Category: School News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. (May 28, 2024) – Cardinal Newman High School (CNHS) hosted the 9th Annual Crusader Legacy Awards & Crusader Fund Appreciation Reception on May 23 at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in West Palm Beach. The reception honored alumni and benefactors of the school who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and contributions to CNHS and the community. Interim President John Clarke and Principal, Ed Curtin, presented the 2024 awards to deserving recipients in five distinctive categories.

“This year’s Legacy Award winners embody the spirit of service and dedication that defines our community,” said John Clarke, CNHS Interim President. “Their contributions have profoundly impacted both our school and the broader community.”

The Legacy Crusader Service Award was presented to Father Michael Cairnes ’04 for his service to CNHS and the community. Cairnes has served in various parishes and is now the Parochial Vicar at St. Ignatius of Loyola Cathedral. He remains active on the CNHS campus, frequently presiding over Masses.

The Legacy Community Leadership Award was given to Allison Kleisley ’91 for her leadership at CNHS and the community. Kleisley served as a teacher, cheerleading coach, senior class moderator, and director of

admissions at CNHS. She co-created the school mascot, Big Blue, led Cross Catholic Outreach Food Packing Events at CNHS and serves as Congressional Award Advisor for students in our community.

The Legacy Alumni Recognition Award went to Paula White ’91 for her professional achievements and volunteer contributions, which positively promoted CNHS to the community. White earned her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law and has practiced law in Palm Beach County while being deeply involved in volunteer work at CNHS and other schools.

The Legacy Honorary Alumni Award was presented to Karen Lower, Peggy Skantar, and Rev. Ducasse Francois. This award is given to friends of CNHS who are not alumni but whose contributions through activities demonstrate leadership and continued support. Lower has dedicated over 45 years to youth ministry and Catholic education, including various roles at CNHS. Skantar has contributed significantly to CNHS’s religious education program as a religion teacher for twenty-seven years and in various other roles.

Rev. Ducasse, has served in several parishes for over twenty years and is currently the Dean of the diocesan Central Deanery, supporting the school’s mission.

The Legacy Business Person of the Year Award was given to Tim Hulett ’71. Hulett grew his father’s pest control business into Hulett Environmental Services, employing over 200 people. He supports several community initiatives, including CNHS’s football program, annual Gala, and the Shaping the Future Campaign.

For more information about Cardinal Newman High School, visit cardinalnewman.com.

About Cardinal Newman High School:

Founded in 1961, Cardinal Newman is a premier Catholic college preparatory high school in West Palm Beach. It has a rich tradition of attracting gifted scholars, athletes, and artists who will become women and men of

character, faith, and intellect. Newman’s coeducational environment allows students to grow and develop in a safe and communal setting. Every classroom promotes collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, and each student receives the support required to achieve his/her personal best. The vision is to build life’s champions through faith, scholarship, servant leadership, and a strong family atmosphere. The 12,000 graduates have been war heroes, police chiefs, physicians, musicians, authors, researchers, politicians, lawyers, professional athletes, teachers, entrepreneurs, priests, and community leaders. Each Newman graduate is empowered to rise to every challenge and overcome every obstacle.

Distinguished highlights:

• Student/Teacher ratio of 12:1
• Average class size of 20
• 100% college matriculation
• Outstanding Fine Arts Program & extracurricular activities
• 22 teams in 14 sports
• 45+ acre campus for exploratory activities
• Students provide over 44,000 hours of community service annually
• Most affordable tuition among comparable private schools in the area

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Media Contact: Laura Zele, socialmedia@cardinalnewman.com, 561-307-3330

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. (May 29, 2024) – Cardinal Newman High School (CNHS) in West Palm Beach, FL, has announced the commencement of a national search for a new athletic director. This search follows the
departure of the outgoing athletic director, Reilly Campbell, who is returning to the Atlanta area to begin a
new position.

Interim President John Clarke expressed his gratitude for Campbell’s contributions, stating, “We deeply
appreciate Reilly Campbell’s dedication and hard work during his time at Cardinal Newman. His commitment
to our athletic programs and our students has been invaluable. We wish him all the best in his future
endeavors.”

