Area Catholic Schools Blessed with New Leaders

Bishop Dewane Names Five New Principals for the Diocese of Venice

By Karen Barry Schwarz, Special to the Florida Catholic 

Five area Catholic schools will begin the academic year with a new principal at the helm. Bishop Frank J. Dewane has recently named school principals at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School, Venice; St. Ann Catholic School, Naples; St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Port Charlotte; St. Andrew Catholic School, Cape Coral; and St. Catherine Catholic School, Sebring.

“The Diocese of Venice is blessed to have new principals with not only extensive Catholic school leadership experience, but also such great enthusiasm for the faith,” said Bishop Dewane. “I believe these are the leaders who will help our Catholic school students learn to cultivate every dimension of their lives for the glory of God.”

“We look for educational leaders who themselves are exemplary Catholic role models, bearing witness to the Gospel every day,” added Rev. John Belmonte, S.J., Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Venice. “In addition to providing an excellent academic experience, these new principals will help our students to be formed as disciples of Christ, in an unapologetically Catholic environment.”

Three of the newly appointed principals are new to Florida, while two have been promoted from within the Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools.

Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School’s new principal Deacon Michael Pipitone comes to Venice from Wisconsin, where he was principal at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Middleton. Deacon Pipitone has 23 years of Catholic School experience, as both a teacher and principal, and is a Permanent Deacon, ordained to the Diaconate in the Diocese of Rockford in 2018.  He is also a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus.

St. Ann Catholic School in Naples new principal Micah O’Connor joins St. Ann’s from West Virginia, where she was principal of Our Lady of Fatima School. Ms. O’Connor has more than 16 years of combined education experience as a teacher and principal.

Amy Barron joins St. Charles Borromeo in Port Charlotte from New York City, where she served as both a Catholic School teacher and principal for the last 23 years, most recently as Principal at St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, NY.

“I believe that children are our greatest gifts from God,” said Mrs. Barron. “They are tomorrow’s big thinkers, problem solvers and leaders. I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life with my family here in Florida and to serve the St. Charles Borromeo School and community. It is my goal to enable the children to stay grounded in their faith yet reach for the stars.”

Two of the new principals were named from within the Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools. St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral will be led by Bambi Giles, who has extensive Catholic School teaching experience, and has served as St. Andrew’s assistant principal for the last seven years. Steven Cullipher will take the reins as interim principal at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring, where he has been a teacher for the last six years, and a parishioner for 10.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with Father Jose, the outstanding team of faculty and staff of St. Catherine Catholic School, and to be able to serve them and the students and families of our student community,” said Cullipher.

Four of the five schools with new leadership serve children in grades pre-K through 8th; St. Ann’s teaches Kindergarten through 8th.  The five schools represent only a third of the Catholic schools within the Diocese of Venice, which serve about 6,000 students in 15 schools, pre-K through 12th grade.

Catholic education in Florida has grown radically over the last decade, due most recently and in part to the state’s School Choice program, and Diocese of Venice Catholic schools have enjoyed the largest enrollment growth of any Diocese in Florida. All 15 Diocese of Venice Catholic schools are at capacity, many with waiting pools.

According to the National Catholic Education Association’s (NCEA) United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2023 – 2024: Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing report, current numbers indicate that Catholic school enrollment is steady, and families continue to send their children to Catholic schools even when they move from one region of the country to another.

“Catholic schools continue the legacy that has characterized Catholic education for generations,” reported the NCEA. “Academic excellence, a strong sense of community and a faith-filled education for students nationwide.”

Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School, Venice – Deacon Michael Pipitone

Deacon Michael Pipitone joins Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School with 23 years of Catholic school experience, both as a teacher and principal at the elementary and high school levels.  Most recently he was Principal at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Middleton, Wisconsin in the Madison Diocese. Deacon Pipitone earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota.  He was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois where he began his teaching career at Marian Catholic High School. He is a Permanent Deacon, ordained to the Diaconate in the Rockford Diocese in 2018. He holds a certificate in Bioethics from Holy Apostles College, Connecticut, and is presently completing his Doctorate in Theology from Pontifex University. Deacon Pipitone is married to Jeanna (22 years) and has three children: twin sons, Michael Joe and Luke, who are college sophomores, and daughter Gianna who will be a high school freshman in the fall. In addition to his educational accomplishments and academic pursuits, Deacon Pipitone is a fourth degree Knight of Columbus and a former dairy farmer which is where he says he learned the value of hard work.

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Port Charlotte – Amy Barron

As a product of Catholic schools, Amy has dedicated most of her career to Catholic education within the Diocese of Brooklyn in New York, where she served for more than 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rider University (NJ, 1996), a Master of Education (Queens College, 2001), and a Master of Education Leadership from Fordham University (Bronx, NY 2018). Amy began teaching 5th grade at St. Brigid School in Brooklyn, NY where she taught science and religion. After nine years at St. Brigid, Amy moved up to teaching on the high school level and for the next 13 years taught biology, psychology and anatomy at St. Joseph High School, an all-girls Catholic high school also in Brooklyn, NY. While at St. Joseph High School, Amy served as Student Advisory Facilitator, Science Department Chairperson, Dean of Faculty, and eventually Assistant Principal. In 2019, Amy took on the Principal role at St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, NY where she served for the past five years. Amy has been married for 20 years and met her husband while working at Brigid School (he was the physical education teacher). The Barrons have two teenage daughters (18 and 15). She loves baseball and animals and is looking forward to her family’s new life in Florida.

St. Ann Catholic School, Naples – Micah O’Connor

Micah O’Connor has more than 16 years of combined experience as a teacher and principal. Having previously served as Principal of Our Lady Fatima in Huntington, West Virginia for six successful years, Ms. O’Connor has a proven track record of fostering academic growth and creating a supportive learning environment. Before assuming the Principal role, Ms. O’Connor spent a decade as a dedicated teacher, shaping students’ minds and instilling a love for learning. Ms. O’Connor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education, and a Certification in School Principalship from Marshall University, demonstrating a commitment to ongoing professional development and leadership excellence.

St. Andrew Catholic School, Cape Coral – Bambi Giles

Bambi Giles has served as Assistant Principal for seven years at St. Andrew Catholic School and has extensive teaching experience including roles as fifth-grade teacher, middle school English/language arts teacher, and Resource Coordinator. Bambi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education with a minor in Health Education from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University.

 

St. Catherine Catholic School, Sebring – Steven Cullipher

After a successful career in the theatre and television lighting industry, Steven Cullipher retired from the lighting industry in 2014 and relocated to Sebring and began attending St. Catherine Parish. He attended South Florida State College, receiving an Associate Bachelor of Arts degree, Summa Cum Laude, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management. While attending South Florida State College, he began his career in education, progressing from AVID tutor, to substitute teacher, to instructional paraprofessional, and finally to elementary teacher. In 2018, Fr. Jose Gonzalez, V.F. expressed the need for a third-grade teacher for St. Catherine Catholic School and Mr. Cullipher answered the call. While teaching third grade at St. Catherine, he completed his Master of Education in Educational Leadership at the American College of Education and has served the last three years as Assistant Principal. Mr. Cullipher and his wife have two adult children, one granddaughter, with another granddaughter on the way. Mr. Cullipher states, “I am honored to for the opportunity to work with Father Jose, the outstanding team of faculty and staff of St. Catherine Catholic School, and to be able to serve them and the students and families of our school community.”

Principals named to schools in Sarasota and Ave Maria

Bishop Frank J. Dewane and the Diocese of Venice Office of Catholic Education has announced the naming of new principals at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota and Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria.

Mari Jo Hanson has been named as the new principal of St. Martha, while Dr. Marc Snyder assumed the same position at Donahue Academy, both effective July 1, 2023. Hanson and Snyder had been serving as assistant principals prior to their appointments.

