With the 2012-2013 school year just getting under way, a number of the 41 Catholic elementary and seven Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois are under the leadership of new principals.
Although most of the new leaders have already been in the schools this summer preparing for the academic year, they met in Springfield on Aug. 9 for the annual new principals meeting at the Catholic Pastoral Center. Marilyn Missel, associate superintendent of Catholic schools, was one of the meeting leaders.
"Our new principals are highly qualified individuals and their energy and dedication are contagious. I look forward to working with each one of them," Missel said, after meeting all the new school leaders.
Greg Fearday
St. Anthony High School, Effingham
Greg Fearday didn't attend St. Anthony High School as a teenager, yet he believes becoming principal of the Effingham school is a little bit like coming home. "I am moving from Omaha, Neb., with my wife Molly and our children Lucy, Will and Mike," he says. "I grew up in Sigel and St. Michael Grade School which is in the Effingham area. I'm excited to be returning to one of the best communities in America."
After Fearday earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from Quincy University in 2000, he returned to the university and obtained a master's degree in education administration in 2004. Last year he completed a second master's degree, this time in secondary education from the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
Fearday was also teaching while he was attending graduate classes. For the past nine years, he has been a business teacher at Millard South High School in Omaha.
Now a member of St. Anthony Parish, Fearday will be leading a staff of 20 who teach 180 students. "I am blessed to be coming to St. Anthony High School and joining a dynamic group of teachers, students and community members," he says. "The entire Effingham area has welcomed my family.
"St. Anthony High School has been very committed to delivering a faith-filled, high quality education for many, many years," Fearday says. "I look forward to working collaboratively with our community to continue the strong tradition at St. Anthony High School."
Fearday says he believes Catholic schools can truly make a difference in the lives of young people. "This is an incredible opportunity and responsibility to be able to work in our Catholic schools. In today's culture, I think our students can benefit tremendously through their enrollment in a Catholic school," he says. "I will also have more opportunities to grow in my own faith."
Mark McDowell
Quincy Notre Dame High School, Quincy
When Mark McDowell greets students at Quincy Notre Dame High School this fall, he'll be meeting them in the same halls he last walked as a student there about 17 years ago. A parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Quincy, he is the new leader of the 395 students and 30 staff members.
After graduating from QND, McDowell went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Quincy University and then earned his master's degree in education administration from William Woods University. He has been a teacher since 1999, was principal at Central Elementary and Central Middle Schools in Camp Point/Golden from 2004-2005 and has spent the last seven years teaching eighth grade history at Quincy Junior High School.
"The Quincy Notre Dame school and family have been extremely supportive in my transition," McDowell says. "I plan on doing a lot of listening and getting a sense of who we are, what is working and what we should be working on. I hope to build our strengths, increase enrollment and expand our access to technology."
McDowell says that he knows from experience how Catholic education can help a child grow in faith. "My wife and I are both products of the Catholic system. We want our three children to have the same opportunities, if not more opportunities, to connect religion with their daily lives," he says. "Spiritual growth will ultimately prepare our children and our students for the 'road of life.'"
Mike Scholz
Father McGivney Catholic High School, Maryville
After years of planning, Father McGivney Catholic High School has opened its doors to its first freshman class — and Mike Scholz is happy to be principal of the newest Catholic high school in the Springfield diocese.
A Decatur native, Scholz has been in school administration for quite some time. He was an assistant principal in the Mahomet-Seymour schools, an associate principal and athletic director at Mt. Zion High School, and the former principal of Mascoutah High School. Most recently he was principal of St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Champaign.
The 19 students at Father McGivney will be taught by six staff members, Scholz says. Initially only freshmen will attend the school, which is currently housed in the newly-remodeled north wing of St. John Neumann Catholic School in Maryville.
Each year a new incoming group of freshmen will be added until eventually students from all four high school grades will be attending Father McGivney. The school owns land at Bouse and Old Troy Roads in Glen Carbon, the planned future site of Father McGivney Catholic High School.
"My wife and I have purchased a home in Maryville," Scholz says. "I am very excited and enthusiastic in being afforded the opportunity to start a new Catholic high school. This is an opportunity to give back to the Catholic Church and continue to serve our young future leaders."
Michelle Baalman
St. Norbert School, Hardin
Michelle Baalman is the new principal at the school where she has been teaching for nearly 15 years. "I have been at St. Norbert since 1998," she says. "I began my teaching career here at St. Norbert when my oldest child entered first grade. I have taught primarily second to fourth grades and junior high math."
