By Mark Squibb/April 21, 2022
Janette Pomroy, Principal at Newton Elementary in Mount Pearl, hadn’t signed up for any contests or competitions of any sort, so she didn’t know what to think when she received an e-mail last month saying that she was being awarded the School Administrators Council annual Principal of Distinction Award.
She asked some other staff members if they had any idea what the e-mail might be about, and that’s when the party started.
“All of a sudden, they’re screaming and jumping, and I’m still standing here in shock, and they said, ‘We all nominated you!’” said Pomroy. “And that was the most humbling experience. Tears were pouring down my face at the idea that your staff would believe in you that much, that they would go and do something secretly behind your back.”
Members of staff even had to go to Pomroy’s family members in secret to find out all the information they needed for the nomination form.
“I sat there sobbing at the fact that someone believed in me that much, which was the greatest honour from my peers,” said Pomroy. “It really was.”
Originally an instructional resource teacher, Pomroy is now in her third year as principal of Newtown Elementary. She was formerly a principal at St. Francis of Assisi, and has held other administrative positions at other schools.
Once upon a time, she was preparing herself to be a lawyer.
“I went to register for my LSAT (Law School Admission Test), and I walked away,” said Pomroy. “I said, I don’t want to do this, I want to be a teacher. I’ve always been involved in social justice movements, I’ve always been actively involved in youth organizations when I was younger, and it was just something that I wanted to be.”
Pomroy said the job of administrators is more than just attending meetings and doing paperwork.
“They know that it’s about relationships,” said Pomroy. “They know that it is understanding that every child is coming to school with their own story, and every family has their own story, and you have to be ready for that everyday,” said Pomroy. “You have to be trusting and supportive of your staff, and not just teaching staff, but the entire staff.”