Holy Rosary Academy Appoints New Principal

Catholic leader rooted in math and science to welcome students August 7.

Holy Rosary Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of Mary Martin as the new principal of the Donelson-area Catholic school serving grades pre-K3 through 8. Martin’s leadership of Holy Rosary Academy (HRA) will begin Monday, July 17, 2023.

Martin was selected for this important leadership position after a thorough national search, during which Father John Sims Baker, pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, worked with leaders from the parish, school, and the Diocese of Nashville’s human resources office to build a pool of qualified candidates for consideration. Martin comes to Nashville from Milford, Ohio, having most recently served as a middle school science teacher for St. Andrew-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School.

Martin’s extensive experience in the classroom and in leadership roles spans two decades in Ohio. She served as principal of St. Michael Catholic School in Ripley and Holy Angels Catholic School in Sidney. She also taught science, social studies, math, and religion at St. Mary Catholic School, Holy Family Catholic School, and the public school system in Cincinnati and in St. Patrick Catholic School in Troy.

At St. Mary School, she co-developed a K-through-grade 5 Spanish language program and mentored children in the creation and broadcast of a student-produced foreign language podcast. At St. Michael School, her accomplishments as principal include a significant increase in student participation in school intervention programs and establishment of professional learning communities (PLCs) to better support teachers.

Martin is a fellow of the University of Notre Dame's ACE Principal Academy, South Bend, Indiana. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a science-middle school endorsement from Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana, and a master’s degree in education administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Martin says she was impressed by Holy Rosary’s tradition of excellence, evidenced by the school's 2013 and 2020 designations as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. "The opportunity to lead this talented team of instructors and help propel students along a path of academic success and spiritual formation is both unique and exciting," Martin said.

She is relocating from Ohio with her dog, Eli, and will be onsite at HRA later this month; however, she is already beginning to recruit staff to round out the HRA team. Martin said, “The commitment to community espoused by the Holy Rosary mission touched my heart. I'm eager to bring the highest caliber teachers and administrators to our school to foster that mission in the hearts and minds of our children."

Among the pool of candidates, Father Baker said Martin’s experience in middle school leadership and her years as a teacher and mentor in STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, and mathematics) subjects stood out. "Her approach to childhood education is modern and engaging in a world where competition for our children’s attention and creativity can be daunting." Father Baker cited the example of a podcast program that Martin established in a previous role as an approach that was both educational and fun for students. "Mary will support innovative classroom approaches alongside Holy Rosary’s tradition of excellence and strong Catholic mission.”

“As an experienced Catholic school leader, Mary Martin brings the complex set of skills required to foster student success by supporting and encouraging our teachers and administrators. She will further strengthen our focus on academic excellence and Gospel-based Catholic mission.” Father Baker added, “Holy Rosary Academy students and parents deserve the very best. She has it all: credentials, experience, and a living faith in Jesus Christ.”

Martin is a proud Irish Catholic who attended Catholic elementary and high schools as a child. Her children are grown, and she looks forward to visits from them in her new Nashville home. In her free time, she crochets and roots for the Cincinnati Reds and the Bengals.