Print Issue: June 20, 2002

Leadership Team Will Head Queen Of Angels School

By Erika Anderson, Staff Writer

ROSWELL - A new system at Queen of Angels School will create a leadership team to direct the school next year.

The system was created because although a new principal had been hired and contracted for Queen of Angels School, he recently decided to decline the position, according to Judith Mucheck, superintendent.

The position of principal will be left vacant for the 2002-2003 school year, and administration of the school will be led by Cynthia Sabula, assistant principal, Catherine Anderson, director of student services, and Lisa Yezzi, Ph.D., director of curriculum. A new search committee will be formed in October to find a principal for 2003.

Catherine Anderson, left, and Cynthia Sabula. (Photo by Michael Alexander)

Mucheck said that by this time of the year, most "good, strong, viable candidates (for principal) have already signed to a school." The archdiocese has a policy that "we will not actively pursue or recruit someone who is currently under contract," she said, adding that she feels confident in not hiring a principal at the last minute.

"We're very comfortable with waiting," she said. "We don't want to put anyone in the position just to fill it. Queen of Angels is a strong community and we want it to stay that way."

Both Anderson and Sabula have served at the school since it opened in 1999. Yezzi will be transferring to Queen of Angels from her position as principal of St. Mary School in Rensselaer, N.Y.

Sabula, who served with Anderson as an enrichment teacher in the school's learning lab, holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in education with an emphasis on counseling. She has taught at the college level, and has most recently served as the school counselor of Queen of Angels. She said that she is excited about the new team.

"Catherine and I have both been with the staff since day one and because we've worked together, we complement each other pretty well," she said, adding that Yezzi will "bring a wealth of knowledge in the curriculum area." "I think a team approach is always good when you have decisions to make."

As assistant principal Sabula's duties will include serving as the Office of Catholic School's/Archdiocesan liaison, as well as oversight of finance/audit/business office, development, SACS, supervision of staff, communication, scheduling/substitute teachers, admissions administration, Home and School Association liaison and student counseling.

Anderson, who has served as Queen of Angels' Resource Teacher since the school opened, holds a bachelor's degree in special education from Illinois State University. This summer, she will complete a course called "The Art and Craft of Principalship" at Harvard University. Anderson said she is anxiously looking forward to next year.

"We're a little nervous, but we're very excited," she said. "(Sabula) and I already know we can work together. We don't think alike on everything, but we respect each other's opinions...I think this is going to be a great thing."

Both Sabula and Anderson have children who attend Queen of Angels, and Anderson said that because of that, the school is not only a professional commitment, but also a personal one.

"We're part of the team that wrote the mission statement before the school even opened, and because we both have kids here, we have a personal investment as well," she said.

Anderson's role as director of student services includes supervision of catholic identity, learning Lab/SST, academic enrichment, security/building/maintenance, volunteers, professional growth, student discipline, standardized testing and admissions testing.

Yezzi holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and a master's of education degree in educational psychology from St. Rose College in Albany, N.Y. She earned her doctorate, also in educational psychology, from the State University of New York. She has taught grades kindergarten through eight over the span of her career and served as an assistant professor of education at St. Rose College.

As director of curriculum, Yezzi will supervise curriculum, technology/network, text and materials, lesson plans, field trip planning/coordination and staff development.

Mucheck said she believes in the leadership team.

"They are very enthusiastic and ready, and really excited to serve the community."