On October 21, 2024, we went to interview our principal, Mrs. Leonetti. Mrs. Leonetti was a teacher for over 22 years and she stated that she wanted to be a teacher because of her 3rd-grade teacher. She inspired her to be one because of how she treated Mrs. Leonetti and the relationship between them, as well as loving kids in general.

We asked Mrs. Leonetti what grades she taught and which was her favorite. She taught 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades, and she said 8th was her favorite class to teach.  She likes being our principal but she does miss teaching a class. On the positive side, now she gets to see all grades! Mrs. Leonetti's favorite part of being a principal is she can see each student in their classes, interact with the grades more, and create relationships with them.

We questioned Mrs. Leonetti about the topic of, "What do you usually do on a daily basis?" She answered with the following : Visit classrooms, answer various emails, problem-solve behavior issues, give awards to students, attend many meetings, and yet everything is different, she likes the fact that she doesn't know what goes on the rest of the day so it doesn't get boring! 

We asked her if she was offered, would she take the role of a teacher back? She said that only if she felt that whoever was taking the role of her principal position now would be dedicated to the role or the school as a whole, but she is very happy where she is now.

SOME FACTS ABOUT MRS. LEONETTI : 

Ever since she was little, she was always helping others in school and out of school, giving family and friends advice and always empathetic and patient towards people’s feelings. When she was younger she thought she wanted to be a teacher or nurse but saw that she wanted to teach students in her own way instead of the typical lessons such as language arts, math, social studies, and science. A family friend of hers who is a principal, recommended school counseling to her. She did a lot of research on it and that is the path she chose. She knew mental health was becoming a worldwide issue and she wanted to do her best to assist the ones she came in contact with in her role. Her favorite part about being a school counselor is “Student success”. Seeing their growth through the school year both inside and outside of school, teaching them valuable lessons in her own way such as her one on one sessions with them. She states the reasons why she loves to help kids so much and why she chose her path. “Mostly mental health. Mental health today is huge. It’s a big struggle. I want to help kids boost their self esteem and be their "voice of reason". She is also the cheerleading coach here at St. Rose of Lima. Lastly, some interesting facts about Mrs. Nespoli, is that she loves pink, the board game “CandyLand”, and her favorite teams are the Giants, Chiefs, and Jets in football and the Yankees in baseball. We love you Mrs. Nespoli!

Meet Our Newest 8th Grader

My name is Joanne Abate.

My birthday is on March 13, 2011.

My zodiac sign is Pisces.

My hobbies are basketball, Soccer, track, and cheerleading. 

In my free time, I love hanging out with friends and family.

My favorite thing about St. Rose of Lima is the people that make you feel welcomed.