FALL RIVER — The Diocese of Fall River Catholic Schools Office is pleased to announce that Kathleen St. Laurent has been appointed the interim head of school for Bishop Connolly High School. St. Laurent will assume the duties currently held by president, Mr. E. Christopher Myron, who announced his departure earlier this year. St. Laurent has been the principal of Bishop Connolly High School for the past two years and is highly regarded among the school administrators across the Diocese of Fall River. As a graduate of the Boston College Lynch Leadership Academy, St. Laurent is well prepared for the challenges of leading Bishop Connolly through the ongoing pandemic.
St. Laurent began her career in 1979, as a critical care Registered Nurse at the former Truesdale Site of Union-Truesdale Hospital (currently Charlton Memorial Hospital) in Fall River. She developed a passion for patient education that led to roles as Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Coordinator and Assistant Director for Nursing Development. In this capacity she supervised the nursing Education Department as well as coordinated nursing research, quality assurance and professional development activities.
In 1991 she made a career change into secondary education, accepting a position as a science teacher at Coyle and Cassidy High School where she taught biology, anatomy and physiology and bioethics. Throughout her career, she has served as Science Department chairperson, vice principal of Academic Affairs and the school’s principal.
St. Laurent has been involved in several diocesan education initiatives such as the development of science standards, curriculum mapping, the development of a diocesan-wide teacher evaluation tool and implementation of a blended and personalized learning initiative.
Daniel S. Roy, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the diocese of Fall River, indicated, “Mrs. St. Laurent is a deeply committed and experienced educational leader, and we are very blessed to have her at the helm of this school. She has demonstrated an ability to implement state-of-the-art curriculum and programming as a nurse leader as well as in secondary education, including the expansion of STEM programs and personalized learning recently brought to Bishop Connolly students.”
“On behalf of the Board, I want to extend my congratulations to Kathy and offer my full confidence in her assuming this position,” added Roger Sullivan, chairman of the Central School Board. “Moreover, because of the uniqueness of this school year in particular, I am very appreciative of her leadership, medical knowledge, and numerous contributions to date.”
According to St. Laurent, the addition of College Board Capstone program occurred three years ago and the interest in the program has doubled from last year. “Bishop Connolly is well-known for the breadth of AP opportunities offered to students. The expansion of STEM courses and personalized learning greatly enhances the learning experience of all students. While I am very excited about the opportunity to lead this great school, I could not do it without the exceptional administration, faculty and staff to provide support. This team looked at the challenges brought on by the pandemic and only asked how they could help provide a solution.”
St. Laurent received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Southeastern Massachusetts University and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Rhode Island. She earned national certification in Catholic Health Care Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center.
An active participant in the Diocese of Fall River, she was appointed by Bishop Coleman to the Bishop’s Pastoral Council and the Massachusetts Catholic Conference Health Care Subcommittee. In 2012, she received the Live Each Day with Dignity award for her work in defeating the Massachusetts ballot initiative on physician-assisted suicide.
St. Laurent is a lector an Extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at St. Thomas More Parish, Somerset, and a recipient of the Marian Medal. She resides in Somerset with her husband of 40 years and they are the parents of two adult children.
The Catholic Schools Alliance comprises administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and clergy joined in partnership to educate the Interim Head of School for Bishop Connolly named continued from page two children of the Diocese of Fall River in Catholic faith and values. Our schools have a demanding educational culture that helps students from across the academic spectrum reach their God-given potential. With an emphasis on service and respect for the dignity of every person, we prepare students to meet the challenges of today’s diverse world and become meaningful contributors to society.
More information about the Catholic Schools Alliance can be found here.
