News ReleaseFor more information:
Dawn Kurth
St. Helena Catholic School
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minneapolis Principal Jane Hileman
Named Amongst the Top 12 Principals in the Nation
MINNEAPOLIS, January 15, 2013—St. Helena Catholic School, located in south Minneapolis, is often described as the neighborhood’s ‘best kept secret.’ Thanks to the vision and dedication of Principal Jane Hileman, the ‘secret’ is out. Every year the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) chooses twelve principals from a pool of more than 6,000 throughout the country and presents them the prestigious NCEA Distinguished Principals Award. Hileman is one of these distinguished principals who will be accepting her award this April at the NCEA 2013 Convention & Expo held in Houston, Texas.
Hileman’s commitment to St. Helena began in 1988 when she was a young mother searching for the best school for her kindergartner. Impressed by St. Helena’s balance of faith and academics, she knew it was the best fit for her family. After seven years passed, Hileman had all three of her children attending St. Helena and she became the middle school English teacher. When the principal role opened in 1998, her inspirational leadership and work ethic made her the exceptional choice. "Jane excelled in the classroom; she had a way of inspiring her students to reach their full potential," said the school’s pastor, Reverend Richard Villano. "Asking her to become principal was the right step to ensure continued growth and success for our school and parish."
The 12 distinguished principals first had to be nominated by someone in their diocese. For Gary Wilmer, a 2001 recipient of the Distinguished Principal Award and now the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, nominating Hileman was an easy decision. “Jane mentors her teaching staff and empowers them to become more efficient educators,” said Wilmer. “Her excellent understanding of curriculum development has allowed the school, as a result of grants, to be on the cutting edge when it comes to meeting the needs of a diverse student body.”
Hileman is the first NCEA Distinguished Principal Award recipient from St. Helena School and only the tenth principal from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
“St. Helena is a modest city school that does not have all the bells and whistles of other schools,” said Nancy Rivers, teacher and mother of two St. Helena graduates. “But what it does have is Jane Hileman. Her extraordinary dedication and enthusiastic leadership is golden. With her at the helm, we have what it takes to create success.”
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About National Catholic Educational Association
The NCEA is the largest private professional education organization in the world, representing 200,000 Catholic educators serving 7.6 million students in Catholic elementary and secondary schools, in religious education programs, in seminaries, and in colleges and universities.For more information, visit
About St. Helena School
St. Helena School is a perfect blend of tradition, innovation, community, faith and academics for students in grades K-8. Since 1926the school has been providing solid academics and creating a moral foundation for its students. Thededicated faculty and staff are committed to delivering academic excellence and educating the whole child mind, body, and soul. For more information, visit