Welcome
Welcome to the St. Margaret of Scotland school website and, particularly, to the principal’s page. Having completed three years as principal at St. Margaret’s, I am excited at our accomplishments in those three years.

• We have carefully designed our School Improvement Plan, which will guide our academic and spiritual growth over the next five to seven years. The School Improvement process is overseen by the Archdiocese of St. Louis and is necessary for maintaining accreditation as an educational institution within the state of Missouri.
• Our students, with the guidance and support of an exemplary faculty and staff, have earned numerous academic awards, participated in service activities during and beyond school hours, enjoyed a variety of fine arts opportunities, and grown in their friendships to one another.
• Our parents have spread the word that St. Margaret of Scotland Parish School is a community into whose caring hands parents can entrust their children. We have continued to grow these last three years; when school begins in August 2009, we will very likely have 300 children enrolled in our preschool through eighth program. The 2009-2010 school year will welcome three Montessori preschool classrooms, two Kindergarten classes, two First grades, two Second grades and one class for each of the other grade levels.

It has been a successful first three years. My bottom line goal remains very much the same as it did three years ago when I first began – that each child will learn and experience success as a student in a faith-based, learning environment.

I hope you, the reader of this page, will continue to browse our website, get to know us online and, perhaps even, stop by to meet us in person.

It is with extreme gratitude to my faculty and staff and to our students and their parents that I look forward to another successful school year,

Sincerely,

Juliann DePalma Hesed
Principal, St. Margaret of Scotland School



Biography
Juliann DePalma Hesed brings a wealth of experience in Catholic education to her position as principal. Previous to her role as principal at St. Margaret’s, she was principal for eight years at St. Mary Magdalen School in Brentwood. As a teacher, Ms. Hesed taught theology at Incarnate Word Academy, an all girls, Catholic, high school in north county. A few IWA alum have chosen St. Margaret’s for their children. Before that, Ms. Hesed was employed at St. Margaret of Scotland School where she taught Religion to Seventh and Eighth graders, planned retreats, taught computer education to Kindergarten through Eighth grade and designed and taught a gifted program for children in Second through Eighth grade.

Ms. Hesed earned her Masters in School Administration and her Masters in Theology from St. Louis University. She also holds a BA in Theology with her minor in English.
Ms. Hesed and her husband Peter, with their children, have loved living in the Shaw neighborhood and being members of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish for over 30 years. Before becoming principal, Ms. Hesed worked closely with St. Margaret’s RCIA team as they instructed non-Catholics in the tenets of the Catholic faith, she remains an active participant in the St. Vincent De Paul Society making bi-weekly deliveries of food to neighbors in need.

When not at school, Ms. Hesed always enjoys just being at home with her family. Second to that she likes zoning away in front of the TV (she boasts having seen every Law and Order made) or reading a good book. Her favorite author is a toss-up between Ann Patchett and Barbara Kingsolver, which doesn’t deny how much she has enjoyed reading the Harry Potter and Eragon series.

More than anything, Ms. Hesed is passionate about children being guided to grow closer to God, to think deeply, and to build and enjoy friendships – and to bring their families along on that sacred journey.