A member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Hardin, Baalman has a degree in elementary education from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. At St. Norbert, she will lead a staff of eight who teach 61 students in grades K-8 and 34 preschoolers.
"I pray each day that I will be able to play an intricate part in the success and growth of our school," she says. "In these tough economic times, parents have to prioritize their families' needs. I would like to make enrolling their child at our school an easy decision and a high priority."
Catholic schools are important to youngsters, Baalman says. "I feel that a Catholic school such as St. Norbert develops the whole child. I also feel strongly that prayer must be a part of their life and their person. I want to lead a Catholic school to ensure our students receive the guidance necessary to live strong in the Catholic faith.
Brandi Borries
St. Anthony Grade School, Effingham
Brandi Borries is excited to lead a school for the first time this fall. What makes it extra special, she says, is that she will be principal of St. Anthony Grade School in Effingham.
Borries, who holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree from Eastern Illinois University, has a background in special education. She taught students with special needs at the middle school level for eight years. Most recently she spent two years as special education and Response to Intervention (RTI) coordinator for the North Clay School District.
Borries says she is looking to a special mentor for leadership pointers. "I am very fortunate to have the former principal of 25 years, Mary Lynn Byers, as my mentor. So, there will be no challenges we can't work through," she says.
"I've spent the summer preparing and I am so anxious for the students to arrive," she says. "My hope for my first year is to build trusting relationships with my staff, students and parents."
Borries had been previously approached to apply for a principal position in a public school, a move she chose not to make. "The interest in St. Anthony Grade School came from my belief in their mission statement: 'Pressing on to the goal of service to the Lord by stretching our intellect, confirming our values and living our faith.'"
On a personal note, Borries says she is pleased that her husband, Ben Borries, also has a new job. "My husband, Ben, and I have relocated to Effingham and joined St. Anthony Parish," she says. "I'm very proud to add that Ben is taking on his first administrative position this year as principal of Clay City Junior and Senior High School."
At St. Anthony, Borries will be leading a staff of about 30 staff members who are teaching 345 students.
Stacie Reichensperger
Little Flower School, Springfield
After spending 17 years as an educator in the Ball Chatham School District, Stacie Reichensperger has been named the new principal of Little Flower School. A member of Little Flower Parish, she will be leading the school where her daughter is a seventh-grader and her son attends kindergarten.
Reichensperger has her associate's degree in business from Springfield College in Illinois, her bachelor's degree in art education from Illinois State University and her master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Illinois, Springfield. In Chatham, she was a teacher, team leader and the coordinator of the district's summer school program.
"I am very excited about my new job. To be able to serve and lead such a great school community is a wonderful honor," she says. "I hope to help Little Flower School to continue to be a strong faith-based academic environment."
Reichensperger says both she and her husband attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school. "Catholic education has always been important to both my family and my husband's family," she says. "We always knew our children would go to Catholic schools. Being the principal of my children's school adds another avenue where my family can show our dedication to Catholic education."
Elaine Wagner
St. Louis School, Nokomis
It has been a few years since Elaine Wagner has been a principal, but this year she is once again looking forward to the challenge of leading a Catholic grade school.
Wagner began her career at St. Louis School in Nokomis, teaching fifth- and sixth-graders. She then continued her career at St. Isidore School in Farmersville, teaching third and fourth grade and eventually becoming the school's principal. When St. Isidore was closed, Wagner returned to St. Louis, where she has been a preK teacher for the past three years. Now she has been named principal of St. Louis School, which has a staff of eight, 78 students in grades K-8 along with 15 children in PreK classes.
Wagner, who is a member of St. Mary Parish in Farmersville, has both her bachelor's degree in elementary education and master's degree in administration from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.
"I am thrilled to begin this new journey at St. Louis School," says Wagner. "This first year at SLS I want to ensure that I am a 'visible' principal. I think this will help with my connection with students, staff, faculty and parents to help enhance and support students in their faith development and learning. I also welcome the challenges of recruiting and promoting SLS so it continues to be a viable rural Catholic school."
Like many Catholic educators, Wagner truly believes in Catholic schools. "Catholic education has always been a passion of mine. I attended a Catholic school as a child and have continued in Catholic education in my professional career to work and share with families the importance of Catholic schools.
"I look forward to being an administrator at SLS," she says, "where I hope to be able to share my passion with the parents, staff and students."