“We are fortunate to have two new principals of such high caliber join us in our Catholic school mission in the Diocese of Venice,” said Father John Belmonte, SJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education. “Both Dr. Synder and Mrs. Hanson come to us with deep faith, extensive educational experiences and considerable administrative skills. Their previous service as assistant principals at their respective schools will help make the transition to new leadership seamless.”

A national search was conducted for these key positions and applications were received from around the state and across the country. Father Belmonte explained how fortunate the Diocese is to have two candidates with exceptional leadership, exemplary educational experience and strong Catholic values and vision already here. “We were delighted to find that, after a nationwide search, the perfect candidates were already within our Catholic school system.”

Hanson’s distinguished career includes more than 11 years of experience as a principal or assistant principal in both public and Catholic school settings. She served as the principal of St. Clement School in Chicago, Illinois where she led the school to its first National Blue-Ribbon School award in the school’s 100-year history. She is an award-winning teacher with experience in middle school math, science, and language arts. Hanson holds a B.S. in Finance and a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning from DePaul University, and has completed doctoral level coursework in educational policy, organization and leadership at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

“St. Martha’s has such a proud tradition providing the highest quality in Catholic education in Sarasota. I look forward to this exciting opportunity,” said Hanson.

Snyder spent his early career teaching middle and high school science and became one of the founding faculty members of Donahue, where he taught and was Assistant Head of School from 2007 to 2013. “I loved that Donahue was a Catholic, classical school. You don’t find that combination very often.”

Snyder went on to become the founding Upper School Principal of Aquinas American School in Madrid, Spain. He returned to the United States in 2015 to accept a role as founding Headmaster of True North Classical Academy in Miami, where he helped grow the school from 180 students to more than 1,700. He returned to Donahue in 2021 as assistant principal. Snyder has several degrees including a B.S. in Biology from Florida Atlantic University, a B.S. of Philosophy from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, a master’s degree in K-12 Educational Leadership, and a Doctorate in Higher Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He is currently pursuing a second Master’s in Character Education from the University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues in London, England.

“Living and working in Ave is very much a vocational calling for me and my family,” Snyder said. “I really want Donahue to be the beacon that other Catholic, classical schools turn to as the model.”

About St. Martha

St. Martha School, established in 1950, was the first school to offer a Catholic school education in Sarasota. St. Martha Catholic School is one of the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Venice, and is under the direction of Father George Suszko, SAC, Pastor of St. Martha Parish. For more information about St. Martha Catholic School, please visit http://www.stmarthaschool.net/.

About the Donahue Academy

Founded in 2007 as an independent private school in Ave Maria, Donahue Academy is a Pre-K-12 classical, Catholic school and is under the direction of Father David Vidal, Pastor of Ave Maria Parish. The school has been part of Diocese of Venice since 2017. For more information about Donahue Academy, please visit http://www.donahueacademy.org/.

Catholic culture key to successful school year

The excitement is building as the faculty and staff at the 15 Diocese of Venice Catholic schools prepare lesson plans and decorate classrooms for the start of the 2023-2024 Academic Year on Aug. 9, 2023.

More than 100 new teachers were welcomed during a July 31 orientation session at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice presented by the Diocesan Office of Catholic Education, with Superintendent Father John Belmonte, SJ, and Jennifer Falestiny, Director of Curriculum. The large number of new teachers is due to increased enrollment at every Diocesan Catholic school.

Father Belmonte stressed the need for the new employees to be “Catholic School Culture” advocates in whatever role they may have in the different schools. A “Catholic School Culture” is the vision, values, systems, language, expectations, behaviors, and beliefs that increase a school’s and Diocese’s chances of accomplishing the strategy of fulfilling its mission: to introduce the world to its Savior.

