May 11, 2016

PLATTSBURGH -  After an extensive national search, the Education Council for the Seton Schools has announced the appointment of Lynn Gilbert as the next principal of the middle and high school campus of The Seton Schools, effective July 1. She succeeds Catherine Russell.

Ms. Gilbert currently serves as the Director of Development for schools and has established a successful advancement office and launched an innovative marketing campaign since her return to Seton.

Previously, Ms. Gilbert served on Seton’s Administrative Team in the capacity of Director of Admissions and International Students. In that position she worked extensively with student, parent and faculty guidance.
She has been an adjunct lecturer at SUNY Plattsburgh in the MST program for nearly ten years and has extensive administrative experience with not-for-profit and higher education administration including Paul Smith’s College and the American Red Cross.

A native of Saranac Lake, Ms. Gilbert holds a master’s degree in Administration from SUNY Plattsburgh.

“It is an honor to assume the role of principal for our middle and high school campus of The Seton Schools,” she said. “Seton is truly an academic gem, offering the only nonpublic P-12 education right here in Plattsburgh, where academic excellence, strong moral values and college readiness remain our highest priority.”

“Our faculty is passionate and dedicated to the success of each student,” she said. “I am proud to collaborate with such an amazing team of talented individuals to share my faith and help lead Seton to the next level.

“I look forward to facilitating creative learning techniques and fostering academic growth while increasing our community partnerships,” she said.

Chris Hay, president of the Education Council of The Seton Schools said, “Seton is pleased that Lynn Gilbert will help lead Seton with our new Strategic Plan and Middle States validation. She has been a valued member of The Seton Schools’ leadership team and will continue to thrive in her new role.

“Lynn has seen the quality and growth of Seton both as a staff member and as a parent and has the requisite skills to lead us into the future,” he said, “Seton continues to be well positioned to meet our objective of providing a strong Catholic Education with academic and social development opportunities that are second to none.”

Middle States accreditation
In other news at Seton Catholic, the school has  earned accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, a worldwide leader in accreditation and continuous school improvement.

“We are pleased to have earned accreditation by the Middle States Association and to share in our success with the greater school community, especially the teachers, parents and students who worked so hard to make this possible,” Ms. Gilbert said. “Accreditation confirms and validates the work we do each and every day to ensure a top quality education for our students.”

Accreditation is a self-evaluation process that schools voluntarily undergo to demonstrate they are meeting a defined set of performance standards. The accreditation process helps schools – and ultimately students – to continuously grow and improve.

The process begins with a self-study that is conducted by the school and requires input from school leaders, teachers, parents and students. Then,  a team of volunteer educators from Association member schools conducts an on-site peer review visit to observe school operations and interview various stakeholders.

The visiting team makes its recommendation to the Middle States Association Commissions, which votes on the accreditation.

“The accreditation process examines schools in a holistic way, supplementing student testing data and providing a more complete measure of a school’s performance,” said Henry G. Cram, Ed.D., president of the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools.

“School leaders, teachers and parents are to be commended for working together to create a concrete plan focused on providing high quality education for all students,” he said.