Praise for new principal
Daniel Beaton getting props for starting free afterschool programs
He’s the type of principal who isn’t afraid to jump into a hip-hop class with students or to tell a student firmly, yet kindly, he will be kept in at recess for hitting another student.
Daniel Beaton took over as principal of Harbourside Elementary School in Whitney Pier in September. Two months in and he’s making a good impression with some parents.
“Mr. Beaton has shown, so far, to be going above and beyond to address the bullying issue,” said Amanda MacDonald, whose daughter is in Grade 4.
“I know for me whenever something has happened at the school, he’s on the phone calling me himself to let me know and coming up with solutions, instead of ignoring it.”
For Beaton, an educator for 15 years, it’s about creating an environment that is fun.
“We do our serious work first, then we have our fun,” said Beaton, who took his bachelor of education at Fort Kent in Maine.
“That’s kind of my motto — we’re serious when we need to be and we’re also going to have some fun when we need to and the kids like that.”
It’s also about getting students to be more social. That is why he created free afterschool programs for student.
Thanks to a grant, Harbourside now offers yoga on Tuesdays and hip-hop dance on Thursdays. Soon they will add volleyball on Wednesdays.
“We’re trying to implement some afterschool programming to help the youth out and to expose them to areas that maybe they wouldn’t get a chance to do,” Beaton explained.
“And to get them away from the iPads and the computers after school … it just overwhelms their life.”
MacDonald’s daughter has taken the dance classes and loved them. MacDonald loves the programs for another reason.
“I think programs like this help the kids who are getting bullied on their way home from school. They have a place to stay while the rest of the kids go home,” she said.
Beaton hopes by having the students socialize and meet kids in other grades they will make friends outside of their grade level. There is also an emphasis on teaching the older grades that they are role models. This is something he hopes they will continue in the playground.
“What’s really impressive is that we are getting a good mixture of young boys and girls in the programs,” he said. “We’re just hoping it will bring a calmness and a fun. We want it to be a fun building.”
Students have already started calling Beaton the “cool” principal because of his love for fun and his engagement with them.
“I joke around with them. I say goodbye to them at the end of the day, we have a highfive train,” he said, obviously not wanting to talk about himself.
“I am also pretty visible in the school … I do silly things to get their attention. They think that’s pretty cool.”
When some students asked if he would go and watch them play hockey one weekend, Beaton did, which made them feel even better about their new principal.
“They got the greatest kick out of that,” he said.
For MacDonald, the biggest thing she praises Beaton for is his communication with parents.
“That’s one of the biggest issues we’ve seen from last year was the lack of communication between the schools and parents and I think he’s really working hard on addressing those issues and making a change,” she said.
“We do our serious work first, then we have our fun. That’s kind of my motto – we’re serious when we need to be and we’re also going to have some fun when we need to and the kids like that.”
Principal Daniel Beaton