Christ the Teacher Catholic School in Newark will have a familiar face at the helm as the new school year opens later this year.
Bishop Malooly has appointed Stephen W. Adams as the next principal of Christ the Teacher effective July 1. He replaces Sister LaVerne King, the school’s founding principal who is retiring after 19 years.
Adams was selected from among a pool of 10 applicants for the job, according to a news release from the Diocese of Wilmington Catholic schools office.
“The search committee expressed great confidence in his leadership skills in recommending him to the pastors and Bishop Malooly,” according to the statement.
The committee said it determined Adams has both the education and experience necessary to lead the school and build upon the strong leadership of Sister LaVerne.
Adams said he looks forward to his new role serving the school “with its strong Catholic/Mercy identity, excellent academics, faculty/parental support, and opportunities for service to teach as Christ did.”
He is a graduate of University of Delaware with a master of education degree from Wilmington University. He also completed a graduate extension program for new and aspiring principals at Harvard University and the Emmaus Program, a 20-month program for Catholic school leaders, at Boston College. He is enrolled in a doctoral program in educational leadership at the American College of Education. He holds a Continuing License with the State of Delaware and is certified as a Principal/Assistant Principal, School Leader 1, and Teacher of Middle Level Mathematics Grades 6-8.
In his career, Adams has served the Diocese of Wilmington in a variety of roles. He began his career as a math and technology teacher in Grades 3-8 at St. Helena School and moved to a middle school religion, science, and math teacher for six years at Holy Angels School. He was named assistant principal at All Saints Catholic School where he served for two years before becoming assistant principal at Christ the Teacher Catholic School in 2015.
In addition to his school-related responsibilities, he has been the Director of Liturgy and Music at St. John the Baptist-Holy Angels Parish since 2009. He is an active member with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools having served as a visiting team member and chairperson and currently as a member of the Domestic Schools Advisory Committee. He has been a participant in the Honeywell International Space Academy for Educators where he spent one-week in professional development related to STEM education at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., and he was selected as one of 18 educators from across the United States to participate in an 11-day program in Israel for Jewish-Christian relations and Holocaust education sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League.
Christ the Teacher currently has enrolled 619 students in Pre-K3 through Grade 8.
It is a regional elementary school sponsored by four parishes: St. Margaret of Scotland in Newark, Holy Family in Newark, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Bear and St. Joseph in Middletown.
