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St. Teresa’s students have seen her. Whether it is walking down the corridors of Donnelly Hall between classes, or sitting in her office with her Starbucks and iPhone in hand, principal for academic affairs, Barbara McCormick, is hard to miss.

‘I love just walking around [at STA], seeing the girls and the good time they are having in between classes,’ McCormick said.

Walking through the halls or in the Quad, McCormick feels the sisterhood that has drawn people to St. Teresa’s.

‘I did find….that true sense of community here [at STA],’ McCormick said.

McCormick can also be seen around school sitting in and observing classes.

‘The administration and I have goals for STA, and this is just one way I work to achieve those goals,’ McCormick said.

All of the goals the administration has for STA relate to the improvement of the school. A few of these goals are improving students’ comprehension of non-fiction reading and improving students’ abilities to analyze charts, graphs and other visuals.

‘By sitting in [on classrooms] I can see how the [administration’s] goals are being achieved by teachers and students,’ McCormick said.

Teachers work on incorporating the skills into classwork and lesson plans, and STA computer teacher Kathy McCarthy is just one teacher adding the new skills to her class agenda.

‘In my [computer applications] class, I have students reading non-fiction articles, and the students do projects involving graphs and charts on spreadsheet,’ McCarthy said.

Another reason McCormick has for sitting in on classes is to observe teachers and students.

‘[By sitting in on classes,] I can see how teachers and students are working, and I can see how the technology is being used around school,’ McCormick said.

According to McCormick, by looking in on the teachers and students she can ensure that the students are learning what they need to be successful in the future.

McCormick, along with other administrators and various boards, are working to achieve other goals as well. One such goal is media literacy. This has already been incorporated into STA through programs such as Moodle, PowerSchool, and the new TRAILS testing that was offered for the first time this year.

Both McCarthy and principal for student affairs, Mary Ann Hoecker, describe McCormick as ‘tech savvy’ and commend her work for incorporating technology into STA.

‘[Mrs. McCormick] has worked diligently with [the] administration, the technology committee, and others to transition STA into the one on one netbook initiative,’ McCarthy said.

By accomplishing the goals set by the administration, McCormick hopes to improve STA, but she also recognizes that many people are working to help the school.

‘It’s a community effort here,’ McCormick said.

According to Hoecker, the administration is sure that with McCormick and many teachers , the goals they have for STA will soon become a reality.