The new school year at Resurrection Catholic Middle/High School began with a new principal. Kristal Sisson was appointed by Bishop Louis Kihneman in May to fill the role vacated by Noah Hamilton who left to pursue another opportunity.
She has worked as an educator for nearly 30 years – 25 years at East Central High School, three years for the US Department of Defense in England, and last year she taught dual credit Comp I and II, sophomore English, and Theater at RCS. Sisson has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degrees in English and education from the University of Southern Mississippi.
[penci_blockquote style=”style-2″ align=”left” author=””]Education is my vocation in the Roman Catholic church. I believe in the mission of Catholic education. I desire to serve God in this capacity and be open to His will to use me to help RCS reach its potential,” Sisson said.[/penci_blockquote]
As an educator, her focus was on wanting to prepare students for the next step.
“My goals have always been to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. At RCS, I was able to also help students not only academically but also spiritually,” she said.
Now, in her role as principal, her number one focus will be on fostering the students’ intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth.
“We also want to create a safe, nurturing environment that adheres to the mission and vision of the Diocese of Biloxi,” she said.
As soon as Sisson assumed the role of principal, she hit the ground running and began instituting changes and improvements to the school. During the summer, she, along with teachers and numerous student and parent volunteers, spent time cleaning, painting, decorating, and landscaping the school and grounds of the middle and high school campus.
In addition to the beautification work done, other changes included the addition of new courses to the curriculum, including a new dual-credit course and ACT prep courses, adding new staff and realigning the religion department.
When not working, Sisson enjoys reading, traveling, and watching her children play sports. She also serves on the board of directors at Singing River Electric.
Sisson couldn’t be more at home in her new role at RCS. Her husband is an assistant coach of the girls volleyball team, two of her children are alumni, and one is currently enrolled.
“Our family lives, sleeps, eats and breathes RCS. We are proud to be Eagles!”
