We welcome Crystal Blahnik as the new Associate Principal at St. Mary Elementary School.

Mrs. Blahnik has over 20 years of experience in P-12th grade education. She specialized in working with low income and ethnically diverse populations. Her experiences in California, Texas and Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands have instilled in her a deep passion for students and families from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds, specifically those who are in need of being connected to community resources and programs.

Mrs. Blahnik comes to SMCS most recently from St. Bernard School in Green Bay.

“As someone who dreams big and enjoys working with people of all ages, I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished through the last nine years in the role of School Principal at St. Bernard School in Green Bay,” she said. “Some of the things I am most proud of relate to the way I was able to help our school community navigate a changing demographic and all the nuances that come with that change. In particular, I am proud of the way we implemented PLTW (Project Lead the Way) science from PK through 8th grade over a five-year period. Our implementation became a model for the other eight schools in our system. I enjoy volunteering at events sponsored by Hispanics for School and have been a key member in the creation of a family outreach program for Spanish speaking families in the GRACE school system in Green Bay.”

Mrs. Blahnik is excited to become part of the Zephyr family.

“I feel honored to have been selected as the Associate Principal for St. Mary Elementary School!” she said. “I am eager to meet the families, parishioners and children. Our school is a beautiful community that is full of potential and I find that very exciting. Of course, none of this will happen without the grace of God, so I always lean on my faith and prayer life for guidance and spiritual fulfillment. As a leader, I am collaborative and open to new ideas. I love to learn and am always looking for new things to read about the field of education. Most recently, I began working on my EdD through the leadership program at Marymount University in Virginia.”

Blahnik and her husband have four children from ages 10-21. They love to travel as a family, especially discovering the National Parks each summer. Her home parish is St. Bernard in Green Bay from where she will continue to live and commute.

“I look forward to meeting each of you and working with you on all of our big goals and dreams for the SMCS system,” she said.

Welcome, Mrs. Blahnik. We are excited to have you on board!