Welcome to Our New Principal!

 

With thanksgiving to Almighty God, I am happy to announce that Mr. Dan Courtney is the new Principal of Christ the Redeemer Catholic School.

 

Mr. Courtney comes to us from St. John Paul II Catholic School in Houston, where he has been Assistant Principal for 11 years. In that time he has had direct supervision of the upper grades and been hands-on in administration with the lower grades as well. He has been instrumental in overseeing curriculum review and coordination, standardized testing review, and student discipline. In his tenure at St. John Paul II he chaired the school's Governance, Administration and Management Committee during the Texas Catholic Conference of Education Department's accreditation process, and provided support leading to the awarding of a National Blue Ribbon Exemplary School recognition for the school in 2008.

 

Some of his most recent and ongoing accomplishments include the development of a remedial and Gifted & Talented program (STRETCH), and leading a yearly parenting workshop, "Parenting the Love and Logic Way," as well as creating a Father's Fellowship Program which has been successful in bringing more fathers into involvement with the school.

 

Prior to his 11 years at St. John Paul II, Mr. Courtney was the Pre-K and Elementary Principal of Pan American School of Bahia in Brazil, an American school for children of U.S. expats working in that country. There he initiated and supervised the development of a standards-based Science and Social Studies curriculum, an accelerated Reader and Math program, and a Writing Assessment program. In his seven years of teaching experience before moving into the Principal position he taught 2nd, 5th, and 7th grades, so he has a wide-range of classroom experience with all grade levels.

 

Beyond his resumé, however, is his character and vision. Mr. Courtney comes to us with the highest recommendations from his colleagues at St. John Paul II School and officials of the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. He's widely admired for his attention to detail, especially in curriculum development, his thoroughness and fairness in dealing with students and parents, and inspiring others to strive for and to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

 

Personally, I have known Mr. Courtney for many years, dating back to my six years of service on the School Board for St. John Paul II. In that time I watched him grow into a leader with a singular focus on getting the best out of his students and staff. He's an excellent communicator who will work parents so that they are partners with the school in seeing their children succeed academically and in life. He's a husband, father, and a man of a deep and abiding faith.

 

I'm overjoyed that Mr. Courtney has accepted our offer to be Principal. I know he brings many gifts and talents that will help CtR Catholic School achieve even greater heights in the coming years. He's excited about shepherding our inaugural 8th grade class, overseeing the construction of our new Redeemer Activity Center and the many programs it will hold, and strengthening our core Catholic values of faith, hope, and love.

 

Mr. Courtney officially starts on July 1, but he's eager to get a jump-start on the upcoming school year and will begin meeting with staff and reaching out to parents in the coming weeks. We'll look to schedule an opportunity to "Meet and Greet" him at some point during the summer. He truly wants to hear your stories, hopes, and dreams and begin working with all of us to build CtR Catholic School into a place where hearts are formed and minds are inspired.

 

We'll have more to share with you in the coming weeks, but for now, please join me in welcoming Mr. Courtney to CtR Catholic School. May God bless him in his ministry to our students, parents, and staff.

 

Sincerely,

Fr. Sean Horrigan