By Barbara McArdle, Assistant Superintendent for Principal Professional Development

With the start of the 2015-2016 school year, newly appointed principals are preparing to meet their school communities and to assume the diverse and challenging role of leadership. New administrators or those who are new to schools/academies within the Diocese of Brooklyn are required to participate in the St. Frances Cabrini Leadership Institute, a three-year program that culminates with a professional development certificate granted by Fordham University.

The purpose of the St. Frances Cabrini Leadership Institute is to provide training, mentoring, and professional services on a regular basis for new school leaders. This mandated program anticipates the needs of the novice administrator to develop the required leadership standards: to strengthen Catholic Identity, to encourage student achievement through instructional leadership and supervision of teachers and to promote the educational programs within the school/academy. The Cabrini Institute strives to enable principals to strongly exercise spiritual and academic leadership in the Catholic elementary school/academy while reflecting the skills necessary for success in promoting the mission and vision of Catholic education within the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Newly appointed principals within the diocese are currently participating in the St. Frances Cabrini Leadership Institute. The newly appointed principals are:

Good Shepherd Catholic Academy — John O’Brien

Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy — Patricia Winters

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy — Ronald Martorelli

St. Agatha School — Maximo Catala

St. Brigid Catholic Academy — Catrina Rocco

St. Ephrem School — John Taormina

St. Stanislaus Kostka School — Barbara DeMaio