After months of searching, Sarah Cato is making a homecoming of sorts. She was recently named as the next Head of Schools and Principal of St. Vincent DePaul High School.
The announcement came from the school’s search committee Feb. 1.
Cato will replace Jennifer Streiler, who has served as the interim Head of Schools for this school year until a more permanent replacement could be found.
“Jennifer was a Godsend coming to us with the experience needed to hold the course during the search process,” Superintendent Rev. Joe Geders said.
That person turned out to be Cato. A search committee chose her from a pool of candidates.
“I am pleased to accept the recommendation of the search committee,” Geders said. “I am confident that Sarah’s passion and zeal for our faith will be an asset to St. Vincent schools for years to come.”
Cato said she is excited for the journey that took her to this point.
“I prayed on it and I decided that it was an excellent opportunity for my family and my future. It was a good step to take that will give me a new challenge.”
Cato will come to St. Vincent with 10 years of experience in education as both a teacher and principal. She has a Masters degree in education with Missouri certificated for both teaching and administration. Cato taught English at Jackson High School for six years and been the principal for St. Augustine School in Kelso for the last four years.
Cato currently lives in Cape Girardeau and grew up in Chaffee for a majority of her youth, but made the point that her mother’s side of the family grew up in St. Mary.
She believes that having a vested interest in the community is an important part to being the St. Vincent Head of Schools.
“There is a lot of pride in Perryville and I want to honor that pride.” Cato said. “
The Head of Schools position is responsible for continuing the mission of the school and how to grow and manage the school at the high school, middle, school, elementary school and preschool levels while working with the other administrators to do so.
Cato hopes to build on the infrastructure already in place.
“St. Vincent already has a strong, faith-based school and I want to continue those traditions and help them grow in any way that I can,” Cato said.
Cato will finish out her obligations at St. Augustine this school year and take over for Streiler at St. Vincent beginning July 1.
“I’m super excited and ready to take on this new role,” Cato said. “Everyone that I have met so far at St. Vincent has been amazing. Perryville is an exciting community and I think I will fit in very well there.”
