Principal of the Year’ is newest title for principal at St. Bernadette School
Throughout the decades, Ted Ewanciw has worn a wide variety of hats in the St. Bernadette School community – parishioner, school parent, substitute teacher, full-time teacher, vice principal, and for the last eight years as the principal of the Silver Spring, Maryland, Catholic elementary school. He can now add another noteworthy title to his already-accomplished resume – the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s 2025-2026 Distinguished Principal of the Year.
In a surprise ceremony on the morning of Oct. 10, Ewanciw entered the school hall with St. Bernadette’s pastor, Msgr. K. Bartholomew Smith, after the weekly school-wide Mass and was greeted with exuberant cheers from students, faculty, staff, family, friends, and officials from the archdiocesan Catholic Schools Office.
Ewanciw’s tenure as principal is “marked by faith, compassion, and a deep commitment to Catholic education. He has cultivated a school community where students, staff, and families feel valued and inspired to live their faith daily,” said Kelly Branaman, the archdiocesan secretary for Catholic Schools and superintendent of schools.