A veteran teacher at a private school has been appointed as its new principal.

Anna Faria-Machado, who joined Mount St Agnes Academy as a Grade 6 teacher in 1999, takes over from Sue Moench, who served in the post for 14 years.

Ms Faria-Machado said it was an honour to be picked to lead a school with a rich tradition of Catholic education.

She said: “Along with the teachers and staff, I will strive to continue the legacy of success established at MSA while preparing the school to enter its next chapter.

“It is our commitment to provide our students with a premier education forming the foundation for a lifetime of success.”

Ms Faria-Machado is backed by Kim Raymond, the deputy principal, and Christopher Tannock, the assistant principal, who are also new to their roles.

The school said the new leadership team was focused on preparing pupils to be the “innovators, entrepreneurs and digital leaders of tomorrow”.

The team is also looking at the introduction of new courses as part of its Alberta curriculum.

Middle school pupils have seen the introduction of a Passion Project course, where they can choose an area of interest and produce a project in line with their individual learning styles.

Ms Faria-Machado said: “Our plan aims to facilitate inquiry and wonder.

“At MSA, we foster empathetic relationships between the students and the teachers that allow learning to occur at all levels.”

Ms Faria-Machado said the Covid-19 pandemic had caused problems but the school staff had worked to overcome them.

She added: “I cannot say enough about the excellence of our staff.

“The children have also been so resilient, they are flexible and adaptable to the protocols that allow us to keep the core parts of our school operating safely in the face of Covid challenges.”

The appointment is the latest in a series of changes in the island’s private education sector.

Julie Rousseau, from Canada, is to replace Deryn Lavell as head teacher at Saltus and Linda Parker will retire as the Bermuda High School head in 2023.