Beth O'Reilly

SCB Families,

I am thrilled to join your community and lead the school alongside you all. I have heard about the amazing team and community here at Saint Charles and I am so excited to become a part of it. 

To start, many of you probably know that I am coming from St. Pats - and as a parent of students who attended Catholic schools and as a teacher who has taught in one, I understand the values of Catholic education. I know the unique struggle we have gone through this year and I have heard great things about how Saint Charles school and the families here have responded. The challenges of this past year have reminded us all of the importance of not only meeting the academic needs of our students, but equally as important, their social and emotional needs. It has not been an easy task for anyone, but Catholic schools in particular have been and are uniquely positioned to meet this challenge. At Saint Charles, we will continue to embrace this challenge as we have always done. 

Allow me to share a little bit about myself. I am a Tacoma native and a product of 2 decades of Catholic education - I attended St. Pats, Bellarmine Prep, Gonzaga University, Boston College, Saint Martin's University, and the Catholic Institute in Paris.... to name a few. My parents saw the importance of a Faith-based education and I have been fortunate to serve in our Catholic community as I have grown my educational career. I see the beauty and strength of the community that is created around a Catholic school and how the parents and faculty and staff can create an environment where students feel safe, challenged, and loved. To be able to work and lead in this environment is a gift that is beyond measure. I feel like our Catholic extended community in Tacoma is something very special and Saint Charles is right in the middle of it. I am honored to now be a part of it. 

I have a little more unique story to my journey to becoming a principal. I have actually only taught for 4 years - 1 year student-teaching AP English at Lincoln High School here in Tacoma, and then 3 years at Saint Pats as their middle school English and French teacher. This year, in addition to teaching, I was also the principal intern and middle school division chair. I came into education after a long career in Finance and Project Management in Engineering and Mobile Telecommunications. One day I listened to the Holy Spirit's call to do something different and after a little work and a Masters in Teaching, I began again. I was lucky to have the support of my family as I began my new career. My husband and I have two children - a sophomore at Bellarmine and a sophomore at Gonzaga University. I actually was fortunate enough to teach my youngest at St. Pats. (Well, I don't think he thought he was lucky, but I did). We are looking forward to joining the Saint Charles parish together. 

My educational philosophy is one that is centered on the whole child - or the Ignatian philosophy of cura personalis, or care for the entire person. We have to see our children as individuals and unique creations of God who possess their own gifts, challenges, needs and possibilities. We have to create an environment where we can celebrate and support each student and meet them where they need us to be, all the while setting high expectations and providing a challenging curriculum for them to learn and thrive. And finally, we have to ensure the environment is safe and one in which students feel free and comfortable to learn and grow. The most important thing to me is for each student to know they are loved and cared for, and that we hold them to high expectations and are working together for their success. Students cannot learn without adults who provide those necessary ingredients. 

In addition to my educational philosophy, my leadership philosophy is to create an environment where the faculty and team can learn and grow in their own practice, and to foster a school culture where everyone feels a part of an inclusive and vibrant community. Simply put, I really want to have fun together as a school community. Also importantly, as a leader I value solid business management principles, ensuring that the school continues to be financially and operationally viable well into the future. 

I will start this new role by meeting our students and faculty, taking a look at our current levels of student achievement and curriculum; thinking and learning about our school culture as it relates to students, staff, and parents, and asking a lot of questions. I am always open to feedback and I look forward to hearing from all of you as we begin planning for the fall. 

I have a complete open door policy. Anyone at any time can contact me, and I hope to set up meetings soon to meet the community in smaller, more informal settings. My email has been set up - thanks to the quick technical support group here. I also know we have some hiring to do as well, so we move into summer fully staffed. I look forward to learning about the Saint Charles culture, meeting everyone, and helping as we move into our next school year. 

Saint Charles Borromeo, 

Pray for us.