Aurora, ON – Regency Acres P.S. Principal Lisa Leoni has been selected as the recipient of the Town of Aurora’s Inclusivity Award, for her contributions to making Aurora more accessible and inclusive.
“Lisa has made a significant impact on the school community for over five years,” said Gwen Al-Kas, a parent who made the nomination on behalf of the parent community. She has worked with Leoni on a number of initiatives as a school volunteer and member of the Regency Acres P.S. School Council.
Leoni outlined her mandate for an inclusive space as soon as she was named principal at the school. In a message to parents, she said “I am committed to fostering a supportive educational environment” and “as educators, we are committed to working as partners with you and your children to create an inclusive and equitable learning culture where everyone feels safe, welcome and respected.”
She went right to work, leading a community-wide school re-visioning process. She asked every student, parent, and staff member to fill out a survey asking them what the areas they felt the school should focus on were. Some of the initiatives that were born out of this included the Farm to School Grant, where Regency Acres became one of only three schools in the province be awarded money to provide healthy, locally sourced food to students and the Regency Gives Back Fund, where the parent council gives money back to local community groups and non-profit organizations. The school is recognized by Activate Aurora as an ‘Active School’ and has been named a Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Legacy School during her tenure.
“We are all very proud of Ms. Leoni’s work and leadership at Regency Acres Public School. We are thrilled to see her recognized for her efforts in exemplifying not only what a vibrant community leader means in the Town of Aurora, but also within the York Region District School Board,” said Superintendent of Education Neil Gunathunge.
Leoni will receive her award during an online awards ceremony with Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas on June 15, 2020.
York Region District School Board is the third largest school district in Ontario with over 127,000 students in 180 elementary schools and 33 secondary schools. York Region students consistently perform above average in provincial testing and the Board is one of the top achievers in Ontario. For more information about the York Region District School Board, please visit our website: www.yrdsb.ca and follow us on Twitter: @YRDSB.
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