Fall River school announces return of former teacher to become new principal

FALL RIVER, MA – Father David Frederici, Rector of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption and Pastor of Good Shepherd and Saint Stanislaus Parishes, has announced the appointment of Patricia Coady as the new principal of St. Stanislaus School. Coady is well known to the St. Stanislaus community as a current parishioner as well as previously a teacher at St. Stanislaus School.

For the past two years, Coady has been the fourth-grade teacher at St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet, where, in addition to managing the fourth-grade classroom, she assisted in creating and implementing a school-wide social-emotional learning program. Previous to St. Francis Xavier, Coady was a member of the St. Stanislaus School faculty for over 15 years, teaching both in the lower elementary grades as well as middle school. Her most recent assignment at St. Stanislaus School was teaching social studies for grades 5-8 as well as grade 8 religion.

“Leading this amazing Catholic school community has been a dream of mine and I am blessed to embark on this new journey,” said Coady. “My desire is not only to embrace and nourish our deep Polish and Catholic traditions but to also incorporate and celebrate traditions that reflect other cultures that are represented in our collaborative community. I am also determined to foster an environment in which the students will be supported and encouraged to be the best selves that they can be and enable them to discover their God given talents and callings.”

Father Frederici adds, “The search team was incredibly impressed with the commitment Patricia has demonstrated to the St. Stanislaus community as well as her vision for taking the school to the next level. Her experience at all levels of elementary education equips her to identify challenges and implement solutions in a collaborative and caring manner. The collaborative community is ready to support her in every way we can.”

“Our Catholic schools provide age-appropriate opportunities to foster a culture of virtue as taught by Jesus Christ,” explains Daniel S. Roy, Superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Fall River. “Moreover, we partner with families to ensure each student can flourish as they learn our Catholic faith integrated with foundational subjects such as reading, writing, math and social studies. Mrs. Coady has embraced these unique characteristics of Catholic education throughout her career and will continue to do so as she takes the helm of this school.”

Patricia Coady has a Masters in Elementary Education from Lesley University. In addition, she has a Master Teacher Certification in Contemporary Apologetics from the Magis Institute, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Catholic School Leadership from Creighton University and a Thanatology Certificate from Bristol Community College. She has presented and attended the Boston College Social and Emotional Learning Academy. Mrs. Coady’s undergraduate degree is in English and psychology from St. Mary’s College. She and her husband, Rob, have three children and are active members of the St. Stanislaus Parish. They reside in North Dartmouth, MA.