My Story

Welcome to the St. Patrick’s Blog! I thought I would add some pages to the blog that would give you a little inside glimpse into me and the things I like and also into what topics in education I think are important.

I am Irish and proud of it. I am also a huge Notre Dame football fan (Go Irish!). I was lucky enough to be able to attend the ND vs Temple game at the Linc in October – it was such an electric atmosphere and although I felt bad for Temple, I was glad the Irish pulled off a win!  I love watching football and the Eagles are my professional team although Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos is my favorite player. I enjoy going to Phillies games when they are winning – so, I did not go that much last season! 

I have the best job in the world because ever since I was in 7th grade I always wanted to be a teacher. Now that I am a principal it is a little different, but I am glad I still am able to be around children and help them grow closer to Jesus. They make me laugh and I learn new things from them all the time!

Being the principal of St. Patrick School is wonderful! We have great teachers and students and every day I love coming to work! We work hard at St. Pat’s everyday to provide the best education for all of our students.

Our state of the art science lab and program helps deepen the thinking processes of our students – allowing them to ask good questions, observe results, and explore using hands-on techniques. This school year we are focused on providing Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STREAM) learning through a focus on water in our environment. Students are studying the water cycle, collecting and filtering water, and participating in “The Water Project.” This cross-curricular learning will spur passion and deeper thinking. We have also initiated a “House” program within our middle school grades. “House” allows us to have smaller communities within the larger one. It is our hope that “House” will promote team spirit and competition, as well as provide peer support and leadership among our middle school students. Genius Hour in grades 2-4 allows students to choose what they want to learn, research their topic, and present their findings to their classmates. Our new Pre-K3 program is strong and booming. Lots of learning is taking place in the context to play and exploration.

We work hard and we play hard! Our sports teams focus on having fun and learning the skills. St. Pat’s teams are known for their outstanding sportsmanship and this recognition makes us very proud. We have a lot of fun and have a very warm and welcoming atmosphere throughout our school!

When I have free time the things I like are: being with my family, reading, coloring (only with pointy crayons – my nieces and nephew call me a “crayon snob!”), going to the beach, watching Notre Dame football, working out – I love to run – picture of Mayer Nutter and me after the 2015 Broad Street Run -swim and ride my bike – , cutting the grass, planting flowers, and playing with my dog, Bailey. On occasion, I can be found playing Pac Man, Zuma and a few other computer games – some are even educational! I also like playing the Wii and my favorite game is Mario Cart – I am always up for a challenge to take someone on! One of my favorite events during the year is going on vacation with my 8 nieces and 2 nephews.

A summer day in Avalon, NJ

Over the years I have compiled a “bucket list.” I have had  wonderful opportunities to complete some of these adventures. Here are a few of them: driving a race car at Pocono Raceway – I hit 152mph, skydiving, swimming with dolphins, riding in a hotair balloon, seeing a Notre Dame football game in South Bend, traveling to Stanford University to see my cousin start at fullback and linebacker for the Cardinal, competing and finishing  marathons, half-marathons and triathalons, white water rafting, and parasailing. My list never seems to diminish because I am always adding to it – thinking about some skeet shooting to add to my list.

I hope these pages provides resources for the reader as well as a glimpse into some of the topics and issues I think are important in Catholic education. I would also like you to meet Bailey, my trained Therapy Dog. She services hospital and nursing home patients,  teachers and students. She came to visit here at Saint Pat’s and she really loved being around all the kids!

If you have any comments – future topics you would like discussed, etc.or questions, please feel free to contact me at: podonnell@saintpatrickmalvern.org.  I would love to hear from you.

Preparing for my drive!