‘A SECOND FAMILY’

At St. Madeleine Sophie School, principal Kelly Sloan “has built a community that is inclusive, innovative and rooted in faith,” according to Dr. Christopher Bott, Superintendent of Schools. (Emily Benson photo)

Kelly Sloan is no stranger to the halls of St. Madeleine Sophie School in Schenectady. 

As a child, they were the halls of the school she attended from kindergarten until her graduation in eighth grade in 1985. As an adult, they were the halls where her own children attended and later where she would work as a third-grade teacher. 

In 2013, Sloan took over as principal of the school she knew and loved, and has been successfully — and joyfully — leading SMS ever since. It came as no surprise to the teachers, parents and staff she works with that her leadership and talents are being recognized this year with the Principal of the Year Award from the Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA). 

“It was very overwhelming and humbling,” Sloan told The Evangelist. “I always take it as a good reflection of our school, a principal award. In order to be a principal, you have to have all these people, so what I’m looking at is it’s shining a light on our school, which I am proud of.”

St. Madeleine Sophie School principal Kelly Sloan is pictured with Eronmwon and Eleanor, two second graders during the school’s Color Run fundraiser in September. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Sloan)

CASDA, a Capital District-based group of educational leaders, serves as a collaborative planning, research and development organization for member schools, helping schools address challenges and promote growth. 

Their Annual Awards and Friends of Education Dinner will be held on April 30 at the Duo at the Dunes in Albany, where Sloan, along with a handful of other school leaders in the area, will receive their awards. 

“Kelly Sloan exemplifies what outstanding school leadership looks like,” Dr. Christopher Bott, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocesan Catholic School Office, said in an email. “She is deeply student-centered, unwavering in her support of teachers, and firmly grounded in a strong Catholic identity that shapes every aspect of life at St. Madeleine Sophie School. She has built a community that is inclusive, innovative and rooted in faith and care for others. This recognition from the Capital Area School Development Association is a well-deserved honor for a leader who makes a profound difference in the lives of her students and families each and every day.”

St. Madeleine Sophie School principal Kelly Sloan and her staff are shown (at r.) at the faculty/staff meeting at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center in Niskayuna. Sloan said of the photo: “Our friends Sister Sue Zemuglis and Dr. Joy Galarneau are so good to us, they help us prepare for the school year and ensure that our faculty and staff feel loved and appreciated. We have worked with them for years on retreats and projects with our students as well as with our adults." (Photo provided)

For Sloan, SMS has been more than just an educational pillar in her life; it’s like family.

“It’s really special, because this is my family,” she said. “My real family is such a part of it and such a support system … and we pour our love into it. My husband, my daughters, my mom; it is special because this is our life and SMS school is such an important part of it.”

Sloan taught at the school when her three daughters were students and even taught her youngest. After graduating, her daughters would come back and work in the summer-care program and the after-care program.

“My mom and dad, who sent me here as a child, taught me the importance of faith, hard work, service and empathy. My husband Scott and daughters Molly, Abigail and Madeleine are a source of strength emotionally, but also physically (they do the heavy lifting inside and outside the classrooms). ... Having a family that understands and values the same things I do truly makes this a vocation and not a job.”

Sloan grew up in Rotterdam and attended St. Joseph’s Church in Schenectady with her parents and three siblings. After SMS, Sloan attended Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons in Schenectady and later earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from The College of Saint Rose in Albany in 1993. She received her master’s degree in curriculum development and instructional technology from The University at Albany and a certificate in school building leadership from Saint Rose. St. Madeleine Sophie School principal Kelly Sloan gives a big hug to 4-year-old pre-K student Caleb, who “noticed that we matched when I went in to visit the class one day so we took a picture together,” she said in an email. (Photo provided)

Sloan taught in a public school first but later transitioned into Catholic education. She taught at the former St. Paul the Apostle School in Schenectady and St. Pius X School in Loudonville. After marrying and having children, Sloan took time to be at home with her family but was an active volunteer at SMS and substitute taught when needed. When her youngest entered kindergarten, she began teaching third grade at SMS, a role she held for six years before becoming principal.

Leading SMS also means working with the parish community at St. Madeleine Sophie, which has been a blessing for Sloan: “I am so very blessed with an amazing pastor in Father Jim (Belogi), our parish staff, our parishioners, are not only supportive but directly involved in the lives of our students. When we all share the same mission, great things can happen.”

“She really creates a very inclusive environment,” said Father James Belogi. “She’s an outstanding and dedicated principal.” 

“I love what I do,” Sloan added. “I love that I spend my days surrounded by these funny, intelligent, faith-filled precious children and a slew of adults who love being a part of our community. I am praying this award highlights our school community, and not just me.”