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Photo courtesy of Westwood Public Schools. Stacy Mahoney is the Sheehan School's new elementary principal. She most recently was employed as principal at Fannie E. Proctor Elementary School in Northborough.
8-11-2026 12:19am
Meet Your Westwood Neighbor: Stacy Mahoney is Sheehan Elementary School's New Principal
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Thanks to Westwood Public Schools for contributing this news to Westwood Minute.
Many educators will tell you they knew they wanted to be a teacher since they were little kids. Stacy Mahoney credits her decision to a very special high school Spanish teacher named Senora Silverman in her hometown of Abington, near Philadelphia.
“She was really inspiring and had a fantastic relationship with students, families and colleagues and was a huge part of the community,” said Mahoney. “I saw how she was able to build strong relationships and influence people in a positive way.”
Mahoney left Pennsylvania after graduating from high school to attend Boston University, where she earned a degree in modern foreign language education. She was student teaching at Watertown Middle School when the Spanish and French teacher retired and she took their place.
While teaching, Mahoney says she started to think about what other options she wanted to pursue going forward and got her master’s degree from Cambridge College in school counseling.
“While working as a guidance counselor, my principal gave me that tap on the shoulder you sometimes get and asked me if I had ever thought of school leadership. He saw something in me I hadn’t seen in myself.”
That “shoulder tap” led to Mahoney earning a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Endicott College. While working in Watertown, she received another nudge—this time from a colleague who suggested she apply for a middle school assistant principal job in Southborough. After 3 years there, she decided to pursue a principal position at an elementary school in Northborough.
“Around the time that I was considering going to the elementary level, I had my own child,” said Mahoney. “When he was going into kindergarten, it was this colliding of worlds, having my older child experience public education and seeing what that journey would look like. He was loving the experience with his teacher and seeing how that experience shapes you and how you feel about education excited me.”
This year, Mahoney learned that Westwood was hiring a new principal at the Sheehan Elementary School. She started the interview process in February. “I learned early on, especially at Sheehan, that many staff have been there for decades,” said Mahoney. “I think about Principal Evans who I am fortunate to follow. She was there for about two decades, and that’s such a legacy.”
“With Principal Mahoney joining Sheehan, I know the school will be in great hands,” said Superintendent Tim Piwowar. “Her experience and enthusiasm are a natural match for Sheehan students, families, and staff, and I look forward to how the school will continue to blossom under her leadership.”
Mahoney acknowledges Sheehan’s “very strong learning environment,” and intends to spend the beginning of her tenure asking questions, learning and listening.
Outside of school, you’ll find Mahoney with her husband and their two young sons, enjoying outdoor and indoor activities. She calls cooking and baking, and experimenting new recipes with her boys a “huge hobby.”
“While I don’t want to rush summer, I am looking forward to meeting students,” said Mahoney. “It’s such a privilege to be here at Sheehan and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone who loves the school as well as learning and honoring Sheehan’s story.”
