Community Corner
St. John Brebeuf Hires New School Principal
Elise Matson is New St. John Brebeuf Principal
Elise Matson has been hired as the new Principal at St. John Brebeuf School in Niles, announces Rev. Michael Meany, Pastor. Matson replaces Robert Gawlik who left in June following completion of the school year after two years in that position.
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Matson will fully assume her duties effective July 1 and will be available in the school office most days during July and fully in August. She will be meeting with teachers and other staff during the summer to prepare for the 2014-2015 school year which begins August 25.
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"Elise is highly qualified to lead our school community in the future," Meany said. "We are particularly excited about her experience in school enhancement and strong technology skills."
Prior to joining SJB, Matson was Director of Continuous School Enhancement at Trinity High School, River Forest, Illinois, where she oversaw a school improvement team and executed an improvement plan and process. She previously taught at Trinity High School in multiple courses and created interactive websites. She was also the Head Coach for Junior Varsity volleyball at the school.
Her elementary school experience includes teaching in fifth through eighth grades at St. James Lutheran School, Chicago. She had also been a teacher's aide in Kindergarten. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from Dominican University and a Master of Arts in English from DePaul University. Her undergrad studies were at Concordia University of Chicago where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2001.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to join the St. John Brebeuf family," Matson said. "The welcoming environment, excellent students and teachers, outstanding athletic program, and parent involvement are all exciting aspects of the school and parish. It is exciting to join such a vibrant community!
She added, "I am fortunate to be able to build on the great work that has been done over the past several years. I am looking forward to implementing the vision that was built by the leadership of the school and church. The direction the school is moving with technology will help students with the skills they need in the future. My belief in technology and desire to help students increase their technological literacy will help me be a strong leader in this capacity. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for the opportunity to lead St. John Brebeuf and look forward to helping students grow in their faith, academic endeavors, and through extracurricular activities."
For more information about the SJB School, visit www.sjbschool.org.