All,
Welcome to the BHS webpage! We are happy that you are here. We hope that you find the information you need or the contacts to help you get it.
My name is Debra Beaupre, and I am the new high school principal. This is an exciting step in my 25+ year career; I have always wanted to return to my roots. I am from Somerville, MA; my high school comprised a mix of cultures, races, and religions. Coming here to Burlington, which I have always likened to Cambridge, is a treat.
I began my career as a reading teacher in middle school, moved to elementary, and taught 4th and 5th grades for a long time. I was a reading interventionist for grades 1-6 for several years and then decided to become an administrator. Sounds so easy, but it was a long road with twists and turns. I became an administrator because I wanted to know what it would be like to be a leader who remembers how teachers think and behave- what motivates them, and what they need to work their magic.
I live locally for work, but my family lives in a village in New Hampshire on the CT River border. I am married to an athletic director and have three grown children. My dad lives with us and our dog Charlie.
I am friendly, and I like to know about people and their stories. Please introduce yourself if we meet, and feel free to reach out to share a concern or an idea.
I am in this work because I love kids, their energy, their humor, and their promise. My job is to help them create a larger vision of themselves than the one they see around them and reach that potential, and we need to give them the tools to thrive.
This body of teachers, staff, and students has been through a lot, not just the pandemic, which knocked us all flat for a while, but also the closing of an entire campus, the extension of Zoom school, and the move into a department store. While the rest of the education world was unmasking and getting back to a sense of normalcy, this community had to make many changes and adjustments to create an actual school from nothing. It is remarkable. From athletics being spread all over town to PE on the grass by Lake Champlain to creating classrooms and offices out of retail space and having an escalator that often became a dusty decorative ornament, this crew has done fantastic work. I am awed by and thankful for them; you should be too. All teachers across America are tired-, but the BHS staff shows up and serves because they believe education is the key to changing the world.
My vision for the year is to co-create a learning environment that welcomes, serves, celebrates, enriches, and challenges all students. I invite you to join us in that endeavor.
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