To ensure continuity and maintain the high standards of the athletic programs, current Assistant Athletic
Director Ryan Partridge has been appointed as interim Athletic Director. With his experience as an
administrator and coach, Partridge is well-equipped to lead the athletic department during this transition
period.

As the school embarks on an exciting chapter in its sixty-third year of providing a premier college
preparatory education in Palm Beach County, the search for a new athletic director is a key priority. A search
committee is being finalized and will comprise a broad and diverse cross-section of the CNHS community,
ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive selection process. The committee will be tasked with finding a
leader who will continue to uphold the tradition of excellence in athletics at Cardinal Newman.

For more information about Cardinal Newman High School, visit cardinalnewman.com.

About Cardinal Newman High School:

Founded in 1961, Cardinal Newman is a premier Catholic college preparatory high school in West Palm
Beach. It has a rich tradition of attracting gifted scholars, athletes, and artists who will become women and men of character, faith, and intellect. Newman’s coeducational environment allows students to grow and
develop in a safe and communal setting. Every classroom promotes collaboration, creativity, and critical
thinking, and each student receives the support required to achieve his/her personal best. The vision is to
build life’s champions through faith, scholarship, servant leadership, and a strong family atmosphere. The
12,000 graduates have been war heroes, police chiefs, physicians, musicians, authors, researchers,
politicians, lawyers, professional athletes, teachers, entrepreneurs, priests, and community leaders. Each
Newman graduate is empowered to rise to every challenge and overcome every obstacle.

Distinguished highlights:

• Student/Teacher ratio of 12:1
• Average class size of 20
• 100% college matriculation
• Outstanding Fine Arts Program & extracurricular activities
• 22 teams in 14 sports
• 45+ acre campus for exploratory activities
• Students provide over 44,000 hours of community service annually
• Most affordable tuition among comparable private schools in the area

###

Media Contact:
Laura Zele, socialmedia@cardinalnewman.com, 561-307-3330

PalmBeachDailyNews_20240427_A01_0

The Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Palm Beach is pleased to announce that Charles S. Stembler has been appointed by Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop of Palm Beach, as the next President of Cardinal Newman High School, effective July 1, 2024. Mr. Stembler brings a variety of experiences in school administration at the prestigious Calvert Hall in Maryland, where he served as an administrator since 1990 and principal since 2013.

For the last 10 months, an extensive search for the President was conducted by a Search Committee that worked closely with Partners in Mission School Leadership Solutions, a nationally recognized firm working with Catholic schools in reviewing job candidates. Various constituent groups of Cardinal Newman High School also played an active role in the process to select a new President. The school is grateful to Cindy Cerbone (CNHS ’80), who chaired the committee, and to all the committee members for their dedication and commitment to the search process.

Mr. Stembler shared with the committee that, “as a Catholic school, we must be a place where students see God in one another. Christ must be at the center of all we do. Our faith must keep us centered in gospel values and in the Catholic Church. Students learn and thrive in an environment where they believe they are respected and cared for – a place where they enjoy being present each day. I am struck by the family atmosphere at Cardinal Newman and look forward to being a part of this vibrant community.”

Mr. Stembler holds two bachelor’s degrees from Loyola College in Baltimore, one in economics and one in political science, graduating summa cum laude. In addition, he earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Loyola College, also graduating summa cum laude. While serving Calvert Hall as an administrator, Mr. Stembler exhibited visionary leadership and created a scholar honors program, a leadership institute for upperclassmen, an engineering program to expand elective offerings, an academic success program for college-bound students with language-based disabilities, a testing center, a more robust activities program and a new e-gaming arena, in addition to other school improvements.

Regarding the appointment, Bishop Barbarito remarked, “I am thankful for Mr. Stembler’s extensive administrative experience at Calvert Hall, which will be a great benefit to Cardinal Newman High School and our diocese.”

Thanks to the efforts of Interim President John Clarke, Cardinal Newman has continued to grow and prosper since his appointment in July 2023. Mr. Clarke will remain in his role at Cardinal Newman until July 1, 2024, when he will resume his role as Associate Superintendent of the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Palm Beach, assisting with a smooth transition for Mr. Stembler.

