Monsignor Haddad Middle School Appoints New Principal

From Monsignor Haddad Middle School:

Needham, MA – Monsignor Haddad Middle School (MHMS), located in Needham, MA, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jay MacDonald as its new Principal for the 2016-2017 school year. As Principal of Monsignor Haddad Middle School, Mr. MacDonald will be the spiritual, instructional, and administrative head of the school, and is responsible for the operation of the school as a Catholic educational institution. He will lead the school in creating an environment that fosters academic excellence, Catholic faith formation, and vitality and viability. Mr. MacDonald will also be charged with creating a welcoming atmosphere for all members of the school community (faculty, staff, students, parents, and donors) and a climate that encourages the engagement of each student in the learning process while fostering a love for learning.

"We are very fortunate to have Jay MacDonald, a person with an exceptional record in furthering the mission of several very elite Catholic schools, as principal at MHMS, said Jane Abel, Head of School at Monsignor Haddad Middle School. “He possesses a unique understanding and expertise of the developmental stages of the middle school child and the best practices to allow the child to reach his full potential. I look forward to the opportunity to work closely with this talented educator and administrator.”

Mr. MacDonald is a native Bostonian, having grown up in South Boston as a member of St. Augustine Parish, where he was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur at St. Augustine Grammar School. He went on to Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury and developed there a life-long affiliation with the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Mr. MacDonald attended Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, graduating with a B.A. in English and minors in Education and Religious Education. He completed his graduate studies at Boston College with an M.Ed in School Administration.

Jay has taught and/or administered at the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels of Catholic education. His professional career has taken him to New York, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts, where he previously served in his hometown as President of his alma mater, Catholic Memorial, from 1999–2008. He has served as a director on numerous boards of schools and at Iona College as a trustee. Jay has also served as the Executive Director of the St. Vincent DePaul Society in Southwest Florida. It was there that he realized that the charitable arm of the Catholic Church does such wonderful and important work to help those in need, but felt called back to his passion, Catholic education, which “truly transforms lives forever.” Last year, he served as the President of Cristo Rey Boston High School. Mr. MacDonald is presently living in Hanover.

“It is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of so many dedicated faculty and administrators who have made Monsignor Haddad Middle School, the highly respected educational institution that it is. It is a humbling responsibility to be charged with leading this school which has formed so many young men and women to become people of faith and upstanding examples of what it means to be created in God’s image and likeness,” said Mr. Jay McDonald. “We are most like God when we use the gifts of our intellect to be creative, to grow and develop as ethical and moral people and to be aware of our responsibility to contribute to the common good and the care of the world and all of creation, especially those people most in need.”

Monsignor Haddad Middle School is hosting an Information Session for prospective students on November 6, 2016 at 4pm. Attendees will learn about MHMS academic offerings, the middle school community and extracurricular activities. The session will include a presentation, Q&A and tours.

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