​Monsignor Haddad MS Bids Farewell to Long Time Staff

From MHMS: Monsignor Haddad Middle School (MHMS), located in Needham, MA, is saying farewell this June to two of its longest serving members of the faculty and administration, Mrs. Jane Abel and Mrs. Kathy McAnulty.

Mrs. Jane Abel has served as Principal/Head of Monsignor Haddad Middle School for 12 years and worked in Catholic Education for 43 years, which she considers “a privilege and an honor”. Mrs. Abel did her undergraduate work at Wheaton College in Norton, MA, completed her Masters in Secondary Education at University of Massachusetts, and earned her Masters in Educational Administration from Emmanuel College. “Jane Abel has been a wonderful mentor to me, passing on her knowledge and experience as it relates to middle school age kids and the school she loves, “ commented current MHMS Principal Jay MacDonald. “She possesses an intimate and sensitive awareness of the needs of the students and their families and her love for this school is contagious! I am thankful that I ‘caught’ that love. She has promised not to be a stranger, so, hopefully she will be a regular visitor.”

“It has been one of my life’s greatest blessings to serve at MHMS. (Former pastor) Fr. Michael Lawlor and (current pastor) Fr. David Michael have been so supportive and generous in giving their time and counsel in helping me administer at MHMS. Principal Jay MacDonald and staff are top notch and it has been an incredible experience to work with such dedicated, talented people,” said Abel.

Abel also has warm words for the students and parents she has encountered over the years. “The students have been my special joy. They are kind, smart, inquisitive, and funny. (The parents) have my admiration for their personal sacrifice in seeing that their children have the opportunity to grow in their faith while receiving an excellent education. Finally, but importantly, the school has flourished because of the countless volunteers who have served on the School Board and various committees to insure that MHMS remains the hallmark for Catholic school for co-ed middle school education in the Archdiocese of Boston.”

Abel looks forward to spending more time with her husband, children, and three granddaughters, two of whom will be attending St. Pius School in Providence next year.

Mrs. Kathy McAnulty is retiring after serving the St. Joseph Parish Schools for 27 years, five in the elementary school and 22 at Monsignor Haddad Middle School. “Kathy McAnulty was the first teacher I met when I officially began my tenure as Principal. I immediately realized the gift she would be to me as a repository of the historical and person knowledge of the people who made this school what it is. Kathy’s knowledge of the mutual connections we possess made me feel welcome and a part of the MHMS family. If I could feel so welcome, I intuitively knew that she would be as welcoming and effective with the students,” said MacDonald.

McAnulty is a product of Catholic schools herself beginning at St. William’s in Dorchester, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, and finally Boston College. “Catholic education has always been a part of my life,” said McAnulty. “Having the opportunity to teach in an environment where you can speak openly about faith and moral development is important to me.”

Before coming to the St. Joseph Parish Schools McAnulty taught at St. Joseph’s in Holbrook and multi-handicapped students in the Boston Public Schools. At MHMS, Mrs. Mac, as she is known, has been in charge of the Resource Room. “Teaching in a resource room allows you to try to reach the students who are struggling for various reasons in the classroom,” she reflected. “In small groups and individually, you get to see how much those students really want to learn, and hopefully give them strategies to succeed. The main goal is to give them more confidence in their own abilities.”

McAnulty has felt the rewards of her instruction years after her students have graduated from MHMS. She recalled one former student in particular who struggled socially and academically with whom at the time she wasn’t sure she connected. “This student wrote the most touching letter to me to affirm my reasons for teaching, and telling me I taught him to believe in himself.”

In her retirement McAnulty will be busy with her husband, six daughters, four granddaughters, and one grandson.

A Farewell Reception for both women is being held on Thursday, June 1, from 5:30 – 8 pm in the Monsignor Haddad Middle School Dining Room. Current and former school families, colleagues, and friends are invited. Students from the class of 2010 and earlier are especially welcome.

In recognition of their combined 39 years of service to St. Joseph Parish as teachers, counselors, administrators, confidants, and exemplary role models to generations of students and families, Monsignor Haddad Middle School is establishing the school’s first endowed scholarship in their honor, the Abel-McAnulty Scholarship. More details and how to support this scholarship may be found at www.saintjoes.com/middle-school.

Photos courtesy of MHMS