Pamela Moors
Photo By Michael Alexander

Pamela Moors brings 24 years of experience in Catholic education as she starts as the new principal of St. Peter Claver Regional Catholic School.

“I love children. I love to teach. I love to bring my dedication and compassion to the schools and to the students,” said Moors. “I’m new to the diocese but not new to education.”

Born in Mobile, Ala., Moors spent most of her adult life in California, the youngest of six children. Her father was a truck driver and her mother taught kindergarten.

Moors worked in Catholic schools in Sacramento, Calif. For the past three years, she was a principal at St. Patrick School in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She graduated from St. Mary’s College of California, located in Moraga.

Moors, who is 53, and her husband, Don, have a grown son. They live in Ellenwood and attend Sts. Peter and Paul Church, the Decatur parish connected to the regional school.

Moors calls teaching in a Catholic school a ministry that brings a faith-based approach to education and instills academic excellence in students.

St. Peter Claver is one of the smallest archdiocesan schools. It was started as a regional school in 2001 and serves 13 parishes in the center of Atlanta and nearby suburbs. It has students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

She succeeds Catherine Spencer, who was principal for seven years.

Moors said one of her goals is to be a public face for the school, visiting nearby parishes and their congregations to let them know about the school.

She said she doesn’t want Catholic parents to drive past St. Peter Claver School on their way to bringing a youngster to another Catholic school.

A goal of Moors is to increase enrollment at the school. It is slated to have about 120 students, but she would like to get the numbers closer to 200. She said she will be working on public relations, along with a recruitment committee at the school, to raise its profile.

The first step in that direction is putting up more signs near the school and improving its grounds, beautifying it with trees and landscaping, she said.

When the students show up on Monday, Aug. 16, they won’t be the only with first-day jitters. Moors said she is excited too. “I still want to make sure everything is in order. You still go through the little jittery. Let’s get things going.”