Throughout the day, the new teachers learned about the Diocese and the crucial role they will play in helping to build up the faith-life of the students and families with whom they will interact. The group comes to the Diocese of Venice Catholic schools with a wide variety of personal and professional experiences and skills. A few in the group are new to teaching and were joyfully welcomed. Still others have many years of experience.

Being a Catholic educator is no easy task in a culture where there are countless messages that are contrary to the Faith; that anything goes, and nothing matters. This, Father continued, makes it increasingly difficult to get out the message of our Catholic traditions, values and faith into the world.

“In your classroom, in your school, in your heart; everything is sacred. Everything is given to us by God. It all has value. “That is what we believe. That is what we teach our children. We teach them customs and boundaries because we know that is what is needed to make the classroom and world function,” Father said “You are the solution to the bigger cultural problem. You may not be aware of that but by teaching and giving the children the order, discipline and love that they need, it is going to eliminate the understanding in the culture that anything goes, and nothing matters.”

Falestiny explained that the Diocesan Catholic schools “do things better than other school systems. We have lots of programs and procedures in place that might seem overwhelming but is actually great and you will get it eventually.”

The new teachers join the Diocese at a time of record enrollment at each school, with extensive waitlists at several with final numbers expected to exceed 5,100.

In preparation for the new school year, there was also a gathering of the Diocesan Catholic school principals which took place July 28, at St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers. There the leaders shared their successes and challenges in the categories of enrollment, “Catholic School Culture,” budgeting, hiring, facilities and student achievement.

The enrollment numbers and other improvement projects taking place at many of the schools were a focus of much of the discussion.

Father Belmonte also updated the principals on the upcoming Diocesan-wide devotional project which will kick off in the fall. This year the devotional project will focus on the Blessed Virgin Mary. This project helps develop the devotional lives of the students in the classroom and by extension in their family.

This is done through lessons from 8th grade leaders in the elementary schools and in the high schools there will be a broader dive into the role of Our Lady in the Church and the various apparitions which have occurred throughout the world. In addition, there is an art competition for the devotional project, where students will be encouraged to produce artwork based on our Catholic artistic tradition around Our Lady.

“The 15-week project is intended to bring to our students a deeper awareness and more ardent love of Our Lady,” Father Belmonte said.

The 15 Diocesan Catholic schools work conscientiously to provide Christ-centered learning experiences that are transportable to the real world and provide the opportunity for children to develop life-long learning skills and to be successful beyond the classroom.

During the orientation, the new teachers also took part in Diocesan Safe Environment training and learned about their employee benefits, risk management, workplace safety, certification process, as well as about standard and ethical conduct.

All Diocesan Catholic schools will open the week of Aug. 8. For more information about Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/offices/offices-departments/education/.

Diocesan principals gather

Principals from the 15 Catholic schools of the Diocese of Venice gathered for a Principal’s Institute on Aug. 26, 2022, at St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers.

During this gathering, which was led by Jesuit Father John Belmonte, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education, and included presentations by Jennifer Falestiny, Diocesan Curriculum Specialist, a broad spectrum of topics was covered.

Among items discussed were presenting a vision for excellence in Catholic schools, updates on enrollment efforts, curriculum standards and additional initiatives and updates on devotional projects that will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The day began with prayer, followed by an exercise called “Sword-of-Excited.” This was when the principals had the opportunity to share/brag to their colleagues about all of the new and exciting things taking place at their respective schools.

Chief among the excitement was the increased enrollment, with some schools seeing record numbers. Schools have been creative in accommodating the larger numbers through the renovation of classrooms and open spaces or by rethinking the usage of what exists to accommodate a new, more progressive and engaging learning environment while remaining centered in Christ. As a result of the higher enrollment, several schools expanded existing bus service, while one school started a new service as a way to better serve the needs of the students as well as the parents.

In areas where a classroom or area was getting worn down after years of use, upgrades were made, often allowing for a greater use of technology and installation of new desks and study areas. Several principals reported aesthetic improvements as well, including new exterior paint and upgrades to outdoor areas used for play, dining and other activities. Other improvements included new interior or exterior paint jobs.

