Highland principal wins award

Jane Schmidt, principal of Highland Catholic School in St. Paul, will be honored April 26, during the National Catholic Educational Association convention in New Orleans.

Up to 12 principals among nearly 6,000 from across the United States are chosen each year to receive the NCEA Dr. Robert J. Kealey Distinguished Principal Award from the NCEA Department of Elementary Schools. The award honors distinguished educational leaders from the 12 NCEA geographic regions.

Christian Brother Robert Bimonte, NCEA DES director, said all awardees have served as principals for at least five years in a Catholic elementary school.

“Each of these outstanding educators embodies the very best of Catholic education,” Brother Robert said.

Schmidt began her career in Catholic education in 1978 and has been at Highland Catholic  School for 23 years. She received a Van Lunan Fellowship, was published in “Daily Prayer in the Classroom” by Liturgical Press and has served on several  local committees for Catholic school principals.

In the essay letter that Schmidt submitted, she noted that she has a sign in the school office that reads, “‘Tell the kids I love them.’ — God,” which captures the essence of her philosophy of Catholic education. “It could also appropriately read ‘Show the Children I Love Them,’ since that is what we do at Highland Catholic,” she added.

A letter from her superintendent said that Schmidt “models our faith and has an intrinsic desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone she meets.”

A description of Schmidt from Brian Bruess, a parent and former school committee chair said, “Jane gets stuff done!” and that “stuff” was an entire slate of policies — Internet use policy, code of conduct, uniform policy, human resources policy, curriculum development review process, faculty development, and the list goes on.

Hill-Murray principal named president

Susan Paul was appointed president of Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, effective immediately. Dan Steichen, chair of the Hill-Murray trustees board announced the appointment Jan. 28.

Paul, who has served nearly 20 years as Hill-Murray principal, has been serving as interim president.

She holds bachelor degrees in religious studies and religious education from St. Mary’s College, as well as a master’s in private secondary school administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas. She spent 10 years at Totino-Grace High School as a religious studies teacher and campus ministry director before joining Hill-Murray in 1991 as principal.

Over the past 20 years, Paul has focused on accelerating Hill-Murray’s academic standards with a rigorous Catholic college-preparatory curriculum that begins in middle school, inspired by the Benedictine values of spirituality, stability and service to the community, according to Steichen.