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Mount St. Mary High School names new principal

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Sat, Jun 23rd 2018 01:00 pm
Katherine Spillman returns to lead girls' high school
Mount St. Mary Academy has named Katherine M. Spillman, M.Ed., its new principal.
For the Past decade, she served as director of staff formation at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts. Spillman succeeds Dawn Riggie, who announced her retirement in March after 25 years leading the Kenmore girls high school.
"The board is thrilled to welcome Katie into our family. Her warm personality and vision for the future align perfectly with the character of Mount St. Mary," said Board President Kathy Hoelscher Glieco, '81. "She comes to us with vast experience teaching in and ministering to Catholic school communities."
At the all-boys Xaverian, Spillman planned experiences for the faculty and staff that fueled the school's mission and fostered a greater sense of spiritual kinship. She served as a resource for faculty and staff members who sought support, counseling and mentorship.
"Katie, who led and participated in a number of school leadership committees, was an important contributor to the Xaverian leadership team," Glieco said.
Prior to Xaverian, Spillman worked in campus ministry, serving as the campus minister for Ignatian Formation at Boston College and, prior to that, as a campus minister at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell. Her role as director of campus ministry at Trinity Catholic High School in Newton, Massachusetts, provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with students. Spillman has also spent considerable time in the classroom as a theology teacher, both at Trinity Catholic and at Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"I am filled with joyful anticipation for all that awaits me at Mount St. Mary Academy," Spillman said. "Building on the strong foundation established by beloved Principal Mrs. Dawn Riggie, and the faculty and staff, I look forward to guiding the community to continue to be a place where young women thrive and are nurtured in their unique giftedness."
Spillman earned her Bachelor of Arts in theology and history in 1998 and a Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame in 2001. She also holds a Master of Arts in pastoral ministry from Boston College.
"Katie brings with her great experience, new ideas and an enthusiasm for leading a school community that is focused on the care and empowerment of young women," Glieco said. "She recognizes Mount St. Mary Academy's many strengths and is committed to building on them - and adding to them - as we continue to advance our mission of educating students in the tradition of our founders, the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur."
Spillman's volunteer work includes serving as community board secretary and member of the executive board of directors of Sacred Threads Center, Newton, 2012-present; co-chair of the Green Initiative at Blessed Sacrament School, Walpole, Massachusetts, 2015-present; and contextual education supervisor, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Chestnut Hill, 2007-present.
Spillman and her husband, Jim, are natives of Western New York, having grown up in Rochester and Tonawanda, respectively, and they have three children. Jim was recently named principal of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Tonawanda.
Mount St. Mary's, with 335 students in grades nine-12, has a 10:1 student to teacher ratio and 22 athletic teams. Riggie strengthened the school's academic program by introducing honors, Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses; supported development of a world-class and award-winning entrepreneurship program; and created a diverse learning environment that supports student needs.

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