A key focus of the meeting was to review with the principals the vision of Catholic education in the Diocese. The principals will then pass along that knowledge to school faculty and staff.

As part of the vision for excellence the principals were called to continue efforts to promote a vibrant Catholic culture, cultivate leadership, create and implement a strategic plan, support unity in mission, enhance communication, make data-driven decisions, place Gospel focus on greatest needs and most vulnerable, and much more.

Falestiny spoke about curricular standards, improving structural methodology, as well as developing Catholic culture, academic, and professional goals at each school.

Another focus was on the STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) curriculum. This curriculum, guided by “The Gifts of Christ: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Affability, Fortitude, Humility, and Prudence,” grew out of a robotics program, and has expanded to enhance the spiritual and academic opportunities for all Diocese of Venice Catholic school students.

This STREAM approach, fully supported through the generosity of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, places students ahead of the curve in primary fields while continuing to promote core Catholic virtues by helping students to develop cognitive thought processes and gain skills such as leadership, communication, complex problem solving, teamwork and creativity. Falestiny stressed the need for all teachers to be implementing parts of the core curriculum with STREAM-based projects and lessons.

Father Belmonte celebrated Mass for the group and later introduced the idea of a new devotional project which will center on the Holy Eucharist. The goal of this project, which will be starting by October, will help students learn about the Blessed Sacrament in an age-appropriate way and help them understand why this Real Presence is the source and summit of the Catholic Faith. This is undertaken in keeping with the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year grassroots effort of the U.S. Bishops to increase a devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Several Diocesan events are in the planning stages as part of this national effort.

New Superintendent meets Principals

Shares vision about building Catholic School Culture

The mission of the Catholic Church, and by extension its Catholic Schools, is to introduce the world to its Savior.

This mission concept favorite declaration of Cardinal Francis George, the late Archbishop of Chicago and shared by Father John Belmonte, a Jesuit and new Diocesan Superintendent of Schools.

Father Belmonte shared the message at a meeting with principals on July 8, 2020 at Epiphany Cathedral Parish Hall in Venice. “That is what we do,” he explained. “That is our mission.”

He added that the world happens to be the school for the principal, the classroom for the teachers, and the family for those who are parents.

“We get to do that as Catholic School educators every day; which in my view is the greatest mission that anyone could have the privilege of serving and why I certainly get up in the morning and what I want to have happen in all Catholic schools – to introduce the world to its Savior! There is nothing better!”

As Superintendent, Father Belmonte said he sees his job – and by extension the entire Office of Education – as helping each principal, and by association each Diocesan Catholic school, to be wildly successful.

“If you are already wildly successful, congratulations, we will continue to facilitate that,” Father continued. “If you’re not quite wildly successful, we will work on that… because if we are, then we are introducing our students, families, teachers, everyone that we are serving, to our Lord, through the Church. Nothing is more important than that.”

Father Belmonte did warn the principals that he obsesses about developing Catholic School culture and its deeper and richer meaning in comparison to Catholic identity. “It is much more than that.”

The gathering began with the Liturgy of the Hours, a daily prayer of the Church, followed by a welcome by Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

The Bishop welcome Father Belmonte and said he was humbled that Father accepted the position with the Diocese, having a strong background in education which is also the Charism of the Jesuit religious order.

Bishop Dewane opened his comments by first thanking the gathered principals for their hard work during the last few months and managing the challenges caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“Know that I am very proud of how you handled it, and how we were perceived out in the public arena in handling the online teaching during the spring semester and as we approach reopening in August,” said Bishop Dewane while specifically thanking Interim Superintendent of Schools Ben Hopper for stepping up while also doing double duty as principal at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School.

Father Belmonte has a long connection to the Diocese of Venice having visited the area with family, specifically Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, for the past 50 years. He has an extensive background in education as a teacher and administrator, most recently as superintendent of the Diocese of Joliet.