St. Mark Catholic School has announced the appointment of Darcie Girmus as principal for the 2014-2015 Academic Year. Girmus, one of the original founding faculty members of St. Mark Catholic School, has served the School community since its opening in August 2003.
Prior to having been named principal, Girmus was the St. Mark middle school science teacher, and was named assistant principal in 2010. She also taught 17 years in a public school in Nebraska. In 2003, Girmus and her family moved to Virginia from the state of Nebraska where they literally “sold the farm” to fulfill her lifelong dream of teaching in a Catholic School. A graduate of the University of Nebraska, Girmus holds degrees in elementary education, curriculum and instruction, and her most recent Master of Education in Administration and Supervision is from Marymount University. Girmus and her husband Greg are parishioners of St. Mark Catholic Church and live nearby. Their two adult sons, Garret and Brandon, are college graduates and live and work in Washington, D.C. and Detroit. Brandon was a member of St. Mark’s first graduating class, in 2005.
A passionate school leader, Girmus’ priority as newly appointed principal is “to build on the tradition of a compassionate, Christ-centered community that is St. Mark Catholic School, while working to enhance the skills, gifts, and talents of each individual student.” Goals for this year include enhancing technology and the amount of “hands-on” science activities in the lower grades, helping children to learn to think critically and innovatively, improving school security, and providing instruction in, and opportunities for, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
“Rooted in faith, knowledge, and service,” St. Mark Catholic School students share the light of Christ in all of their endeavors both in and out of the classroom. The school enrolls children in grades peschool through 8. Graduates generally attend Diocesan High Schools: Paul VI and Bishop O’Connell, Archdiocese of Washington Schools: Gonzaga College High School and Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in D.C. as well as other local private and public high schools. In just nine short years of graduations, St. Mark alumni have made their mark on both the country and the world, attending colleges and universities including Embry Riddle, Notre Dame, William and Mary, UVA, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and JMU.
For more information about St. Mark Catholic School, visit www.stmark.org, or call 703-281-9103.