WAKEFIELD — The Catholic School Office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence has announced that Dr. Arthur W. Lisi has been appointed by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin as principal of Msgr. Matthew F. Clarke Catholic Regional School, a co-educational school in Wakefield that educates students from pre-kindergarten through grade 8. He is currently the principal at Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School in Coventry where he also served as assistant principal for three years. Dr. Lisi will be taking over for Dr. John Finnegan who is retiring.
“I want to work in a Catholic School as I believe I can help students learn and grow in an environment that supports the moral and ethical sense of doing right in the world,” said Lisi.
Lisi received a Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College Joint Doctoral Program. He also received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counselor Ed/Student Personnel Services from URI.
At the Feinstein Middle School, Lisi is responsible for all the major elements of academic programs and educational growth of more than 1,100 students. As principal, he provided support, training and professional development to teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff. He introduced two STEM/STEAM classes in grades six and eight. He also organized and facilitated school improvement committees that supported increased family and community engagement, personalized learning, technology, literacy and numeracy.
Dr. Lisi was named a “Rhode Island Champion of Education” by the New England Secondary Schools Consortium, and in 2016, he was named “Administrator of the Year” by the Rhode Island School Counselor Association.
He previously held positions at Coventry High School as assistant principal and guidance curriculum coordinator, as a guidance counselor at Coventry Middle School and a 5th and 6th grade teacher at Blackrock Elementary School in Coventry.
“There is nothing more joyful than to watch students learn to grow,” Lisi said. “By helping to support the vision, rigorous instruction and key supports, I hope to continue to facilitate student learning and good teaching for many years to come.”
Lisi, and his wife, Margaret, reside in East Greenwich, and are active members of St. Francis de Sales Parish in North Kingstown. He will begin his duties as principal on July 1, 2017
