New principal in time of pandemic

BY TANYA CONNOR  | THE CATHOLIC FREE PRESS

A first-time principal is seeing opportunities springing from the coronavirus pandemic – opportunities for growth in faith and long-term investments in the school.
“We had to limit our enrollment” to 20 students per class because of pandemic guidelines and some grades have waiting lists, said Renée Legendre, who started as principal of St. Anna Elementary School in Leominster on Aug. 1. (The school has one class each for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 8.)
“We have a lot of new families,” Mrs. Legendre said. “I’m really hoping they see the community that we have, (and) embrace the faith that their children will be exposed to.”
Parents of second-graders have asked about their children making first Communion, and the principal said she sensed that some might not have been practicing the faith.
“I am curious if God’s hand isn’t here, welcoming them back,” she said. “Our pastor, Father Carlos (Ruiz), is very good with the kids, because he gives them real examples that they can identify with. I’m really excited to be with him. I think it’s going to be a nice partnership for us.” St. Anna’s Elementary is the school of St. Anna Parish, where Father Ruiz is pastor.
Mrs. Legendre said her own family’s faith grew during the pandemic through watching Mass online, when churches were closed because of the virus. She and her husband, Jeffrey, and their children, Ava, 13, and Maximus, 7, are members of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in West Boylston.
“You get too comfortable” at times, going through the motions at church, and not internalizing things, she said. Watching Mass at home gave them the opportunity to discuss the readings and parts of the Mass.
She wondered aloud whether some of the new families coming to the school embraced prayer again because of the virus.
“I do hear a lot more people saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and having that be acceptable again,” she said.
Mrs. Legendre comes to St. Anna’s with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Bay Path University in Longmeadow and a master of education in reading from Worcester State University.
While she has not been a principal before, she has worked in school administration as an intervention specialist, overseeing special education in Quabbin Regional School District from 2018-2020.
Other jobs she has held include being a Title I coordinator for the Spencer-East Brookfield School District and, from 2008-2014, a teacher of various subjects and grades at St. Bernadette Elementary in Northborough.
She’s also been involved with the arts, teaching literacy through reader’s theatre and music at McKay Arts Academy in Fitchburg, serving as operations manager for Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, directing the choir at St. Bernadette Parish and doing music ministry at Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Asked about her vision for St. Anna’s, Mrs. Legendre said, “I think for me as the principal … you don’t want to change the traditions here. … But I do think we can provide some opportunity for growth for the school.”
The pandemic led to brainstorming about technology. The school budget includes a Chromebook laptop computer for each student to use at school, and to take home if classes need to be held remotely, she said.
“Another thing that we did because of COVID … I think it’s a wonderful practice – we have a full-time nurse,” who replaces the previous part-time nurse, she said. A volunteer nurse remains.
The school also invested money to clean up a weed-filled courtyard, which can now be used as an outdoor classroom, where masks can be taken off, Mrs. Legendre said. And hot water heaters that cap at a safe temperature were installed in the classroom sinks that previously had only cold water, she said.
“So many of these things we’ve done for COVID … these are great investments we’ve made for the school,” she said.
Some funding for the projects came from parishioners and a neighboring parish, Our Lady of the Lake, that doesn’t have a school, she said.
Father Ruiz said parishioners are generous, and the school also had money for these investments because of good administration and good planning by the school board. Other investments included installing a telephone in each classroom in case there is an emergency, and setting up an isolation room with two beds, separated by plastic, for anyone exhibiting COVID symptoms, he said.
“It used to be the teachers’ lounge,” he said of the small room. “They have to make the sacrifice … for now.”
Speaking with The Catholic Free Press as final preparations were being made to open the school Sept. 8, Father Ruiz praised the teachers and Mrs. Legendre: “She has done a great job, and all the teachers. They have been working hours and hours. They’re very excited. We have been praying for each other, supporting each other.”
He also rejoiced in the school’s diversity, including Hispanics, Brazilians and new students from various cultures.
Asked about plans for retaining families, Mrs. Legendre talked about showing them “that we are a real community here, a community of family and faith. There were “meet and greets” for families before school started. And, she said, the Parent-Teacher Organization has Zoom meetings that families can participate in, and hopes to hold future meetings in person, with a Zoom option.
“I feel blessed to be here,” she said. “It’s a very supportive environment.”