HHS Principal Welcomes New School Year "Full of Excitement"

Dr. Paula Girouard McCann will begin her 12th year as Principal on September 6, the first day of the 2011-2012 school year.

“The beginning of the school year is always full of excitement,” said McCann. “Twenty-five percent of the population is new, which will naturally bring change.”

The coming fall will bring ’s largest grade with the Class of 2015. After graduating 254 seniors this past June, the school will be welcoming 308 incoming freshman, a nearly 50 student increase.

This period of growth has been constant over the past few years, but not to such an extent that the building’s facilities are incapable of supporting it.

In addition to these new students, will be home to five new teachers beginning in September, two for both English and math and one in social studies.

As a former teacher herself, McCann is particularly familiar with the English curriculum and is enthused to welcome newcomers in this department.

“From my perspective it is nice to help them develop as teachers, especially as most are young in their careers,” said McCann.

However no endeavor is as exciting to the Principal as her return trip to China over April school vacation week.

A 16-hour plane ride will bring McCann alongside Chinese teacher Erica Dieselman-Pollard as well as several students to this exotic country in exploration of cities that include Beijing and Sian.

 McCann explained that she loves to take trips of this nature with students so they can see her in a different way outside of school.

But when inside , students can anticipate high standards from their principal.

“I expect them to put education first; that is their job now,” said McCann. “The top priority is what goes on in the classroom.”

Fortunately for McCann, parents in the town of Hingham share in this responsibility of learning. Whether it is through involvement with booster groups, or simply taking the time to meet with teachers and guidance counselors, “parents are very involved in their children’s education,” she said.

McCann came to Hingham directly from the Milton Public Schools where she had spent the entirety of her career. The decision to leave her fulfilling job as Assistant Principal came only after finding a school she believed was as good as her present position.

“Hingham is a community that values education,” said McCann.

As the Work-Study Coordinator she is able to interact with high school seniors in the placement of jobs for two or three periods in the school day. Students have the opportunity to work anywhere, both in and out of Hingham, and in the past have found employment at establishments including Staples and Hannaford.

McCann’s work is “the opportunity to affect the lives of over 1,000 kids every day.”

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