Congratulations, Mrs. Woodman!

We are excited to announce that our Principal, Mrs. Jennifer Woodman, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Diocese of Cleveland’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for Catholic School Leadership!

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for Catholic School Leadership is awarded to a principal who excels in all four areas of the National Benchmarks of Effective Catholic Schools: Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, Leadership, and Operations.  To be considered for this award, a principal must meet the following criteria, which are all indicators of excellent school leadership:

1.   Principal tenure of two or more years,

2.   80% teacher retention from 2023-24 to 2024-25 school year,

3.   Academic growth of over 40% (conditional student growth percentile) in both reading and math from Spring 2023 to Spring 2024,

4.  Stable or increased enrollment over the past three years, and

5.  Principal meeting attendance over 80%.

Fourteen principals in the Diocese of Cleveland met the initial criteria and were asked to respond to a series of questions that helped the selection committee learn more about their leadership priorities, impact on their school community, and commitment to school improvement.  Questions focused on faith formation and service opportunities provided for staff and students, professional learning and leadership development opportunities the principal has participated in and made available to faculty, collaboration with other Catholic school and community leaders, collection of feedback from stakeholders and use of feedback to make improvements, and Diocesan initiatives in which the principal has participated.

A number of attributes led to the selection of Mrs. Woodman for the award.  The selection committee noted that she:

~     Demonstrates strong spiritual leadership and evangelization, in working closely with parish leadership and staff to plan meaningful spiritual experiences for the school community,

~     Demonstrates strong professional leadership and fosters professional development,

~     Creates a successful school culture for all students,

~     Exhibits willingness to listen to all constituencies and consider feedback when making decisions,

~     Shares her expertise with other Diocesan schools, including membership in the Diocesan Principal Advisory Group,

~     Collaborates with colleagues and her assigned Diocesan Keeping the Faith group,

~     Leads a dynamic administrative team with joy and humility,

~     Enthusiastically participates in Diocesan meetings and initiatives, including implementing and training others in standards-based learning,

~     Oversees a school that is among the top five in the Diocese in both academic growth and academic achievement,

~     Oversees a school in which enrollment has grown by over 70 students during the past three years,

~     Possesses devout faith, compassion and a desire to help others, and
 

~     Displays courage and grace in the face of adversity while maintaining a servant’s heart.

Mrs. Woodman received the award during the year-end Diocesan Principals’ Meeting on May 9.  Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Woodman on this honor!

Mrs. Jennifer Woodman, St. Hilary School Principal, with
Dr. Frank O'Linn, Superintendent of Schools for the
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.