I begin the 2009-2010 school year filled with feelings of gratitude, excitement, and hope! I am grateful to God for His Divine blessings, for giving me the opportunity to lead the St. Mary’s Academy family as its first lay principal in its 120 year history. I am grateful to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet for entrusting their school to me, as we embark on a beautiful journey with Divine plans and new leadership, carrying St. Mary’s Academy to new heights and discoveries.

My gratefulness extends to:

• the Board of Directors for their unending support, respectful collaboration, and shared vision, ensuring that St. Mary’s Academy continues to grow and thrive for the purpose of educating our young ladies to be the best they can be, according to their Divine potential.
• our generous benefactors, supporters, and community-at-large for their support that comes in many forms, each one equally unique and essential for the life-long success of our students.
• our magnificent faculty and staff for their unending support, shared vision, and expertise as we educate our young ladies in accordance with the school’s philosophy, mission, and expected students learning results.
• our parents and their daughters — our unique, talented, skilled, and smart students. St. Mary’s Academy exists for you. Through our unique partnership, we educate our young ladies so they can take their place in society as spiritual, ethical, moral, and intellectual ladies holding positions of leadership in the field of their choice.

I am excited about our new administrative council through which much will be shared: leadership, ideas, talents, and skills, as well as the concerns and challenges that are inherent with daily life.

I am also excited about:

• our new and improved campus: a beautiful practice track and field, library expansion, meditation center, and dining room.
• the development of new programs: women’s leadership, communication arts, and pre- engineering.
• continuing and improving our health careers program.
• expanding our curriculum in the future to include more honors and AP classes, as well as classes and programs designed for those who learn differently.

St. Mary’s Academy is a unique and special place for spiritual, academic, intellectual, and emotional enrichment.

I am filled with hope for an exciting and exhilarating future. St. Mary’s Academy nurtures its young ladies to be women of the future! I look forward to this upcoming school year. As with all events of importance and significance, we begin the school year giving thanks and praise to God, His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Mother of Our Lord and Patron Saint, by celebrating Eucharist as a community. Please, come join us. We are here for you!

In the Spirit of our Lord,
Ms. Yvonne Elizabeth McNeal