obviously because we are the largest school in the TDSB. Therefore the size is something different for me. I’m used to being in schools of 1000 to 1300 students and certainly never beyond that. This is the first school that I’ve worked at with such a large student and staff population.
What is your biggest challenge as the new principal of Earl Haig?
The size of the school is definitely the biggest challenge. With 130 staff members, it’s difficult to get to know everyone on a personal level and understand their area of focus. I am a Principal who likes to be out there and who does like to meet students and get to know staff but that’s a real challenge in this school. I know that the students want to get to know who I am, what I’m like and if I’ll support them and the initiatives that they feel strongly about at the school. The best way that I know how to do that is to be out talking to students and seeing what they’re doing on a day-to-day basis but it’s a real challenge to do that in this school.
What do you enjoy about being the principal of Earl Haig?
I get the most enjoyment out of watching students at various events. When I was at Coffee House, I was so energized by the talent and the care that was displayed for each other. I was delighted to see our students supporting each other in an environment that was kind, considerate, and respectful. I stepped into one of the rehearsals for The Good Woman of Setzuan and I was amazed at the talent on the stage and the dedication. It was close to five o’clock and the students and teachers were still there working. I know that it’s going to be a fabulous production and I’m able to see how they work from the ground up to get to that point. Those are the kind of things that I enjoy.
It’s also good to go down to the gym and watch kids learning new skills or tackling a team that perhaps is a little bit more athletically inclined than they are. They always hang in there and they do their best. I’m just so proud of the way they conduct themselves. The Remembrance Day assembly is another example. The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. There was such respect for the day, for the artists on the stage, and for the guests in the building. I was very proud to be a part of that assembly and to say that this is our school and this is how we embrace and respect Remembrance Day. The little things that happen each and every day are what thrill me and delight me.
Where did you grow up and go to school?
You’ll be surprised to hear that not only did I grow up in Toronto and attend Oakwood Collegiate as my high school, but I also returned there to be the principal. So, you can imagine as a student what that would feel like. The building was 102 years old and it still smelled the same as it did when I was there as a student. If I closed my eyes for a second it reminded me of 25 years ago when I was there. The other thing that I remember, very dearly, is that my chemistry teacher was still on staff. It took a little bit of time for me to call him by his first name instead of “Mister.” It was amazing to be back in the school as the Principal, and I could brag about this every time we had a spirit week or an assembly or a visitor to the school. It was something that I’ll always treasure.
Did you always know that you wanted to go into teaching?
Yes, I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I remember that even as an adolescent, I spent my summers as a camp counselor. I had three younger siblings at home, two twin brothers and a sister and I’ve always looked after them. That was one of my roles growing up, so I felt that this is what you do. You’re around younger people and you teach them and look after them. So I naturally fell into it and I never really thought about anything else.
When did you decide to become a Principal?
It was probably after about ten years of teaching. I thought that in becoming a Principal, I could change the experience of more than just my students so I decided to go into administration. I still miss the classroom terribly and that’s one of the reasons why I like to be around the school and visiting classrooms.
If you had to be one of the Claude Watson majors, which one would you pick?
I am a physical person so I would probably be in the Dance major. I love the movement, the physicality, and the ability to express without using words. I was born in Italy and we love to gesture and explain ourselves using a lot of hand movements so I think that the dance would compliment that very well.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to spend time with my family, I have a seventeen year old and a thirteen year old at home and a dog named Bebe. We are a family that loves to be outdoors. Bebe loves showing us trails, so when we go hiking, she usually takes the lead. We love to swim so we spend a lot of time at the cottage in the summer. By the end of every day my husband is telling everybody to get out of the water because we look like prunes, but we usually wait for the sun to go just down over the horizon. It’s a nice way to unwind. In the busy schedule that my family and I have we do like to spend time together. Friday night is family night, which is sometimes just a big bowl of popcorn and a movie, and other times it’s a game of scrabble. We try to collect ourselves as much as we can because we’re running around all week and we need to get that sense of balance.
Carpanatomy would like to extend a very warm Earl Haig welcome to Ms. Gonsalves and wish her all he best here at Haig.
