Sitting in her storied office – an artful assemblage of
books, statuettes and papers – Mary Pat Schlickenmaier,
principal of St. Rita School in Alexandria, said, “I’m
overwhelmed and humbled by this award,” and promptly deepened
several shades of red. “But nothing I’ve ever done here I’ve
done alone.”
“She’s the last person to believe she deserves it,” said
Josephine Cunningham, St. Rita’s director of development and
admissions. “But she does. She’s so genuine, and she’s always
looking ahead.”
The modest Schlickenmaier is the recipient of the South
Atlantic States and Caribbean Region Distinguished Principal
Award, a prestigious recognition from the National Catholic
Educational Association. Schlickenmaier is among nine
principals from across the nation honored this year.
An excerpt from NCEA’s congratulatory letter to
Schlickenmaier read: “Your contributions to Catholic
education over the many years are truly impressive. Your
colleagues, parents and superintendent of schools attest to
your outstanding service to them and your commitment to
Catholic education. You have been a source of great
inspiration to all during your time at St. Rita School.”
This April, Schlickenmaier will receive her award at a
ceremony held during the NCEA Convention in Orlando.
Schlickenmaier, who has been the principal of St. Rita for 17
years, is the first Arlington diocesan principal to earn the
award.
But she has repeatedly insisted that the award is not her
accomplishment alone.
“A principal is not isolated,” she said. “A principal is part
of the community. Everyone’s involved. When parents talk
about St. Rita, they talk about family. That’s because we are
a family.”
During her tenure as principal, Schlickenmaier has brought
interactive whiteboards to classrooms, designed a
state-of-the-art science lab, updated the school computer lab
and spearheaded many other programs and initiatives.
“First and foremost, comes ensuring and nurturing our
Catholic identity,” said Schlickenmaier. “We have a phrase
here: We prepare children for life in this world and the
next.”
Most recently, Schlickenmaier oversaw the establishment of
St. Rita’s preschool, which embraces the Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd, a Montessori method for teaching the Catholic
faith to young children.
“We call the 3-year-old ‘lambs’ and the 4-year-olds
‘shepherds’,” said Schlickenmaier. “The whole program is
child-centric and scaled down.”
Prior to serving as a principal, Schlickenmaier was a teacher
for 32 years. She spent two years at Elizabeth Seton High
School in Bladensburg, Md., and 13 years at St. Mary School
in Alexandria, her alma mater. Once a day, Schlickenmaier,
who studied biology as an undergraduate at Loyola University
in Baltimore, returns to her roots as a teacher by
instructing eighth-grade Algebra I at St. Rita.
“When the diocese approached me to serve as the principal of
St. Rita, I was thrilled,” she said. “I felt the immediate
spirit of family and the tangible presence of Christ here.”
Raley Moore, a seventh-grader who has attended St. Rita since
kindergarten, can attest to Schlickenmaier’s ability to
reinforce that sense of family. She said that when her
mother’s shirt caught on fire and her back was burned, the
principal showed her family great kindness and support.
“Mrs. S. called us regularly and had dinners sent to our
home,” said Moore. “She’s a big part of our family’s life and
school life. She’s always trying to get involved.”
Susan Gibson, resource teacher and counselor, said that’s one
of many examples of “Mary Pat emanating Christ’s love.”
Missy McGraw, a middle school math and religion teacher, said
that the environment Schlickenmaier has fostered at St. Rita
reflects “the eclectic and diverse nature of our church
today.”
“There are children here whose parents are high-powered White
House officials, and there are children whose parents hardly
make a dime,” she said. “But there’s a commonality here. We
are here with the same mission and vision under
(Schlickenmaier’s) leadership every day.”
Allison Cryor DiNardo, St. Rita finance council chairman,
said that some of Schlickenmaier’s greatest gifts are her
inclusiveness and her ability to listen.
“She’s not an arm-twister, and that’s part of her magic as a
leader,” said DiNardo. “No matter who you are, she’ll throw
her arms up when you’re walking down the hallway and say,
‘You’re here.’ She wants everybody to feel welcome.”
St. Rita parishioner Cindy Hart has had five children
graduate from St. Rita School and currently has a
seventh-grade daughter there. Schlickenmaier has been the
principal during most of her two decades as a St. Rita
parent. One of the things that “amazes” Hart about
Schlickenmaier is her “energy.”
“I don’t see her dwindling,” said Hart. “She knows the
students. She knows the families. She just loves her job.”
In familiarizing herself so well with the school community,
Hart added that one of Schlickenmaier’s greatest gifts is
“really recognizing each individual’s gifts and putting them
to use in the school.” She praised Schlickenmaier’s teaching
and writing skills, as well as her design sense. But Hart
pointed to Schlickenmaier’s personal dedication to God as her
biggest strength.
“It’s clear that she has a deep faith, and it permeates
throughout school life,” Hart said. “It’s what makes her so
dedicated, so hard working.”
Stoddard can be reached at [email protected].
