Saint Patrick Catholic School Announces the New Head of School

SAINT PATRICK CATHOLIC SCHOOL ANNOUNCES THE NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL

SAINT PATRICK CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ SEARCH COMMITTEE Cynthia S. Kelly, M.D., President Charles V. McPhillips, Secretary William A. Prince, Treasurer William C. Eisenbeiss, Director Michael K. Kerner, Director Pamela A. McKinney, Ed.D., Director Donald F. Price, Director Kevin M. Sweeney, RDML, USN (Ret.), Director

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Dear Members of the Saint Patrick Catholic School Community, On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Lauren Mazzari as Saint Patrick Catholic School’s next Head of School, effective July 1, 2022.

With over 25 years of experience in education, Lauren is joining us from St. Luke’s School in New York City where she has served as the Head of Upper School since 2017. Her leadership at St. Luke’s School has helped shape and advance numerous areas of the school including curriculum development, strategic planning, faculty professional development, admissions, accreditation, and diversity and inclusion programming. Lauren played an integral role in several important school initiatives, including the development of St. Luke’s advisory program, a formal curriculum review process, a more efficient and inclusive parent-teacher conference format, and more science and STEAM offerings for students.

Before her time at St. Luke’s School, Lauren enjoyed twenty years at Lacordaire Academy, an independent Catholic school in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. During her tenure at Lacordaire Academy, she served as a middle school English and religion teacher, Assistant Principal of the Elementary Division, Head of Lower and Middle School, Academy Director of Curriculum, and finally as the Assistant Head of School in her final five years at Lacordaire. Her notable impacts to the Lacordaire community ranged from raising over $250,000 to support technology initiatives to increasing the fine arts programming; and from hiring, mentoring, and evaluating faculty to marketing Lacordaire resulting in a 20% increase in enrollment.

As a leader, Lauren demonstrates intelligence, integrity, imagination, and empathy while empowering others to undertake challenges and effect change. She believes an effective Head of School furthers the mission by supporting a safe and nurturing community by leading with the question, “What best serves students and their families?” Lauren demonstrates entrepreneurial and innovative thinking that will help secure resources to support the continued growth and improvement of Saint Patrick. She looks forward to partnering with parents, faculty, staff, and students to continue growing this active and welcoming community.

Lauren’s appointment is the culmination of an intensive, invigorating, and inclusive search process supported by Carney, Sandoe & Associates. The search involved participation from many members of the Saint Patrick community over the last nine months. Through a comprehensive process in which Carney Sandoe met with members from all constituency groups and through responses to the Head of School Search Survey, the Saint Patrick community expressed its hopes for the next Head of School. This information greatly assisted the Board of Directors/Search Committee in setting priorities for the search: an enthusiastic servant leader who is committed to the intentional total formation of children; a visionary leader committed to the Glasser Quality School model of education; and an approachable leader who engages with all constituents in a joyful and respectful manner.

We were not surprised with the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from all who met Lauren. The members of the Search Committee were tremendously impressed with Lauren’s experience, qualifications, and accomplishments. Her genuine compatibility with students, faculty, staff, parents, and friends of the school reinforced the feelings of every single Search Committee member - that she would be an excellent choice to lead Saint Patrick into its next chapter of excellence.

Lauren will assume leadership of Saint Patrick Catholic School in its 18th year, following the successful tenure of founding principal, Steve Hammond, who will retire after forty-nine years in education. Under Steve’s leadership, Saint Patrick has established itself as a premiere institution in the Hampton Roads community. As the only Catholic Glasser Quality School in the country, Saint Patrick is in a “league of its own.” Steve’s visionary and compassionate leadership continues to champion the school’s mission of educating and nurturing the whole child to be a Christ-centered, compassionate, and courageous servant leader. Steve will be integral to Lauren’s transition process, thus ensuring a strong continuity of leadership.

We look forward to having Lauren on campus in the months to come and to formally welcoming Lauren, her husband, Steven, and their two grown children, Matthew James and Steven Andrew, to the Saint Patrick Catholic School community this summer.

