Teri Dwyer Awarded 2018 Distinguished Principal of the Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mrs. Teri Dwyer, principal of St. Raphael School in Rockville is this year’s Archdiocese of Washington’s Distinguished Principal of the Year for her spiritual leadership and strong commitment to academic excellence.

The annual award is presented to a principal who demonstrates accomplishment in six categories: balancing management and leadership roles, setting high expectations and standards, stressing content and instruction that ensures student achievement, creating a culture of professional development for teachers, using multiple tools to apply and assess instructional improvements and actively engaging the school community.

“Mother Teresa said, ‘Joy is prayer; joy is strength: joy is love; joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.’ Teri brings that kind of joy to all she encounters as principal of St. Raphael School. Under her leadership, the school has become a leader in the area of Catholic identity. Teri joyfully leads a school that is not only academically excellent but also truly Catholic, and in doing so catches souls everyday,” said William Ryan, Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Washington.

Mrs. Dwyer was surprised with the announcement today during a school assembly. She enthusiastically serves St. Raphael School and parish and is an inspiring leader who is integral to the warm and welcoming environment for which the school is known. Mrs. Dwyer is the founding principal of St. Raphael School since it opened in 2006 and has served as the director of St. Raphael Nursery School since 1990. She has a Master of Education from Marymount University, a Bachelor of Arts from Immaculata College, and she has taken post-graduate courses at Penn State, Trinity College, University of Virginia, and Loyola College of Maryland. She has taught grades 3, 4, 6, and 8 and has substituted in all grades from preschool through junior high. Mrs. Dwyer and her husband, Dick, have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Read a feature on Mrs. Dwyer on the Catholic Standard website.