Leadership & Governance

Each diocesan Catholic school is registered as a separate entity in their particular jurisdiction.

The Bishop is the principal head of every Catholic school and is supported by an Executive Assistant, Schools Boards, and School administrators.

Summary of Key Diocesan Catholic Schools Personnel

THE MOST REVEREND BISHOP

The Bishop, as a successor of the Apostles, is entrusted with proclaiming the gospel and teaching

doctrine. By virtue of the office of Bishop, he appropriates full responsibility for the educational

apostolate. He collaborates with others in this work by appointing agencies and individuals to

assist him.

The Executive Assistant for Catholic Schools (EACS) is the appointed representative of the diocesan Bishop. The ECAS works to create and maintain an environment of collaboration among all schools in the diocese. This Officer supports the pastor(s), administrators, and school personnel. The Executive Assistant for Catholic Schools, by virtue of being the representative of the bishop, may attend meetings of the School Board in an Ex-Officio capacity. This officer reports directly to the Bishop.

A Board, comprised of members drawn from among parents, parishioners, alumni and the general community, is responsible for the educational, financial, personnel, and maintenance policies of each school within the diocesan school system. The Board shall oversee the affairs of the school subject to those limitations which are set forth in its constitution, the Education Act, and the laws of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as those limitations provided by the Members.

The schedule of meetings shall be determined by the Board at its first sitting. It shall however endeavour to meet at least once per term or as outlined in the constitution. All meetings of the Board shall be convened by the Chairperson, or in the absence of the Chairperson, by the Deputy Chairperson.

The Principal may from time to time request that a meeting of the Board be convened for the purpose of addressing significant matters requiring the urgent attention of the Board. Such requests shall be subject to the approval of the Chairperson.

The Chairperson of the Board presides at all meetings; determines the agenda with the Principal (in collaboration with the pastor as needed); assigns additional duties to members; appoints members to committees; oversees committee activities and guides Board consensus on future

plans for the institution. Subject to the Members’ approval, he/she is empowered to sign contracts for and on behalf of the school, within the parameters set forth in the constitution.

The Parish Priest shall be designated by the Bishop. His primary responsibilities shall be to provide spiritual guidance to the administration, staff and students. He shall also be tasked in ensuring that the physical plant is well maintained to permit the uninterrupted provision of educational services. This shall be achieved in collaboration with the Principal and the maintenance personnel.

The Head of School may attend meetings of the School Board in an ex-officio capacity (there are no voting rights but he may speak on topics of discussion).

The Head of School shall not assume the responsibilities so assigned to the Principal, except in extra-ordinary cases where the Bishop may deem this necessary.

The principal is the administrator of the school and as such is responsible for its spiritual climate, organization, supervision, instructional programming, and discipline according to the terms of the contract and the policies and procedures of the Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre. The principal works cooperatively with the bishop/his representative, the Board and teachers in fulfilling the mission of the school. It is therefore recommended that each school have a full-time principal who is free of classroom responsibilities.

In the absence of the principal or assistant principal, a faculty member (teacher in charge) must be designated to temporarily fulfill the principal’s responsibilities. If the principal and assistant principal are to be absent for an extended period of time (i.e., a week or more), it is recommended that a substitute be arranged for the teacher in charge who is to assume the responsibilities of the principal. The principal must notify the Board and the Exec. Asssistant of any situation that may necessitate his/her extended absences from school.

The assistant principal is designated by the School Board as the assistant administrator and

assumes all duties assigned by the principal. The position of Deputy Principal shall not be a

fulltime position, but every effort shall be made to adjust his/her workload to permit for effective

functioning in this role.

Catholic School teachers must exemplify the ideals of Catholic Christian living. Teachers responsibilities include:

• Integration of the Mission of the Catholic Schools into daily activities and instruction

• Adherence to the Code of Ethics for Catholic School Educators

• Commitment to the philosophy, spirit, and purpose of the school

• Commitment to the health, safety and welfare of the students

• Conscientious preparation of lessons. Copies of lesson plans must be submitted as requested by the principal. Lesson plans must be based upon the national curriculum guidelines approved by the Ministry of Education in the territory where the school is registered. Lesson objectives must be cited in lesson plans.

• Maintenance of accurate and current records of each individual student’s academic progress, attendance, and permanent records

• Participate in regular programmes of ongoing professional development as offered by the school and institutions of higher education

• Compliance with diocesan and school policies and procedures including but not limited to those outlined in the teachers’ handbook.

• The principal may request a meeting of the Board at anytime during the academic year.

Additional specific responsibilities, either before or after the school day, may be determined and required by the principal (e.g., attendance at graduation or other special school events).

The guidance counsellor shall be chiefly responsible for providing psycho-social support to students. He or she is required to support and educate students through a well-prepared counseling program, while also serving as a facilitator for the attaining of students’ academic or career goals, and assist them in developing their social and mental capacity, such that they may become mature and well-functioning adults. To this end, the counsellor shall be required to:

• Foster equal opportunity practices and encourage students’ association

• Pay attention to cultural or societal differences in dealing with the students

• Conduct group or individual counseling sessions to assist students with problems or concerns

• Assess students’ attributes and help them realize their strengths

• Identify behavioral problems or at-risk students and act appropriately

• Cooperate with parents and teachers as well as other interested parties

• Manage college activities and occupation day

He or she maintains and updates the administrative calendar for the principal, schedules and coordinates meetings. He or she is in charge of all files and shall have the responsibility of updating changes to names, addresses, and other pertinent details. The secretary shall also be responsible for scheduling the use of meeting rooms, contacting parents regarding absence of students and collaborating with teachers to schedule buses for planned field trips.

Other duties include liaising with the relevant agencies procure textbooks and creating booklists and class lists.

He or she works under the direction of the principal and performs duties such as receiving phone calls, taking deliveries, as well as handling incoming and outgoing mail. Additionally, the secretary shall assist with the registration of new students and teachers.

This officer, under the direction of the principal, is responsible for the management of student

tuition accounts and payments as well as the accounts payable. The officer is also expected to

collaborate with the Principal and School Board in the budget preparation process and the

management of all financial matters, and shall also be responsible for providing financial updates

on a monthly basis or as requested by the Principal.

The Accountant/Bursar issues purchase orders, verifies delivered materials, and procures office

supplies. All office supplies must be procured through the Office Supply Request forms located

in the Secretary’s office.