Allan A. Greenleaf Welcomes Italian Principal for Exchange

Allan A. Greenleaf Principal Susanna Costa-Popovich (R) welcomes Italian Principal Rosalia Natalizi-Baldi on exchange this week.

BY ROB FAULKNER

Allan A. Greenleaf elementary had a bit more gusto than usual this week as the Waterdown school welcomed a principal from a town near fashion-famous Milan, Italy.

No, regular principal Susanna Costa-Popovich didn’t go anywhere. Yet.

But Greenleaf’s regular principal has been chosen as one of 10 Ontario principals participating in the Ontario-Italy Global Principal Partnership. Her exchange counterpart arrived this week.

With school assembly, Greenleaf welcomed Rosalia Natalizi-Baldi, Principal of I. C. Villasanta in Lombardia, Italy. She will stay with the Popovich family from Dec. 5-12. Costa-Popovich will travel to Italy during March Break, where Natalizi-Baldi will return the hospitality.

HWDSB educators will get to know Natalizi-Baldi as she attends meetings and gets to know local educators.

The Ontario Principal’s Council explains that the Global Principal Partnerships program offers self-directed educational experiences with an international coaching partner. Many participants call it the “best professional learning in their careers.”

The duo will be learning alongside each other at various HWDSB schools and organizational leadership meetings. But they will also sample some social and cultural events: theatre in Toronto, shopping at the Eaton’s Centre, a visit to the Italian consulate, a Christmas party and more.

“I wanted to provide Rosalia with a rich, authentic, fun Canadian experience,” Costa-Popovich said of the self-funded exchange.

This will be Natalizi-Baldi’s first trip to Canada; Costa-Popovich’s parents were born in Southern Italy. She’s excited to know that this March Break she will visit Villasanta, a town of 13,000 just 20 km northeast of Milan and a part of Italy she has never visited.

Costa-Popovich will be tweeting this adventure at @costapopovi.