Dear St. Jerome Families,
 
My name is Tom MacDonald and I am excited to introduce myself as the principal of St. Jerome School.  I am honored to be a part of this community and parish.
 
Over the past 20 years, I have been fortunate to be able to work in some of the most important jobs of my career: as a teacher and a lead administrator. But I consider my most important job to be that of an advocate for the success of any school and student I come across. Over the course of our time together, I will dedicate a lot of my time getting to know your children. By interacting with their unique personalities, and discovering their individualistic learning styles and interests I can include them in the larger educational decisions that will set our school apart.  I will be their biggest fan as I celebrate their successes.  I will encourage them every day through the life lessons that will come from their struggles. And, even more importantly, I will let them know they are valued and have a special place in our school and community of faith.
 
Not only am I excited to begin working with your children, but also for the work we will do together and this important relationship we will be embarking on. This is a community journey that needs the support of its parents, grandparents, guardians, staff and stakeholders. It will have a strong foundation, with collaboration at its root. Only through this teamwork can we help ensure the success of our future leaders and citizens of tomorrow. 
 
I will not be able to do this alone. I fortunately will have an amazing team of all-star teachers and staff members, ready to help continue this legacy of success by maintaining strong relationships with parents, students and community partners. Together, we will focus on integral core values such as character and faith,  along with education initiatives, Common Core skills, the use of data to drive instruction, and rigorous and enriching instruction to increase all of our students' achievement. And yes, we will find time for Art, STEAM, Dance, Music, Spanish, and Physical Education.
 
Once again, I am so thankful to have the opportunity to bring all that I have experienced and learned with me to your wonderful community. I look forward to getting to know you and your children and to being a Spartan! Please stop by to say hello (when safe to do so). I look forward and am eager to meet all of you. 

St. Jerome – Pray for us!

Educationally yours,
Tom MacDonald