The National Association of Elementary School Principals
(NAESP) selected Mary Pat Schlickenmaier, principal of St.
Rita School in Alexandria, as one its 2015 National
Distinguished Principals.
She is one of 59 principals who were honored; one from each
state, the District of Columbia and schools operated by the
U.S. Department of State and the Defense Department. She was
one of three private school principals who received the award
this year.
The NAESP has been honoring elementary school principals with
the award for 32 years.
“Only a school principal can lead a school to success and
positively impact an entire learning community,” said Gail
Connelly, NAESP’s executive director in a statement. “That is
why I am so pleased to congratulate this year’s class of
National Distinguished Principals – they richly deserve this
honor and many more.”
Ceremonies and a banquet for the principals were held Oct. 15
and 16 in Washington.
To give her a special sendoff before the official ceremonies,
teachers and staff at St. Rita School planned a surprise Oct.
14 ceremony. Students made posters with congratulatory
messages, and flowers and gifts were bought.
After morning Mass, and on the pretense of announcing the
winners of the student government election by Father Daniel
N. Gee, pastor, students grabbed signs and waited quietly for
Schlickenmaier to congratulate the new student government
members.
After the election results were announced, students were
given the signal to hold up their signs as Schlickenmaier was
given flowers and gifts by Student Government President Julia
Hart and Vice-President Owen Peters, both eighth-graders.
This was the second honor this year for Schlickenmaier. In
April, she received the National Catholic Educational
Association’s Distinguished Principal award. The NCEA
nominated her for the NAESP award.
Schlickenmaier said she was surprised and delighted to see
the outpouring of support from the faculty, staff and
students.
“I’m quite overwhelmed,” she said. “It’s important that
Catholic schools are recognized as the academic leaders they
are, in addition to their (work in) spiritual formation.”
Father Gee said he was surprised by the surprise too. He said
that with Monday being a holiday and a priests’ meeting
Tuesday, he didn’t know this was happening.
“She is, and always has been, a tremendous principal who puts
the Catholic faith first,” he said.
