Quincy, MA – March 30, 2010 -- The Board of Trustees for Quincy Catholic Academy announced the appointment of Paul G. Kelly as Principal. Mr. Kelly currently serves as Principal of Saint Joseph Elementary School in Needham, MA.
Born and raised in Quincy, Mr. Kelly attended Sacred Heart School in North Quincy through the fourth grade before moving on to the Boston Choir School in Cambridge. After graduating from Westfield State College in Westfield, MA with a degree in Music Education, Mr. Kelly taught music at St. Ann School in Wollaston. In 1997, he earned his Master’s Degree in Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts and has since served as principal of Saint Joseph Elementary in Needham. A resident of Braintree, Mr. Kelly is also the Director of Music at St. John the Baptist Parish in Quincy.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to become part of such an exciting and substantial initiative as the establishment of Quincy Catholic Academy. We have an exceptional team of educators and staff to help us launch the school and we look forward to creating an educational environment that is second to none in its Catholic mission,” said Mr. Kelly. “I want to thank the pastors of the parishes of Sacred Heart, St. Ann and St. Mary for having the vision and commitment to move forward on behalf of the families and students of Quincy.”
Rev. David P. Callahan, Rev. John W. O’Brien, Rev. John J. Ronaghan, the pastors of Sacred Heart, St. Ann and St. Mary parishes stated “We are pleased to welcome Paul to this important position and to extend our support and prayers for his work as the first principal of the newly established Quincy Catholic Academy. He brings to the position an extensive background rooted in Catholic education and a desire to create an environment that allows our students to succeed. We look forward to a great beginning for our new Academy.”
Dr. Mary Grassa O’Neill, Secretary for Education/Superintendent for Catholic Schools, said “Paul Kelly is an outstanding selection as the first principal of Quincy Catholic Academy. He has a proven track record of success and we are thrilled that he has accepted the invitation to lead the new Academy.”
Since 1997, Mr. Kelly has served as Principal of Saint Joseph Elementary in Needham, MA. Among his many accomplishments, Saint Joseph Elementary earned New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation in 2004 which has experienced an increase in standardized tests results for all grades. At St. Joseph’s, he instituted and supported an extensive Fine Arts Program, a Before School Program and an After-School Enrichment Program (i.e, math club, science club, writing club, among others) and oversaw the creation of the school web site and the development of the Parent School Association. Prior to his current position at Saint Joseph School, Mr. Kelly served as a Music Teacher at Archbishop Williams High School and as Director of Music at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham.
Evidencing the rigor of the new academy, the search process for Mr. Kelly involved two phases. In the first phase, parents, teachers, principals from surrounding schools, and representatives from the Catholic School Office of the Archdiocese of Boston reviewed all applications, conducted interviews, and recommended two finalists to a Selection Committee. In the second phase of the search process, the Selection Committee interviewed the finalists and concluded with an overwhelming endorsement of Mr. Kelly. Selection Committee members included Father Callahan, Father O’Brien, Father Ronaghan, Dr. Mary Grassa O’Neill, staff from the Catholic Schools Office, and selected area principals.
Quincy Catholic Academy will open at the present Sacred Heart School location in the fall of 2010 and serve grades PreK-8. By combining existing assets and drawing on the active assistance of new educational partners, the pastors are confident that Quincy Catholic Academy will be successful in fulfilling the mission and ministry of Catholic education. In coordination with the Catholic Schools Office, the pastors, joined by Quincy Catholic educators and community members, are developing a comprehensive plan to ensure a strong Catholic educational community for current and future generations of students.
About the Archdiocese of Boston: The Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of nearly 2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 292 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 46,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156,000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of 200,000 individuals through its pastoral and social service outreach and in support of a health care ministry that meets the needs of some 1 million patients each year. Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit www.BostonCatholic.org.