Sister Katherine Rossini
Principal, Carondolet Catholic School :: May 2003
You have been selected to receive a Sullivan Ballou award because of the
enormous contributions of time, energy, talent, and love you have made so selflessly to the
thousands of children who have passed through your care in your 11 years as principal of
Christ the King I St. Thomas the Apostle School. At this school children not only receive
academic training that, based on standardized testing, consistently ranks at the top
of aU schools in the metropolitan area, but they are taught how to live in a community of
honorable people who care about each other. This city is full of the thankful products of
your school who are now better parents, better citizens, and better people than they would
have been without you.
Central to your success as principal has been your ability to recruit, train, and nurture teachers in the kind of supportive environment that frees their energies for the children who need them. Confirmation of this quality can quickly be found by talking to just about any members of the faculty. They told us things like this:
Sister Katherine teaches by example her respect for the teachings of the church. Her staff is always reminded to look for the forgotten child, the lonely soul who needs a friend .
Sister Katherine has the strength of character that all true leaders possess. They are honesty, straightforward answers, and treating all the people that work with her equally.
It is through her gentle leadership that we have been able to build such a strong community.
Sister Katherine is a calm, focused person who sees the overall good and positive potential in our school. .. She offers advice while allowing individuals to make choices and then wholeheartedly supports those decisions.
Teaching and learning involve risk. With this risk comes fear offailure. Sister Katherine empowers, challenges, supports and nurtures each of us as we take these necessary risks within our classroom so our students can succeed outside the classroom.
Congratulations!
Elissa and Bruce Peterson, Founding Members