The Valley Catholic April 25, 2017 | Page 18

18 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS April 25, 2017 | The Valley Catholic Kathy Almazol Receives Award For Achievements in Catholic Education By Liz Sullivan Kathy Almazol’s commitment to the Diocese of San Jose goes back to the beginning when the Diocese was formed in 1981 and she moved from being a part-time teacher at Saint Justin School to teaching sixth, seventh and eighth grades before eventually becom- ing principal of the school. From there, Almazol served as principal at Saint Clare School. Since 2009, Almazol has been the Superintendent of Schools for the Dio- cese; just the third superintendent in Diocesan history. On April 18, during the opening day of the National Catholic Educa- tional Association (NCEA) Convention, Almazol was honored with the Lead. Learn. Proclaim. Award. She was one Kathy Almazol, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of San Jose. of a host of Catholic educators from across the country recognized with this achievement. Almazol was nominated for the award by Notre Dame San Jose High School Principal Mary Beth Riley, who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Drexel School System, which is a part of the Diocese of San Jose Depart- ment of Education. “I am proud to accept this award for my work here in the Diocese of San Jose,” said Almazol, before leaving for the convention in Saint Louis. “Without the support of the Bishop, staff, teach- ers, parents and especially the students, I would not have had the opportunity to do any of this work.” In describing the award, the NCEA said the award is meant to “recognize the outstanding efforts, contributions and achievements on behalf of Catholic school education.” Almazol leads a Catholic education system of more than 16,000 students including 28 K-8 schools and six high schools in the Diocese of San Jose, which encompasses all of Santa Clara County. Saint Lawrence Promotes Health and Fitness with Third Annual Run for Fun Saint Lawrence Elementary and Middle School is hosting the Third Annual Run for Fun on April 29 at Baylands Park in Sunnyvale. The Run for Fun is a fun way for parents to share their love of running with