Newly appointed St. Anne School principal Mary Sherman grew up four blocks away from the school, where she, her six siblings -and even her father - attended school.
For the past 17 years, Sherman has been the assistant principal at St. Anne. But then principal Pat Durand retired last spring and Sherman has accepted the offer to not only take over but to continue with Durand's legacy.
"I very much enjoy my job as assistant principal," Sherman said. "When she [Pat Durand] retired I didn't want to leave the community." Although there was an extensive search to fill the position, Sherman said, she applied for the position anyway.
As principal, Sherman is looking forward to help implement a plan that will determine the direction of several school programs such as tuition, Catholic Identity and fundraisers, for the next five years. The plan was pieced together last years by St. Anne administration and community volunteers.
A possible change to the school will be the addition of an after-school care program. In years past it hasn't been a necessity, but with the economy the way it is, the plan will explore whether St. Anne will need one this year, Sherman said.
The biggest challenge this year, Sherman said, will be the tuition increases. Fund raising is one of the most important things the school does to keep tuition affordable and the school accessible for students. St. Anne parish raised $50,000 during its annual fundraiser last year, funds that have gone toward tuition assistance.
Sherman said the most important thing she learned from Durand was how to listen. "If you listen you can learn so much from the community," she said. Sherman also receives daily advice from her husband, Dan, who is also a principal at a Catholic school in Bellevue, and has been in education for the last 30 years. "We have very similar leading styles," Sherman said.
"My hearts passion is the classroom," Sherman said. She started her career in education as a primary school teacher, at St. Marks in Shoreline. Ten years later the role of assistant principal opened up at St. Anne, and Sherman was asked to apply for the position.
She found she loved the administrative side of education, which allowed her to "see the big picture of the school." Over the years, Sherman has found that the best tool for academic success is "letting them know you care, that they are valued."
"They are the most important part of the school," she added. "Education comes easy if they know that."
Sherman is in the classroom as much as she can. "The best part of the job is the interaction with the students," she said. Some students Sherman has known since birth. She said seeing them grow from year to year is very rewarding.
"I love the kids and families here," she said.[[In-content Ad]]
