The Renfrew County Catholic District School Board announced the upcoming retirement of two long-standing principals as of June 30, 2017.
John Leitch, Principal at St. Francis of Assisi in Petawawa, and Randy Bissonnette, Principal at Our Lady of Lourdes in Pembroke are both stepping down after serving many years with the Board.
Principal Leitch has had a 39-year career in education, 25 of those years at RCCDSB. He served as a high school teacher, department head and vice-principal, as well as principal at St. John Bosco in Barry’s Bay before moving to St. Francis of Assisi.
Principal Leitch stated “These last 25 years have found me in the company of an extraordinary group of professional educators who have devoted their lives to educating children and creating caring, compassionate, loving and hardworking members of society. I have enjoyed every aspect of my career, especially the children.”
Principal Bissonnette will leave behind a 32-year career in education, including 28 years at RCCDSB in various teaching and supervisory roles. Before becoming principal at Our Lady of Lourdes in 2010, he was principal at Our Lady of Sorrows in Petawawa for five years.
In his letter of retirement Bissonnette conveyed his gratitude to the RCCDSB team and said “As a Renfrew County Catholic teacher and principal, I am proud of the many ways I was able to help students and provide opportunities for them to experience success.”
Dave Howard, RCCDSB Chair, expressed the Board’s appreciation for the dedication and contributions of Leitch and Bissonnette over the years. “Both John and Randy have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the Board, their colleagues, and students and they will be greatly missed. We wish them all the best for their futures.”
Michele Arbour, RCCDSB Director of Education, said the process to find their replacements will begin later this spring.
March 30, 2017
For further information, please contact:
Michele Arbour, Director of Education
Renfrew County Catholic District School Board
499 Pembroke Street West
Pembroke, ON K8A 5P1
Phone: 613-735-1031 or 1-800-267-0191
