Maplewood Richmond Heights School District: MRH Welcomes New Principals To Early Childhood Center And Middle School

Press release from Maplewood Richmond Heights School District:

May 21, 2021

The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District will soon have a new principal at the Early Childhood Center and a new assistant principal at MRH Middle School.

The Board of Education on Thursday approved the hirings of Dr. Jill Loyet and Dr. Craig Maxwell. Dr. Loyet will succeed long-time ECC principal Dr. Cyndi Hebenstreit, who is stepping down from that post but will remain with MRH in an advisory capacity for one more year. Dr. Maxwell takes over the middle school position held for two years by Dr. Josh Flores, who has accepted an administrative position at Kirkwood Schools.

Dr. Loyet is currently principal of Bermuda Primary School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District and also serves as an adjunct professor at Maryville University. Previously, she was principal of Lee-Hamilton Elementary School in Ferguson-Florissant and held administrative and teaching positions in the Parkway School District. She holds multiple educational degrees from Maryville University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

“It is with great excitement and privilege that I join your school community as the Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center Principal for the 2021-2022 school year! This is my 16th year in education. I began my career in the Parkway School District as a middle school teacher and assistant principal. I have served the Ferguson-Florissant School District as a principal the past five years, most recently as a PreK-2nd grade principal. As a principal in early education, I have fallen in love with working alongside young children and early education teachers. The natural curiosity of young students is uninhibited and to join a school community that focuses on a child-centered approach to learning is a dream come true. I am deeply committed to community, equity and inclusion. As a Maplewood resident with a family in the district, I look forward to getting to know and working alongside my neighbors as students, parents, and community partners!” 

Dr. Craig Maxwell also comes to MRH from Ferguson-Florissant, where he is Assistant Director of the Mark Twain Restoration Center. Previously, he held principal titles at Berkeley Middle School, Southwest Middle in the Parkway system and Wildwood Middle at Rockwood Schools. Dr. Maxwell holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and a master’s degree in secondary education both from Truman State University. He earned his doctorate in educational leadership from St. Louis University. 

"I am truly honored to be joining the MRH School District and the Middle School family! Living in the community and being the father of three MRH students, I have seen first-hand just how special the schools are and how much the staff does for the students and families. Having been in middle school education administration for over 15 years, I look forward to being a support for students, staff and families during these formative years. I am also excited to immerse myself in the "School as Expedition" metaphor in which I can bring together my passions for real-world learning, equity and diversity, while being outdoors with family, friends, and neighbors."

Drs. Loyet and Maxwell will officially assume duties at Maplewood Richmond Heights on July 1, 2021. Welcome to the MRH family!

For more information, contact MRH School District at (314) 644-4400.

This press release was produced by Maplewood Richmond Heights School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.