Eight New Principals to Lead Area Catholic Schools This Fall
August 19, 2013
When the doors open for the new school year on Monday, August 26, 2013, eight Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Washington will be led by new principals. The new principals are Brother Gerald S. Hopeck, Jr., OFM at St. Francis International School in Silver Spring; Caitlyn Keeton at Little Flower School in Great Mills; Steven Lamont at St. Bartholomew in Bethesda; Linda Miedzinski at Mother Catherine Spalding School in Helen; Anne-Marie Miller at St. Joseph Regional School in Beltsville; Jodi Reagan at Annunciation School in Washington, DC; Christie Anne Short at St. Patrick School in Rockville and Andrew Piotrowski at St. Martin of Tours School in Gaithersburg.
WASHINGTON, DC
Annunciation School, NW Washington – Jodi Reagan comes to Annunciation School from Texas, where she most recently served as the Assistant Principal of St. Luke Catholic School in San Antonio. Prior to that, she was an Assistant Principal at an elementary school in her hometown of Richmond Hill, Georgia. Mrs. Reagan has worked as an educator for 15 years and holds a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Science in Health Promotion and Education, both from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
St. Francis International School, Silver Spring – Brother Gerald S. Hopeck, Jr. OFM has been appointed the Co-Principal of St. Francis International School in Silver Spring. He is very familiar with the school, having served as the school’s Vice Principal and Tuition Officer since May 2011. A native of Bridgeport, Conn., he graduated from Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and History. He went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Theology from LaSalle University in Philadelphia. Before entering the formation program for the Franciscan Friars, he was a pastoral associate at several parishes where he worked with youth and the African American community, and acted as director of religious education. He has more than 12 years of experience as an educator in several Catholic schools.
St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda – Stephen Lamont comes to St. Bartholomew School from Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, DC, where he served as the Assistant Principal last school year, and prior to that as a math teacher for five years. Mr. Lamont was also the math department chair at ACHS for one year. He has nine years of experience as an educator and holds a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
St. Patrick School, Rockville – Christie Anne Short has spent her 14-year teaching career in the Archdiocese of Washington. She began her career at St. Elizabeth School in Rockville, where she was a classroom teacher for four years. She then became part of the founding team of teachers and staff who helped open St. Patrick School in Rockville to its very first students in 2004, and has taught there ever since. She has taught 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade and was named the school’s Teacher of the Year in 2007. She holds a Master of Science degree in Special Education from John Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Loyola University.
St. Martin of Tours School, Gaithersburg – Andrew Piotrowski comes to Gaithersburg from New Jersey, where he has spent his teaching career. He most recently spent 12 years as Vice-Principal of Clifton High School in Clifton, New Jersey. He has also served as Principal of Woodrow Wilson Middle School and Christopher Columbus Middle School, both in Clifton. He is currently studying for a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and holds a Master of Arts degree in Urban Educational Leadership from New Jersey City University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education from William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
St. Joseph Regional School, Beltsville – Anne-Marie Miller has taught kindergarten at St. Joseph Regional School for the past four years. She also served as the pre-K-2nd grade coordinator last school year. She is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order. Ms. Miller received a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University and has worked as a youth minister, pre-school teacher and childcare provider.
SOUTHERN MARYLAND
Little Flower School, Great Mills – Caitlyn Keeton comes to St. Mary’s County from serving the past three years as principal of St. Rose School, an urban catholic school in Chelsea, Massachusetts. She has been an educator for 8 years and is a graduate of Boston College, where she earned two Master of Education degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Education Administration (with a minor in Catholic school leadership.) She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Mother Catherine Spalding School, Helen – Linda Miedzinski is no stranger to the Archdiocese of Washington, having taught music, band, religion and media at St. John School in Hollywood since 1997. At St. John’s, she established a band and musical appreciation program that grew from less than 20 students to over 90 in six years. She earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Maryland, a Bachelor of Education degree from Salve Regina University in Rhode Island and received a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Education from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. She has more than 24 years of experience as an educator in public and private schools.
The Archdiocese of Washington is home to over 620,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 96 Catholic schools, located in Washington, DC, and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.
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