Jennifer Armstrong

Head of School

Jennifer Armstrong became Head of School at Balmoral Hall on August 1, 2025. 

She brings senior leadership experience from a wide range of accredited independent schools in Canada (CAIS) and Europe (CIS).

Most recently, she served as Principal of the Primary School at La Châtaigneraie, International School of Geneva (Ecolint), where she spent 15 years expanding programs, developing a dual-language model, and leading a large faculty and staff as Campus Principal. In this capacity, she was also appointed as Designated Safeguarding Lead by the Foundation of International School of Geneva (Ecolint).

Before her time in Geneva, Jennifer taught at Sterling Hall School in Toronto and later became Vice-Principal and then Principal of the Junior School at Bishop Strachan School, a leading Canadian girls’ school. A graduate of an all-girls high school herself, she brings a deep understanding of girls’ education. She is also a published expert in Reggio-inspired learning, which informs her inquiry-based approach and aligns with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). 

Her background reflects a lifelong commitment to inclusion, equity, and internationalism, shaped by early experiences in Northern Ontario and further developed through her work with diverse student populations and international organizations.

Jennifer brings collaborative energy, extensive experience, and a global perspective to Balmoral Hall School.

Katie Hall Hursh, LLB

P ’35 & ’37, Chair, Board of Directors,

Balmoral Hall School Foundation

In her current role as Vice President, Katie is a member of the executive team for The Megill-Stephenson Company Limited, overseeing portfolio growth for its group of companies, which range from large-scale real estate development to healthcare to automotive sales. 
  
In addition to serving as Chair of the boards of directors for Balmoral Hall School Foundation and Health Sciences Centre Foundation, she is an advisor to Flora Fertility, a direct-to-consumer insurance solution start-up for fertility and women’s health as well as a limited partner of the Women’s Equity Lab (WEL) in Manitoba, a women-led investment fund focusing on providing funding to early stage businesses. 
  
Recently, Katie chaired two successful fundraising campaigns: one to fund bursaries for girls of promise at Balmoral Hall School; and the other in support of improved emergency gynecological care at Winnipeg’s Women’s Hospital. 
  
As a mother of three young children, she is deeply committed to supporting causes and business initiatives that seek to improve our future. 
 
As the very proud mom to two young daughters who attend Balmoral Hall School, Katie admires the culture of warmth and inclusiveness and a commitment to excellence in raising our next generation of leaders. Attending the International Women’s Day assemblies at BH underscores just how special the Balmoral Hall School community is. Katie shares, “I was moved to further commit to doing all that I can to help as we pull together towards a common purpose.” 
 
“My involvement with Balmoral Hall School Foundation has provided me with innumerable opportunities to collaborate with other volunteers, donors, and staff, all of whom are dedicated, brilliant, and passionate supporters of Balmoral Hall School and our children. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to work with them.” 

Carla Goncalo, CPA, CA

’01, Chair, Board of Governors

Carla Goncalo ’01 graduated from University of Manitoba and is a member of Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Manitoba.

She has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the audit and assurance practice for more than 10 years with clients including large public companies, medium- to large-sized privately owned companies, and not-for-profits.  

Carla joined our Board of Governors in 2016, and was appointed Chair in Summer 2025. She recalls her own positive experiences as an alumna of Balmoral Hall School. 

“As BH girls, we have long been inspired by ‘Pursuing Excellence,’ but over the years Balmoral Hall School has followed its own vision of Meliora Petens, further empowering girls as their learning opportunities are rooted in caring, creativity, and innovation,” Carla imparts. “Providing an inspiring education that is also experiential develops the whole self.”