New School Principal Named

Aug. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- Linda Cherry has been named principal of St. Michael Catholic School, a pre-K through eighth grade elementary school open to students of any faith located in Garden City.

St. Michael Catholic Church and School made national news in 2009 when their assistant pastor, Fr. Andrew Trapp, (aka "The Poker Playing Priest) took PokerStar's Million Dollar Challenge and won $100.000 towards the building of a new church for his Parish.

Linda Cherry joins St. Michael Catholic School after spending eight years as Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Charlotte in North Carolina.  A 40-year educator, she previously worked in a position of Diocesan leadership as director of government programs and school finances, ten years as a Catholic School principal and eighteen years teaching numerous subjects.

Mrs. Cherry earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and has a master’s degree in educational administration and leadership from Bowling Green State University, in Ohio.

“I am very excited to join the faculty and staff at St. Michael’s, and I am looking forward to being part of such a special school. I am overwhelmed by the support I have received from the Saint Michael Parish starting with the Pastor, Rev. Raymond J. Carlo” said Cherry. “Everyone at St. Michael Catholic School is dedicated to not only providing the best faith-based, academic program, but we also focus on the importance of serving our community. Our goal is to instill these values now so they will be well prepared for the future.”  

“We are very fortunate to have Mrs. Cherry as our new school principal” says School Board President Laurence Bolchoz. “Her credentials and experience working in a Catholic school environment clearly made her the best candidate for this position. This is an exciting time for our church and school because, as a Parish, we’re experiencing rapid growth. We need a strong leader like Mrs. Cherry to help maintain our positive momentum and continue this path of success.”

On Sunday, July 24, Mrs. Cherry joined Rev. Raymond Carlo, Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone and the school’s robotics team to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new church.  Construction on this $6.5 million facility could begin as early as January. Officials say the new facility will be able to hold more than 12,000 people, and will be adjacent to the school.  “It has been a very exciting few weeks so far, meeting with so many parents, teachers and students before school starts on August 17.  This year we’re introducing a new half-day program for pre-K students. This will provide parents an alternative to the full-day option we’ve had for a few years” says Cherry. “From pre-K through grade eight, a positive, enthusiastic attitude is our motto because I believe that is key to everyone’s success.“

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We are a Catholic elementary school located in Garden City, South Carolina serving Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand. We are open to students of any faith in grades pre-k to grade eight. Tours daily. Visit www.saintmichaelsc.org for additional information.