Principal of the Year: Sister Touey

By NADIA POZO
CS&T Staff Writer

What’s the secret to becoming the outstanding principal of a truly Catholic school?
According to Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Kathleen Touey, I.H.M, the secret is keeping God at the center of learning.
She ought to know. Sister Kathleen, 55, is the principal of St. Matthew’s School — the largest archdiocesan school with close to 1,200 students — and she has just been named Region 4 Principal of the Year by the National Catholic Education Association.
“Within an outstanding academic program, our Catholic identity has to be first and foremost,” Sister Kathleen said. “The students have to know they are children of God and that He is the center of our learning. What we do has to be done out of the Gospel values.”
With more than 70 years of I.H.M tradition at the school, Sister Kathleen insists that all she did in the past 19 years as principal was build on tradition.
“The hallmark of the I.H.M tradition is to instill in children a love of God,” Sister said. “All the teachers are formed with this tradition.” To do this, Sister Kathleen begins each school year with a staff meeting to review and reflect on the school’s mission statement while discussing how the staff will make this mission a reality.
During the school year, each class attends weekly eucharistic adoration in which they pray the rosary. School Masses are held throughout the year and the school encourages families to fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation.
Sister has found that eucharistic adoration and instilling in the students that they are to behave as Jesus did has made a great difference in student discipline.
“We don’t rant and rave if kids misbehave. We try to be reflective and help the students see that their bad behavior is not what we expect nor what they should expect. I ask them, ‘How would Jesus have acted in this situation? How should you have acted as a Christian, as a Catholic?’”
Sister remembered one boy being sent to her office for misbehavior. She spent time talking with the student and reflecting spiritually with him. His teacher later commented that she noticed a change in the boy’s behavior and wanted to know what Sister had done.
“At this school, we have a deep respect and love for children. We believe in their potential,” Sister said. “As an administrator, I have faith in my staff and I encourage them to bring out the best in our children.”
Another priority for Sister Kathleen has been building programs that will foster a conducive learning environment for children with learning disabilities.
At St. Matthew’s there are resource rooms, tutoring programs, small group instruction and other programs to assist children with learning disabilities, as well as honors courses for the gifted students.
“We have worked hard to meet children where they are,” Sister said. “We have found that when they go on to high school, they have done very well.”
Living out the Gospel values also means being socially conscious of the suffering of others. The school does various projects to help the poor, including making monetary donations to various programs. Students are taught to be service-oriented and to share their talents for the good of others.
“We challenge them according to their abilities,” Sister said. “We also have fun programs because we don’t want to make it all work and no fun.”
The school hosts Super Bowl parties and Spirit Days with entertainment and much merry-making — a favorite of the students.
“We want children to know that when they come to our school their whole self will be developed.”
Sister Kathleen has also been commended for the way she has been able to work with her staff, creating a team to make the school the best it can be.
“Seeing the gifts in others and cultivating those gifts is essential to being a good principal. When you believe in your staff, you will support them, encourage them and show them your appreciation. When this happens, they’ll do anything to help you better your school.”
Sister Kathleen, the 11th of 12 children, knows very well how important it is to work with others and bring out the best in them.
“You can’t come in and be a control freak and try to do everything yourself,” Sister said. “You have to be open to suggestions and listen to others and use the wide range of talents for the good of the school. We have a good team approach here and we appreciate our staff because we know the sacrifices they make to teach at Catholic schools.”
It has been this nurturing and loving environment that has kept her staff faithful to the school throughout the years.
In becoming Principal of the Year, Sister Kathleen was nominated by the Archdiocese and then was chosen from a pool of principals from Catholic schools throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to the NCEA, it is her zest for life, love of children, faith in her faculty and the programs she has been able to create that led them to select her as Principal of the Year.
“I’m happy to be recognized, not so much for myself, but for the I.H.M community, the St. Matthew’s community and for my parents who really were my first teachers and showed me the love of God. Who I am today is a result of all who have nurtured me throughout my life.”
For Sister Kathleen, being joyful is what makes all the difference. It was joy that first attracted her to the I.H.M sisters who taught her in both grade school and high school, and it’s joy that today attracts many to her love of God and life.
Sister Kathleen will receive her award in March when the NCEA convention comes to Philadelphia.

Contact CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo at npozo@adphila.org or (215 ) 965-4614.