A lot is happening in the educational forefront of the Diocese of Charleston, from new buildings to technological advances.
Check out what’s new in schools.
New buildings:
COLUMBIA—Cardinal Newman School has been given permission by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone to implement the next phase of pre-construction work in preparation for its new campus on Alpine Road. The projected date to have the school completed and ready for students is Fall 2015.
CHARLESTON—Charleston Catholic continues construction on their new building. Completion is projected for December and school officials hope to move into the new facility over Christmas break.
OKATIE—Construction is ongoing at John Paul II Catholic School with an expected completion date in November or December.
TAYLORS—Prince of Peace school received permission from the diocese to move forward with a school expansion project.
New in the classroom:
St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville introduced varsity lacrosse and a full-service cafeteria.
Prince of Peace in Taylors formed a soccer program for students at all age levels through U12.
Tablets are in even more schools this year, including St. Francis in Hilton Head and St. Anne in Rock Hill, which both instituted a program for its middle school students. Also, St. Joseph’s in Greenville is looking into it for Fall 2014.
St. Joseph in Columbia upgraded their technology to include two Promethean Boards, SMART Boards in every classroom, an Active Vision Table, a set of 32 interactive student response systems, and more.
St. Michael in Murrells Inlet opened a half-day class for 3-year-olds to help prepare students for kindergarten.
New School Choice Bill:
SOUTH CAROLINA—School choice is one step closer to becoming a law.
Supporters finally saw a piece of legislation pass the House and Senate, making South Carolina the most recent state to offer some form of choice, although it is limited in scope and offered on a trial basis.
The program is restricted to special-needs students only. The House version of the bill included low-income children, but that allowance was stripped in a compromise with the Senate.
Jacqualine Kasprowski, diocesan associate director for secondary education, explained that school choice passed as a proviso, which means the state will try it for a year and then vote on it again.
“I would hope with this first piece of legislation — and other states started this way — that we will be able to demonstrate to the legislature that we are handling it well and that will encourage them to broaden their perspective,” she said.
New titles:
The diocesan Office of Education made some changes in the titles of their leadership to more accurately describe their associated duties.
Sister Pamela Smith, a Sister of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, now has the title of secretary of education and faith formation, while Sandra Leatherwood’s title was altered to director of catholic education.
New principals:
Christ Our King-Stella Maris, Mount Pleasant:
Susan Splendido
Splendido served as principal of St. Patrick school in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. She has a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in education administration.
St. Anne, Rock Hill:
Shaileen Riginos
Riginos served as the assistant principal of St. Anne last year and was a fifth-grade teacher there. She has also worked in public schools as a teacher and administrator for over 17 years. She has a bachelor’s in elementary education and a master’s in education leadership.
St. Anthony, Florence:
Michael Ryan
Ryan was the principal of St. Andrew Elementary School in Charleston and has 18 years of experience in education. He has a bachelor’s in history/education, a master’s in human relations and an Ed.S. in education administration. He retired from the U.S. Army as an airborne infantry officer.
St. Gregory the Great, Bluffton:
Chris Trott
Trott served as the Catholic schools assistant superintendent for the Diocese of Savannah for the past two years, and prior to that was principal of St. Peter in Beaufort for three years. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s in education with a focus on Catholic school administration.
St. Mary, Greenville:
Sister Mary Sheila Maksim
Sister Mary Sheila has served as principal of Catholic schools in New Orleans and Cincinnati. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in administration in the ACE Leadership program at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
St. Michael, Garden City:
Shauna Schubiger
Schubiger served as principal of Park Avenue Elementary in New Jersey and has about 12 years experience in education. She has a bachelor’s in graphic design/art education and a master’s in tech education and education leadership.
Bishop England High School, Charleston:
Patrick Finneran
Finneran was principal of Catholic Central School in Ohio for the past two years, and assistant principal and athletic director of St. Joseph Central in West Virginia. He has a bachelor’s degree in management with an emphasis on finance and a master’s in educational leadership and administration.
John Paul II Catholic School, Ridgeland:
Christine Paul
Paul was appointed principal last year to help the school through its final stages of fundraising and construction. She has more than 20 years of experience. Her bachelor’s is in business education, plus a master’s in administration and curriculum.
New exhibit:
The Diocese of Charleston’s Office of Archives and Records Management is offering an exhibit that explores 123 years of Catholic education in South Carolina. Visit https://dioceseofcharleston.omeka.net/exhibits/show/back_to_school.