Winter 2008 - Sacred Heart Schools

James Everitt named Principal
of Sacred Heart Prep
“James embodies
what it means to be
an educator of the
Sacred Heart. He listens
without distraction, he
holds the needs of the
whole child at the center
of every conversation
and he clearly shows in
his words and actions
that he cares about each
and every one of us.”
–an SHS faculty member
18
H e a r t o f t h e M a t t e r Wi n t e r 2 0 0 8
In November 2007, James Everitt was named Principal of Sacred
Heart Prep by Director of Schools Rich Dioli. after serving as Interim
Principal since July 2007. He replaced Mr. Dioli, who had served
as Principal of Sacred Heart Prep for fourteen years and assumed
the role of Director of Schools in July 2007. Although a nationwide
search took place to find a permanent principal for Sacred Heart
Prep, the clear consensus among all constituency groups who took
part in the search process including parents, faculty, staff, students,
and trustees, was that there was no need to search any further
than our own execeptional Interim Principal, Mr. James Everitt.
According to Mr. Dioli, “James possesses a strong vision for Sacred
Heart Prep that includes a deep understanding of curriculum design
and implementation. He has a strong commitment to progressive
education and believes that Sacred Heart Prep is at the threshold of
offering a world class, global education that speaks to the needs of
our time. His knowledge of Sacred Heart education and his ability
to work so well with students, colleagues, parents, trustees and the
administration have convinced me that he is a perfect choice for
Principal.”
In a letter to the current families at Sacred Heart, Mr. Dioli wrote
the following, “One of the key strengths that James will bring to
Sacred Heart Prep is a vision and an educational philosophy that is
rooted in the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education. He is
an extremely rare individual who not only is familiar with both the
breadth and depth of Sacred Heart education but understands the
charism and goals of the Sacred Heart community and its Formation
to Mission. He also understands the rigor of the academics at Sacred
Heart Prep and wants to enhance the curriculum with a strong
interdisciplinary approach.”
James first came on board at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton in
August of 2001 serving in numerous roles at SHS including Religious
Studies instructor, Department Head of Religious Studies, Personal
Counselor, Freshman Academic Advisor, Director of the Office of
Mission Formation, and Director of the Office of Equity, Justice
and Multicultural Education. Regardless of the positions he has held
here, what he has enjoyed most about his experience at SHS is his
relationship with his colleagues and the students.
According to one SHP faculty member, “James Everitt possesses
a unique combination of loving kindness along with firmness and
commitment to doing what is right. He is a deeply spiritual person to
whom others are drawn for his warmth, guidance and acceptance. As
a leader, James’ creative vision for the future holds great promise for
Sacred Heart.”
Before coming to Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, James worked
at our sister school in Houston, Texas, the Duchesne Academy of