Throughout the decades, Ted Ewanciw has worn a wide variety of hats in the St. Bernadette School community – parishioner, school parent, substitute teacher, full-time teacher, vice principal, and for the last eight years as the principal of the Silver Spring, Maryland, Catholic elementary school. He can now add another noteworthy title to his already-accomplished resume – the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s 2025-2026 Distinguished Principal of the Year.
In a surprise ceremony on the morning of Oct. 10, Ewanciw entered the school hall with St. Bernadette’s pastor, Msgr. K. Bartholomew Smith, after the weekly school-wide Mass and was greeted with exuberant cheers from students, faculty, staff, family, friends, and officials from the archdiocesan Catholic Schools Office.
Ewanciw’s tenure as principal is “marked by faith, compassion, and a deep commitment to Catholic education. He has cultivated a school community where students, staff, and families feel valued and inspired to live their faith daily,” said Kelly Branaman, the archdiocesan secretary for Catholic Schools and superintendent of schools.
Branaman went on to praise Ewanciw for his “quiet strength and servant leadership as he does so much for others, not just here at St. Bernadette but for the Archdiocese of Washington,” describing him as a “leader amongst our school leaders” who has also served for many years as a mentor principal to others.
She said he “exemplifies the very best of Catholic school leadership – balancing excellence in academics with a deep sense of mission, joy, and belonging,” and said he is “an exceptional Catholic school principal who embodies the principles of leadership, stewardship, and discipleship.”
In a statement, she added, “At the heart of every thriving school community is a dedicated principal who leads with faith and vision. Mr. Ewanciw stands out as a true example of faith-filled, servant leadership. He leads with humility, compassion, and joy – creating a school where students and teachers feel valued, supported and inspired by his leadership. Mr. Ewanciw’s commitment to Catholic education and his generous spirit make him deeply deserving of this honor.”
Margaret Rodriguez, assistant principal and resource director, spoke on behalf of the faculty and staff. She said Ewanciw inspires his colleagues as a role model in education, especially crediting his efforts to guide the school through the global pandemic challenges of five years ago.
Citing his continuing steadfast commitment to the entire school community, Rodriguez recalled a recent example. The entrance walkway of St. Bernadette School is lined with beautiful dogwood trees that flower in the spring, but shed berries in the fall. “A student who noticed Mr. Ewanciw sweeping the sidewalk in the mornings before the school day starts remarked to his teacher, ‘How lucky are we that the principal clears the path for us every day,’” Rodriguez recounted.
Msgr. Smith said Ewanciw’s prestigious honor is well deserved, noting the principal’s job often includes many unsung and unseen efforts – everything from teacher contracts to lining up school hall painters. He said the recognition is one that now stretches beyond the boundaries of St. Bernadette Parish and School. “We have the best principal in the Archdiocese of Washington!” said the priest.
A native of Orange County, New York, located in the Hudson Valley, Ewanciw – of Ukrainian and Polish heritage – arrived in the area to attend the University of Maryland, College Park. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master of science degree in management. He later moved to Silver Spring’s Woodmoor neighborhood, where St. Bernadette Church is located. He joined the parish in 1984 and early on was a member of the choir.
He and his wife, Cheryl, of 38 years, raised their two sons, Gregory and Stephen, in the tight-knit St. Bernadette Parish and School community. The couple also has two daughters-in-law, Jenny and Leigh.
Students enthusiastically waived golden pom-poms before Ewanciw addressed the gathering. Perhaps still a bit stunned by the well-kept secret, he first thanked his family and friends in attendance for their constant support.
He told his well-wishers that he “has the best job, with the best students, teachers and staff,” reminding the schoolchildren there is one job he will never have – that of a St. Bernadette student. “We all love being here at St. Bernadette’s. It’s exciting to be Principal of the Year, but it only happens with so much support, love and faith from everyone – from Msgr. Smith down to the pre-K class.” Later at recess, students received frozen treats with the words, “Mr. Ewanciw, anything is Popsicle, with a Principal like you!"
St. Bernadette School is one of only a handful of archdiocesan schools twice named a National Blue Ribbon Award-winning school by the U.S. Department of Education, earning the nation’s highest honor for a school in 2000 and 2003. St. Bernadette School opened its doors in 1947 and was originally staffed by the sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania. There are currently 329 students in grades Pre-K through eight. Following the Principal of the Year announcement, the school’s social media pages were filled with congratulatory messages for Ewanciw.
Later in the day, Ewanciw reflected on his blessings and what he considers an unlikely trajectory to Principal of the Year. He refers to himself as a “convert to education,” having always greatly admired the profession with his mother and mother-in-law both serving as longtime educators. After an established career in business and professional sports management, Ewanciw started out as a long-term substitute algebra and music teacher at St. Bernadette School in the early 2000s, eventually becoming a full-time technology teacher and assuming the role as vice principal during the 2008-09 school year. In 2017, he was named principal. Simply put, “I love this job,” he said.
His business and management background, he said, has served him well in his second career. Quick to praise his faculty team in providing the best education to the St. Bernadette students every day, Ewanciw said the “incredible teachers” as well as the pastor, Msgr. Smith, and his predecessor, Cheri Wood, all contributed to making the prestigious award a reality. He also applauded his fellow local Catholic school principals, emphasizing the outstanding educators at the helm of archdiocesan schools.
St. Bernadette School community, he said, is unique with its deep Catholic roots in the Four Corners neighborhood in Montgomery County, with several generations of families attending the parish and school. A recent shift, Ewanciw noted, is that there are more non-Catholics among the student body, and he is especially proud of the fact that several members of the school community have joined the Catholic Church in the past few years.
While the Principal of the Year award is an honor that will last the next 365 days, Ewanciw said his greatest hope is that the strong Catholic identity and faith-filled lessons of St. Bernadette School will be forever carried by its students beyond their 8th grade graduation day and throughout their entire lives.
“What I’m most happy about is when they leave here, they are grounded in faith and virtue,” he said.
