As the end of the school year quickly approaches, it’s time to look forward to the future. Next year’s administrative team was recently announced, and many changes have occurred.

Principal

A giant change will occur next year as we wish farewell to interim principal Ms. Cathy Fetter and welcome St. Dominic’s first alumni principal, Mrs. Stacy Stewart from the class of ‘89. Mrs. Stewart is coming to us from Fort Zumwalt West. She is in her 24th year of experience in secondary education, including 17 years as an assistant principal at Fort Zumwalt West High School.

“I am thrilled to be coming back home to become a bigger part in the SDHS community. Thirty years ago I was a student, the past four years a parent of a student, and now, I am excited about filling the role as principal…When a school can put together faith, education and service and do it as well as St. Dominic, there is no question about wanting to be involved in this community as an educator,” Stewart said.

Mrs. Stewart has high hopes for what she can bring to the table as our new principal.

“My favorite part of being an educator is to identify the talents of teachers and help them improve their craft to make an impact in student learning. My hope is that the work I do with teachers will have a tremendous impact on what the student experiences in the classroom,” Stewart said.

Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction

After serving as the Dean of Students for three years, Mrs. Suzie Mennemeier will be moving to Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction. You will find her in classrooms much more often, collaborating with teachers to help students make the most of the their time in the classroom and prepare them for future success.

“I am very excited to be the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction for the 2019-2020 school year. I look forward to working with teachers and students to find ways to improve on our already strong academic presence while emphasizing our number one goal of emulating Jesus Christ in all that we say and do,” Mennemeier said.

Mrs. Mennemeier has had many roles in the St. Dominic community during her 15 years, serving as a teacher, coach, Dean of Students and now an assistant principal.

“This new role is something I see as an opportunity to serve our wonderful community in a new capacity that is essential to our growth as a school and community,” Mennemeier said.

Assistant Principal for Student Life

Mrs. Nikki Schuler is taking on the role of newly added Assistant Principal for Student Life. “Student life” consists of all interests outside of academics, like new and existing clubs, athletics and much more.

“I am so excited about this new position. From my very first day on campus, I fell in love with St. Dominic and the spirit that exists here, not only for our school and athletics, but also for each other and for Christ. It is an honor to be able to foster and grow this spirit in a larger capacity for our student body,” Schuler said.

Mrs. Schuler will be making sure that every student at St. Dominic feels connected to others and that they have a place where they can express themselves and their interests.

“This new role is going to be invaluable when it comes to promoting school spirit, fostering student leaders and making St. Dominic feel like home for our students and staff,” Schuler said.

Dean of Students and Activities Director

Mr. Nathan Tock from the class of ‘03 is another also returning to St. Dominic. Before moving to Troy Buchanan High School, Mr. Tock began his teaching career at St. Dominic as a social studies teacher. He spent five years here and is excited to be welcomed back to his high school alma mater.

“I very much am looking forward to building relationships with you guys and watching you develop mentally and spiritually. St. Dominic is a special community and I cannot wait to begin doing everything in my power to make sure that high school is a special experience,” Tock said.

As Mr. Tock will be taking over the position Mrs. Mennemeier currently has, he wants everyone to know:

“One thing that I have picked up in my 11 years of teaching is that outlook is everything. I’m going to make mistakes, kids are going to make poor decisions, we are all going to have our Tuesdays where the week seems never-ending and we are all hunkering down trying to survive. But knowing that you have a confidant and are supported by me, and truly believing that I have your best interests at heart is going to allow all of us to become better people.”

With many changes in the works, it’s always nice to have some familiar faces sticking around as well. Next year, Mr. Jim Welby will stay our President, Mr. Kevin Roberts will remain our Athletic Director, Mrs. Sarah Wehde will return as our Director of Advancement and Mrs. Bobbie Peters will continue as our Director of Admissions. They will be giving a warm welcome to those joining them, so be sure you do too!