By Barbara McArdle

With the start of the 2014-2015 school year, newly appointed principals are preparing to meet their school communities and to assume the diverse and challenging role of leadership within the Diocese of Brooklyn.

New principals, or those who are new to 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 Cabrini Institute is to provide training, mentoring and professional services on a regular basis for new principals.

This mandated program anticipates the needs of the novice administrator: to implement the requirements of the leadership standards, to encourage student achievement and to improve and advance the educational program within the school/academy while strengthening Catholic identity.

The St. Frances Cabrini Institute strives to enable principals to strongly exercise spiritual and academic leadership in the Catholic elementary schools/academies reflecting the skills necessary for success in promoting the mission and vision of Catholic education within the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The newly appointed principals participating in the St. Frances Cabrini Leadership Institute are: Lynn Alaimo, St. Gregory the Great School; Brian Colomban, St. Pancras School; Danielle Gonzalez, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy; Marian Hernandez, Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy; Victor Lana, Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy; Robert Lowenberg, St. Nicholas of Tolentine School; Marybeth McManus, Ave Maria Catholic Academy; Lisa Ross, St. Brigid Catholic Academy; Meghan Sarno, Our Lady of Grace School; and Joseph Venticinque, Our Lady of the Snows School.

 

Two additional principals have been re-positioned. Kathleen Bollinger has been appointed principal at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy. Sheila Smith-Gonzalez has been appointed principal at St. Camillus Catholic Academy.

The Office of the Superintendent – Catholic School Support Services is also pleased to announce that 10 schools have made the transition to the academy model. The new academies within the diocese are: Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy, Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, Our Lady of the Angelus Catholic Academy, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy of Brooklyn, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy, St. Camillus Catholic Academy, St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy, St. Helen Catholic Academy, St. Mel Catholic Academy and St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy.

Finally, four new staff members are joining the Office of the Superintendent: Dr. Elizabeth Frangella, associate superintendent for curriculum; Joan McMaster, associate superintendent for teacher and principal personnel; Michael Greiner, coordinator of educational technology and data, and Yinet Liriano, assistant to the superintendent.

Barbara McArdle is assistant superintendent for principal professional development.