By Bella Crysler –
This semester Nepean High School welcomed a new addition to the school community. Taking over the principal’s position from Mr. Cousineau is the incredible Ms. McNamara! I had the chance to sit down with her and talk about topics such as pastimes, role models, and family and here are five interesting things I learned.
1. Some of her hobbies may come as a surprise.
When Ms. McNamara isn’t working as Nepean’s new principle, she has a number of hobbies and interests that she dedicates her free time to. She likes to exercise and goes to the gym four times a week. Two of her favourite workouts are kickboxing and powerlifting. She loves reading and photography. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, and travelling when there isn’t work to be done.
2. Her biggest role model is a family connection with a very unique place in Canadian history.
Her maternal grandmother gave birth to the very first set of triplets to survive in the recorded history of Newfoundland and Labrador. The hospital where these triplets were born only had one incubator at the time. One was donated anonymously as fundraising was underway for another.
What’s more, she went on to have three more children after that. “I’m the oldest of 12 grandchildren,” says Ms. McNamara. “Now she has 20 something great-grandchildren.” Ms. McNamara’s super-grandma will turn 92 in the beginning of March and still lives by herself.
3. Another fun fact …
If the fact that her grandmother gave birth to the first set of surviving triplets in Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t an interesting enough fact for you, here’s another one: Ms. McNamara can deadlift 215 pounds.
4. Her favourite part about being aneducator may not come as a big surprise.
The best part of teaching for Ms. McNamara is the students. “Everything related to teaching for me is working with children,” she says. “I just love working with kids and helping them figure out solutions to having a good life, to be a good student, and to be successful.”
5. She is very excited to see what the future may bring.
This is the sixth school that Ms. McNamara has worked at in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and she is looking forward to learning more about what Nepean High School is all about. “I’m excited to learn about a school community and become familiar with all of the things that make Nepean great, and then spend time thinking about how I can contribute to continuing to make Nepean a great place,” she says.
So in the end, getting called into the principal’s office to conduct this interview didn’t end up being so bad! If you’re a student at Nepean, don’t be shy to say hi to Ms. McNamara in the hall and welcome her to our school. Oh, and if you’re thinking of causing trouble in the halls anytime soon, just remember, she can deadlift 215lbs.
Bella Crysler is a grade 12 student at Nepean High School.