St. Peter’s principal says role ‘is one of greatest’ of his career

by Judith Hruz

Editor

Vincent Spadoni has spent his “life’s work,” as he calls it, serving Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Washington.

There is no other place he would rather have been, he said.

And in his first school year as principal of St. Peter’s Catholic School in Olney, he says there is no other place he would rather be right now.

“There is something really special about St. Peter’s, about Olney,” he said. “It’s not only the school, but the community, too.”

He praised the feeling of unity, of kindness and of caring for each other as what makes St. Peter’s Parish special.

“Having been called to lead the St. Peter School community is one of the greatest honors of my career in the Archdiocese of Washington,” he said in a letter to parents at the beginning of the school year. “Our community has earned a reputation for its strong sense of community, its deep commitment to our Catholic tradition, and its stellar academic program. There is so very much to be proud of here at St. Peter, and I look forward to being a part of the great things to come.”

He said all of those attributes are reinforced each day.

Spadoni said the love for each other kept the school safe and well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We never missed a day of school because peopled cared about each other,” he said, adding parents kept their children home if they suspected any illness and everyone took cautionary measures to remain safe. “We didn’t have to close for a day.”

Spadoni became vice principal of St. Elizabeth School in Rockville in the fall of 1998. In 2000, he was named principal of St. Ambrose School in Cheverly. During his tenure at St. Ambrose, the school saw more than a 30 percent increase in enrollment, he said.

In 2005, Spadoni returned to St. Elizabeth School as principal, and was tasked with stabilizing enrollment and teacher retention, which he accomplished during his first two years.

Over the next seven years, enrollment increased by more than 100 students, full-time teaching positions for all special subjects were added, after-school clubs and organizations were founded, the School Advisory Board was expanded and an Administrative Council was created.

In May 2019, Spadoni became president of the Consortium of Catholic Academies in Washington, D.C.

But, he said, “returning to a Catholic elementary school is where my heart is and serving as your next principal is where I feel called to be,” he wrote to the parents of St. Peter’s School.

“You can be assured that as your principal, I will work hard, listen well and appreciate often,” he said.