St. Charles Borromeo In Cinnaminson Names New Principal

CINNAMINSON, NJ — St. Charles Borromeo Parish School will have a new principal heading into the school year.

Veteran Catholic educator Cynthia Smith has been named principal, the school announced Friday afternoon. She succeeds Kathryn Chesnut, who retired at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

Smith is no stranger to St. Charles. She began her career as a fifth-grade teacher at St. Charles in 1984. Following her first stint at St. Charles, Smith spent nearly 30 years working as an educator for the City of Camden. She also served as an instructional coach, a teacher mentor, and a student teaching supervisor for Rutgers University.

She most recently served as the principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Health (OLPH) in Maple Shade for the past two years.

“Catholic education is important today because our students are able to experience and demonstrate the signs of God’s love all around them,” Smith said. “They become instruments of God’s grace in their own families and communities. In addition to academics, Catholic schools teach lessons about life, faith, and instill moral values.”

St. Charles Borromeo Pastor Fr. Dan Kirk praised Smith’s background and what she brings to the school.

“I have every confidence that Mrs. Smith is a great fit for our school,” Kirk said. “She is passionate about Catholic education, is a tremendously hard-worker, and has a gentleness to her that serves her well in the difficult situations that sometimes arise in the role of principal. As we look to September and try to return to the normalcy of in-person instruction, Mrs. Smith is poised and ready to lead our community through it. And should plans change, and we end up in another unprecedented place, I’m positive that she will help us through those realities as well.”

Smith spoke to the pandemic that is unfolding across the world, noting that the social and emotional health of our children is as crucial as ever right now.

“I look forward to leading our school through the challenges that we face during this pandemic. Our children’s social and emotional health is as crucial as their academic achievement during these unsettling times,” Smith said. “Providing structured interactive lessons will be a priority if we must provide remote instruction at some point.”

In the midst of the change in leadership, St. Charles is also making a change in its curriculum, moving towards a classical, liberal arts curriculum.

“With over fifty years of providing quality, Catholic education at a parochial level, St. Charles Borromeo School is beginning a multi-year transition into a classical, liberal arts curriculum,” Smith said. “The faculty and I will engage in robust professional development to enable us to best move toward this curriculum.”

The Return to School Plan for St. Charles Borromeo Parish School is posted on the school’s website.

To schedule a tour, call School Administrator Mary Glass at 856-829-2778. Registration is still open for the 2020-21 school year but there are limited spots in certain grades.