Saint Olaf School: Casey Pond

Intermountain Catholic

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Casey Pond

BOUNTIFUL — Although Casey Pond bears the title of new principal of Saint Olaf School, she is a familiar face within the community. Her two children, now young adults, attended the school before moving on to Judge Memorial Catholic High School, and she remains a member of the parish.

Being a parishioner contributed to Pond being selected from the candidates for the principal’s position, said Holy Cross Sister Catherine Kamphaus, superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools. 

"We try to keep the school and the parish connected, because it is a ministry of the parish, and she doesn’t have to start from zero," she said, adding that Pond’s education also made her a strong candidate.

Pond was a public school educator for 33 years, and she has a master’s degree in instructional library media center administration and a bachelor’s in health sciences. In 2010, she began work on a second master’s degree, in educational leadership and policy. As she was nearing the end of her schooling, her friend JoAnn Emery, who was St. Olaf principal for 14 years, told her she was thinking of retiring.

"Everything fell into place: I finished my degree in 2012, I had one more year to finish up in Ogden, she retired, and luckily the committee selected me to be principal," said Pond.

Although she was happy with her job at Mount Ogden Junior High School, "What prompted me to go into Catholic education was the Holy Spirit," she said.

Pond knows from experience the financial and time sacrifices that parents make to provide their children with a Catholic education, "but it is so worth it," she said. "We start every day with prayer. As an educator, that is so valuable. It keeps us grounded; it makes us realize why we’re here, and whose help we need to get through the day."

The students, even those who are non-Catholic, also benefit from the daily prayer, she said, because it gives them "a sense of being watched over," and discipline also is based on the Golden Rule.

Pond said she has three philosophies as principal this year: Find the good and praise it, we’re all in this together, and find a way to make it happen – "as long as it doesn’t cost any money," she added with a laugh.

She has no plans to make major changes at St. Olaf School, she said.

"I’m glad I was a parent here because … I saw what a Catholic education did for my children," she said. "I also saw how much the teachers cared for the kids, and the parents, and the families as a whole. So I came in with that foundation – ‘this is how it has to be because that’s how I was treated.’ So I didn’t want to lower any standards, and the work that Mrs. Emery did. Like I told the teachers, this is a well-oiled machine; I am not throwing my wrench into it."

The school runs well, but she does see one area she wants to improve. She would like to build enrollment in the middle school, she said.

Toward that end, she said, she wants to try to bring in new activities for students of this age, and "get some things going with those middle-schoolers to make them feel that they’re the leaders of the school.

Since she was hired, she has been putting in long hours at the school, but hasn’t taken the time to personalize her office except to bring in some family photos. "I’m still learning" the job, she said. "I’m still on my learning curve, so be patient with me."