As principal of a Catholic elementary school, I believe strongly in Teamwork, Love (affirmation), and Communication as keys to effective leadership. Because of this conviction my goals are, and have always been, to develop communication tools and teamwork practices to ensure that communication is open and effective, and to affirm our faculty, staff, and students regularly for the work they do.

Teamwork: "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." This quote by Helen Keller speaks volumes about the value of teamwork. Our school has an Administrative Team comprised of the Vice Principals, the School Counselor, and the Principal. We meet weekly in order to keep apprised of student needs, curricular areas, faculty and staff needs. It is also a time to strategize, shares ideas, affirm one another, and laugh! I have also established a Principal's Leadership Team, which consists of a faculty representative from each of the six levels (kindergarten, primary, intermediate, middle, junior high, and related arts), as well as two staff members who represent the needs of, and provide a voice for, instructional assistants and staff members. We meet twice monthly which affords frequent input and feedback. Parents know of my "Open Door" philosophy, and my willingness to listen to their concerns, complaints, or compliments. I truly believe that "parents are the primary educators of their children" and as such we must work together to ensure that our children will become responsible, caring, educated, Christian/Catholic adults.

Love (Affirmation): "Find the good -- and praise it." This quote by Alex Haley was the motivation behind our DWAG program at Holy Trinity. "Darn we are good!" (DWAG) is a phrase that is shouted at each faculty meeting. After prayer, and before we begin the agenda part of our meeting, all faculty members are asked to reflect upon some event, achievement, precious moment, or conversation from the past few weeks that makes them glad and proud to be a teacher. Teachers relate their special moments, and we all shout, "Darn, we are good!" as each finishes sharing. We share successes together, as well as frustrations.

Our EAGLE Award is one way we affirm the good qualities and attributes we see in our students. Each month, after an all-school liturgy, one student from each of our homerooms in grades 3-8 is awarded an EAGLE (our mascot) pin. The EAGLE Award is presented to students who are Enthusiastic, have a positive Attitude, show Good behavior; are Like Christ, and display Effort in all they do. They are recognized in front of their peers and their parents (who have secretly been invited to attend). Afterwards, the students are treated to breakfast at McDonald's. The award is unrelated to academics and therefore every child in our school is a candidate!

Communication: "Effective communication starts with listening." --Robert Gately. On Monday mornings, I send an e-mail to faculty and staff, aMAZing Memo, informing them of upcoming events, professional development opportunities, and people to keep in their prayers. On Fridays, a weekly school newsletter for families is e-mailed to each home, placed on the school web site, and distributed with the church bulletin. These communiqu�s are ways to keep our faculty, staff, and families informed and involved in the learning process. It lets everyone know how important he or she is to our school.

Each month we host an "Interested Family Tour" for parents who are searching for a school to meet their child's needs. As part of this sharing time, we offer refreshments, a presentation by Student Council officers, a question and answer session, an information packet, and a tour of our facilities. Participants include the Administrative Team, our Pastor, a parent of a child presently enrolled in our school, four students, and inquiring parents. This event promotes our catholic school, helps prospective parents meet other parents, helps them feel a part of our school even before their child arrives, and provides them with valuable decision-making information.

"Coffees with the Administrative Team" are held quarterly for our school parents. They have an opportunity to visit with the school counselor, the vice principal who coordinates our special needs programs, the vice principal who coordinates our gifted and enrichment programs, and the principal. We share ideas, frustrations, joys, and successes in a relaxed atmosphere. We answer questions regarding curriculum, daily routines, uniforms, discipline, lunch; you name it and we discuss it! The parents have offered suggestions and ideas on ways to improve carpooling, enhance our curriculum, and solicit volunteers for classroom projects. Parents realize they are a part of the educational process in our school, and as the primary educators of their children, we value their input!

Teamwork, Love, and Communication are essential if we are to provide the best possible academic programs and value-based education for the children in our catholic schools.

Mary Alice Zettel, Principal
Holy Trinity Parish School
Louisville, Kentucky