Chicago (December 19, 2005) Ms. Barbara Snopek, principal of St. Francis Xavier School in LaGrange, is one of 12 principals nationwide to receive the Distinguished Principal Award from the Department of Elementary Schools of the National Catholic Education Association, (NCEA), the largest, private, professional educational association in the world.

Snopek will be honored at special ceremonies and a banquet on the opening evening of the annual NCEA convention to be held in Atlanta, April 17-20, 2006, and given special recognition by the Office of Catholic Schools during its annual Heart of the Schools Awards ceremony on January 19, 2006.

The recipients of this award, which recognizes outstanding leadership in Catholic elementary schools, come from the 12 geographic regions that compose the NCEA Department of Elementary Schools. Brother Robert Bimonte, Executive Director of the NCEA Department of Elementary Schools said, “The commitment of these principals to academic excellence and dedication to young people are the reasons parents choose Catholic schools.”

“Barbara Snopek is an administrator who turns vision into reality,” according to Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese, who adds, “She initiated St. Francis Xavier School’s Resource Program because of her desire to assist students struggling academically as well as those who require more academic challenge.” That program has grown from two certified staff members to four with specialties in psychology, special education, primary education, math and language arts.

Fellow teachers and administrators say Snopek is excellent at recognizing the talents of her teachers and helps to develop them by providing varied opportunities for professional

growth, including pursuing advanced degrees. They also credit her for being an example of one who merges her responsibilities as a spiritual and educational leader to her students and staff.

St. Francis Xavier parent, Roberta Morris, who recommended Snopek for the NCEA honor, recalls her children’s principal as one who recognized the importance of educating the whole child. “She implemented programs focusing on the social and emotional development of the child such as school-wide discipline, anti-bulling and peer mediation programs,” Morris notes.

Fellow principal Maureen Colin, who administers nearby St. John of the Cross School in Western Springs, describes Snopek as someone who is “open to new ideas, intuitive, and a good listener.” “Barbara has often helped to find solutions to problems her colleagues may be facing,” adds Colin.

Snopek, who served as principal at St. Genevieve in Chicago and St. Suzanna in Harvey before coming to St. Francis Xavier in 1989, easily gives credit to her staff for many of the innovations and improvements at her school. During the first year of her administration the faculty worked together to research, plan, write and implement new curricula throughout the school. Enrollment went from 320 then to 709 students today, the majority of whom test above the 75 th percentile in all academic areas on standardized tests.

Snopek received a bachelor degree in education from DeLourdes College, formerly located in DesPlaines, and a Masters degree in Teaching Science (MST) in Psychology from Catholic University of America, and an Administrative Certification from Loyola University, Chicago. She taught in Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools for ten years before becoming a principal. Her leadership extends beyond the local school having served on advisory committees of the archdiocese’s Office of Catholic Schools and as an officer of the Archdiocesan Principals Association.

The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical role in the life of the community by providing academic excellence and faith formation for students of many races, faiths and backgrounds in elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties. There are 218 elementary and 40 secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago. To locate a Catholic school in your area and learn more about Catholic education in Cook and Lake counties, visit the Office of Catholic Schools web page on the Archdiocese of Chicago web site at www.archchicago.org.