Sincerely,

Cynthia S. Kelly, M.D. Chair, Board of Directors Chair, Head of School Search Committee 3

Dear Friends and Families of Saint Patrick Catholic School, When I reflect on my decision to join this special faith-learning community, I am reminded of a favorite piece from scripture, Ephesians 3:20. “Glory to God, whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” I don’t think either my husband Steven or I ever imagined moving to Norfolk, Virginia, but once we visited Saint Patrick Catholic School, we knew we could not have asked for a more welcoming community or a place to call home.

From the moment I stepped on campus, I felt a connection with the School’s extraordinary mission. Certainly, the beautiful, expansive campus and the state of the art facilities impressed me, but what drew me to the School from the start was the mission: Saint Patrick Catholic School educates and nurtures the whole child – mind, body, and spirit - to be a Christ-centered, compassionate, and courageous leader. As a parent, I remember searching for the ideal school that would love my two sons for who they were and what they could become. Saint Patrick is such a place.

During my visit, I witnessed the talent, dedication, and genuine warmth of the faculty and staff; and I met confident, happy children who loved their school. I look forward to working alongside these gifted teachers and young people who have already inspired me with their energy, faith, and passion for learning.

In a world so fraught with unprecedented challenges, we all need a place where heart is just as important as mind, and children don’t just learn to live with each other but for each other. I am so proud to call myself a Wolfhound and cannot wait to begin!

Warmest Wishes for the New Year,

Lauren Mazzari

Bio

Lauren Mazzari joins Saint Patrick Catholic School from St. Luke’s School in New York, New York, where she has served as the Head of Upper School since 2017, helping to shape and advance numerous areas of the school including curriculum development, INIS ENTURIT DOLUPTA EXPLIQUE CORENIENDI GA. BIT LABOREST, SEQUAM strategic planning, faculty professional development, admissions, accreditation, and diversity and inclusion programming. Prior to St. Luke’s, Lauren enjoyed a twenty year tenure at Lacordaire Academy, an independent Catholic school in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. She joined the faculty in 1997 as a Language Arts and Religion teacher, became the Assistant Principal of the Elementary Division in 2006, was named Head of Lower School/ Middle School in 2008, and took on the Assistant Head of School position in 2012. Lauren is a member of numerous professional organizations and has received many noteworthy awards. She has extensive fundraising experience and enjoys serving her community through volunteer work. She is an avid reader, a member of Kappa Gamma Pi (National Catholic Honors Society), and has even completed the Marine Corps Marathon. As a leader, Lauren demonstrates intelligence, integrity, imagination, and empathy, while empowering others to undertake challenges and effect change.

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“The opportunity to serve as Saint Patrick’s Head of School is compelling for many reasons: its prestigious reputation, its Catholic mission as supported by Glasser’s Choice Theory, and its structure as a PreK to 8 school. I enthusiastically support Catholic education for the value it places on faith, academics, and family and believe a PreK to 8 school provides unique opportunities for leadership, character development, and service.” ~ Lauren Mazzari Academic Credentials Caldwell University Masters of Arts in Educational Administration Montclair State University Post Baccalaureate for Teaching Certification in English K-12 Georgetown University Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Professional Experience St. Luke’s School - New York, New York Head of Upper School (Grades 5-8) Lacordaire Academy - Upper Montclair, New Jersey Assistant Head of School Head of Lower/Middle School & Academy Director of Curriculum Assistant Principal of Elementary Division English Literature/Language Arts and Religion Teacher Dwight School – New York, New York English and Ancient History Teacher Writers Room of Montclair – Montclair, New Jersey Consultant & Trainer American Juvenile Diabetes Foundation – National Headquarters, New York, New York Grant Writer & Coordinator of Local and National Fundraising Leukemia Society of America – National Headquarters, New York, New York Grant Writer & Coordinator of Local and National Chapters

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MISSION Saint Patrick Catholic School educates and nurtures the whole child – mind, body, and spirit – to be a Christ-centered, compassionate, and courageous servant leader.

1000 Bolling Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23508 (757) 440-5500 www.stpcs.org