Principal’s Page

Teacher/Staff At OLW: Principal: 2024 to present
Middle School teacher, social studies, religion and language arts: 2015-2021
Educator Since: 2015
Education: University of Dayton; Loyola University Chicago – Masters of Education
Special Certificates, Licenses, Programs, Trainings: Loyola Greeley Center for Catholic Principal Preparation

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I am pleased to introduce myself – Matthew Martino, Principal at Our Lady of the Wayside School. I have been in education since 2015 and I am thrilled to be a leader at OLW. I was a middle school teacher for several years at OLW before becoming an Assistant Principal and Principal at other schools within the Archdiocese of Chicago. I returned to Our Lady of the Wayside in 2024 in the role of principal. 

I am a lifelong Catholic and the product of Catholic education. I attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school, as well as attended Catholic universities for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I believe Catholic education is vital to student success and is a key component to  develop lifelong learners. Fr. Arthur, our Pastor, and I are united in our commitment of instilling faith values as the foundation of all our teaching. 

My personal and educational beliefs align with the core beliefs and mission that drive Our Lady of the Wayside School and Parish. I believe in helping students enrich their minds through academic rigor and I want to encourage them to foster their faith through service and evangelization. I hope to be an encouraging voice for our students as they understand and expand their talents in and out of the classroom. The staff and I work collaboratively to use data driven instruction so we can provide the best education possible for each student in our school. We continually assess and refine best practices in order to provide an academically excellent environment where students can thrive. It is important to all of us that we continue the tradition of academic excellence here at OLW. 

I am dedicated to teaching the whole child through faith-based education which is the cornerstone of Our Lady of the Wayside School. We focus on helping students grow academically, spiritually, and emotionally. I am committed to exploring new ways to meet the needs of all students, and to effectively communicate with parents and community members. 

Our Lady of the Wayside, pray for us. And let us remember to pray for each other.

Mr. Martino