Canyon School Welcomes New Principal

On Aug. 12 youngsters in Pacific Palisades will strap on their backpacks and head to Canyon Elementary School where new principal Nicole Sheard will be waiting to greet them.

“I would never want to work at a school where I don’t know every kid,” Sheard said of her first-day plans to visit each classroom and introduce herself.

Becoming a familiar face among the children, parents and teachers is of the utmost importance to the newcomer who says that doing so will not only encourage a close-knit campus, but also help to keep the grounds safe.

“My number-one priority is safety,” Sheard said. “I will make sure I’m visible and out during traffic and playground times. I want to make sure everyone knows to report to me if they see any unsafe conditions.”

Sheard had been a teacher at Palisades Elementary School for several years when her supervisor recognized her leadership potential and started to give her administrative responsibilities.

“I realized at that point how much I liked stepping outside of the classroom,” Sheard said. “I loved working with kids but I also loved working with the teachers and the parents. I wanted to be able to reach more people.”

Sheard taught at Pali Elementary for 10 years, served as assistant principal at a few area schools for four years and was principal at Topanga Elementary from 2010 to 2014. With her son set to start kindergarten in Mar Vista this fall, Sheard was encouraged by Canyon’s previous principal Joyce Dara to go for the position closer to home.

Sheard fondly recalled her first impressions of Canyon.

“For years, I would climb to the top of the Santa Monica stairs and say, ‘That’s the cutest school. I’d love to work there,’” she said.

That “cute” school is also an academically superior institution of learning. In standardized testing in LAUSD, Canyon ranks as having the highest academic performance index in a K-5 configuration.

Canyon is also known for some of its popular events, including the Pumpkin Patch, Fall Book Fair, the annual Holiday Mercado and the Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Sheard is well aware, however, that the job also comes with challenges, including occasionally handling behavior problems. She is confident in her abilities to help kids cope.

“There is always a reason behind a kid acting out,” Sheard said. “I take a positive approach to discipline and find the ‘why’ behind kids’ behaviors, then give them the tools to deal with their feelings. Kids don’t want to be ‘bad.’”

Sheard can relate to students experiencing emotional distress and acting out as a result. She freely admits that she had a rocky time in school herself. It is this surprising fact that she hopes will help her connect with struggling students.

“I had a very hard time in school and struggled academically and socially,” Sheard said. “If I could teach a child one thing it would be to be respectful always – of themselves, of others and their environment.”

Sheard is excited to be part of an environment where students can learn, be supported and have fun.

“I’m really looking forward to being part of this school community,” she said.