HFCA Principal Recognized for Excellence

Holy Family Catholic Academy's Principal, Mrs. Kate O'Brien was recently recognized by the Archdiocese of Chicago for relentlessly fostering excellence in education. In presenting the St. Thomas Aquinas Award, Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools, noted Mrs. O'Brien's commitment to rigor, continuous improvement and emphasis on 21st century instructional practices.

States Mrs. O'Brien, "I am truly honored by this award. Catholic schools are called to provide the very best academic education, and there are so many great things happening at schools throughout the Archdiocese. I accept this award on behalf of all of the tremendously dedicated teachers and staff at HFCA who tirelessly work to prepare our students to become global thinkers, leaders, grounded in faith."

Mrs. O'Brien also explains that HFCA's legacy of academic excellence was established by the two principals who preceded her--Mrs. Jean Noble and Dr. Gretchen Ludwig, both of whom were committed to a culture of continuous improvement and implemented 21st century best practices in education.

A school's culture is more than a buzzword--it is the values and beliefs that attracts both teachers and students. Building culture is a key role of principals, and a recent New York Times opinion article discusses how a school's culture powerfully influences the attitudes and motivations of its students. (Brooks, David. "Good Leaders Make Good Schools." The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2018.)

HFCA's culture of continuous improvement is also uniquely paired with a warm and welcoming environment to grow and learn. States parent, Lourdes Hinojosa, "My family has been at HFCA for ten years. While enrollment has doubled, HFCA is still a welcoming community where every student is valued."

Principal O'Brien's award marks the third such distinction that the Inverness school has received during their year-long 15th anniversary celebration. HFCA was nationally recognized as a US Department of Education Blue Ribbon School for exemplary learning and instruction and also, notably became the first middle school program in the State of Illinois to be STEM Certified by AdvancED. Later this year, HFCA hopes to complete its multi-year candidacy* and become the first elementary school in the northwest suburbs to be authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School -- Primary Years Programme.

Fr. Terry Keehan, Pastor of Holy Family adds, "Raising standards, setting expectations and building collaboration is accomplished by a leader who embodies energy, humility, integrity and determination. Congratulations to Principal Kate O'Brien who together with HFCA's team of teachers relentlessly focus on improvement and live the Academy's motto of being thinkers, leaders, grounded in faith."

*Candidacy is not a guarantee of authorization.