CRANSTON — It’s 2:12 on Friday afternoon and Principal Lisa M. Lepore is gearing up for dismissal at St. Mary School in Cranston. She has a clipboard in her hands and a smile on her face.
Students are excited not only to head home for the weekend, but also because they know Lepore was recently honored with the 2014 Distinguished Principal Award, which is presented by the Elementary Schools Department of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). As the honoree from Region I, she’s sharing the distinction with principals from 12 NCEA regions throughout the United States, and will receive the award April 22 at the organization’s national conference in Pittsburgh.
“She deserves it,” said second grader Tianna Reyes, 8.
Other students, including kindergartner Ethan Johnson, 6; first grader Henry Spigell, 7; fifth grader Alex Naudeau, 10, and his sister Abigail, 6 — a first-grader, described Lepore as “very nice,” “hard-working,” “considerate,” and “a good principal.”
“She’s the best,” Johnson said.
The compliments didn’t stop there.
“She teaches us that you have to put God first in your life,” said fifth-grader Nakisha Riggins, 11, with sixth-grader Victoria Biagetti, 12, nodding in agreement.
The children, said Lepore, are her top priority. Whether it’s saying goodbye to them at the end of the day, chatting with them during lunch, popping in a classroom for a quick greeting, or welcoming them to school each morning, she does it with a caring heart and gentle soul.
“I think it’s important for me to touch base with every one of them at some point during the day, even if it’s just to say hello,” Lepore said. “They need to know that they are loved and safe, and I think that we do a very good job of that here.”
Lepore, who has been a Catholic educator for nearly 30 years, graduated from Rhode Island College (RIC) with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1981. Soon after, she returned to RIC and earned a Master of Arts in teaching before landing a job as an educator at St. Leo School in Pawtucket. She then served as St. Leo’s principal Pawtucket. She then served as St. Leo’s principal until taking the position at St. Mary in 2008.
Since becoming an educator, Lepore, a parishioner at Mary Mother of Mankind in North Providence, adopted the philosophy of leading by example. She begins each day in an upbeat mood, and starts the week with 15 minutes of prayer every Monday. Students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade gather in the gymnasium to pray, as well as announce birthdays and special recognitions. They regularly attend Mass as a school, and get to know students in other grades through various projects.
“One of the things that I’m always preaching is that we are a family,” said Lepore. “We take care of one another.”
Aside from nurturing her students, Lepore understands the importance of fostering positive relationships with the faculty and staff. While they say she makes their jobs better, she claims it’s the other way around.
“Their dedication, commitment, and willingness to help out allows me to do my job,” Lepore said. “It’s a team effort. There’s a lot of laughter and the kids see that. There’s no way I could do my job without them.”
Before earning the national honor, Lepore received a Rhode Island principal distinction in October. Upon hearing the news, school Secretary Nancy Nasser and Parish Pastor Father William Ledoux planned a surprise party for her at Cranston’s Santa Maria DiPrata Society, inviting her family, as well as the school and rectory staff.
“It was a beautiful celebration and I was extremely surprised and very grateful,” said Lepore, noting that Superintendent of Catholic Schools Daniel J. Ferris had nominated her for the NCEA award, which she learned that she had won last month.
“I never expected to get the national award,” Lepore said. “I actually was very, very shocked. It kind of validates what we do on a day-to-day basis, and it’s always nice to get recognized for it. It took a long time for it to sink in.”
According to Ferris, Lepore is an “exceptional” principal. In addition to ministering effectively to students and their families, as well as teachers, he said she is a true leader in multiple aspects, as she heads a “stellar” academic program, keeps finances in order, and makes sure the buildings are well-kept.
“We nominated her because of her Christ-like leadership, and I don’t use that term lightly,” Ferris said. “She is very unassuming, gentle, kind, compassionate, understanding, firm, fair, just, [and] conscientious. She never draws attention to herself, and consistently does the right thing with a lot of fortitude.”
Parish Pastor Father William Ledoux, who has known Lepore since her days at St. Leo, shared similar sentiments. He praised her for being a “dedicated” and “organized” principal.
“She believes in a Catholic education and always puts the children first,” said Father Ledoux. “She really and truly believes in the teachings of the church and brings that forth every day. She’s also a great leader. I think the faculty and staff really look up to her as a role model.”
Fourth grade teacher Elaine Eramian is one of them. In fact, she wrote a letter of recommendation for Lepore regarding the national award.
“She’s a team player,” said Eramian, who has been working at the school for 28 years. “She’s always asking us for our input and values it. She supports what I do and is there if I need her for anything.”
Lepore’s award marks the third year in a row that an educator from the Diocese of Providence has been recognized by the NCEA. Ferris is pleased by this, and believes it says a lot about the diocesan school system.
“It’s really exciting,” he said. “It reaffirms something that I’ve observed over and over again: the quality of principals and teachers in the schools of this diocese is second to none. They are really solid.”