“Cardinal Newman High School is on the cutting edge of changes that will continue moving this educational
establishment forward as one of the premier private high schools in Florida,” said Jim Arrigo, chairman of the Cardinal Newman School Advisory Council. “The news of Chuck Stembler becoming the next president of Cardinal Newman High School shows the commitment that this school has to excellence. The community welcomes Chuck and his family from one of the largest private Catholic Schools in the country, Calvert Hall in Maryland, to Palm Beach County.”

The Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Palm Beach is pleased to announce that Mr. John F. Clarke has been appointed by the Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito, DD, JCL, as the Interim President of Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach for a one-year term, effective July 1, 2023. This appointment is in addition to his current responsibilities as Associate Superintendent of Schools. John brings more than 30 years of experience in Catholic schools and universities to this role.

John started his career in education as an English and journalism teacher at his alma mater, Chaminade High School in New York. He then went on to serve for 20 years as a teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal and Principal at Cardinal Newman High School. In addition, he worked as Director of the Academic Resource Center at Lynn University and as Manager of the Student Learning Center at Palm Beach State College. For the past seven years, he has served as Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Palm Beach.

He is a product of Catholic education at both the elementary and high school levels. He earned his B.A. degree in English and theology from St. John’s University, an M.A. in English literature from Hofstra University, and an Ed.S. in educational leadership from Florida Atlantic University.

A dedicated search committee will continue its work with a national consulting firm to seek a permanent highly qualified candidate for the position of President, effective July 2024 or sooner if possible. Various constituent groups of Cardinal Newman High School continue to play an active role in the ongoing process to select a new President for the school. John stated, “I have a great passion for Cardinal Newman High School, and I am happy to serve as Interim President as the search committee continues to seek a top-notch candidate who will start in July 2024. My dedication to Cardinal Newman High School flows from my own 20 years of service there, as well as from a personal commitment to Catholic education. This commitment is rooted in my own 16 years of Catholic education, as well as eight years as a member of
the Society of Mary (Marianists) at Chaminade High School, and more than 30 years of service in high school teaching and administration. I believe that I possess the Catholic vision and values that provide strong leadership to benefit the school, its students and their families. I am delighted to be returning to ‘Crusader Country’ as Interim President, and I look forward to working with all members of the Cardinal Newman Family in advancing the school to the next level of excellence in Catholic education.”

To learn more about Cardinal Newman High School visit, https://cardinalnewman.com/ or call 561-683-6266.

Cardinal Newman High School is pleased to announce that incoming President John F. Clarke has appointed Mr. Ed Curtin as Interim Principal of Cardinal Newman High School, effective July 1, 2023. The Cardinal Newman community is already quite familiar with Ed’s commitment to the school’s mission through his work as a Theology teacher and department chair at the school. Ed brings over 30 years of experience in Catholic education to his new role. In addition, he brings previous administrative experience as a President and Vice-Principal in other Catholic schools. His broad experiences as a Catholic school teacher and administrator are a fantastic addition to the Cardinal Newman administrative team.

Ed is a product of a Catholic education at both the elementary and graduate school levels. He holds degrees in Education and Pastoral Studies and has also previously worked as a faculty member at the college level. In addition to serving as a Catholic school administrator and teacher, Ed has experience working as a high school athletic director, director of youth ministry, and director of the Christian Leadership Institute in the Diocese of Erie, PA.

Ed shares that, “Having been blessed to have spent my entire professional life in Catholic education, I am both excited and humbled by this opportunity to be a part of the Cardinal Newman leadership team. From the moment I entered Cardinal Newman I have felt a sense of commitment from everyone to ensure that the mission of the school is met, and I am confident that together, we will all continue to do so. I look forward to a productive and exciting academic year.”

Ed has been a dynamic leader in Catholic schools and will provide exemplary leadership during this exciting time for Cardinal Newman High School as the school begins new construction this summer and continues in its core mission of providing a quality Catholic education for its students. His proven past leadership will be invaluable as Cardinal Newman continues moving forward in its mission to educate the whole person: spirit, mind, and body, and to help all students develop their God-given talents according to the gospel values of Jesus Christ.

To learn more about Cardinal Newman High School, please visit www.cardinalnewman.com or call 561-683-6266.