PROVIDENCE – LaSalle Academy has a history of a number faculty members working in the community for many years, some for their entire working lives.
Several have been associated with LaSalle Academy since their own high school days. The academy notes that six current faculty members have taught and administered for more than 35 years each: John Carpenter, Joseph Fioravanti, Edmond Heroux, Robert Lisi, Michael McNamara, and James Quinn.
Asked what has touched them most deeply in their years at LaSalle Academy, responses reflected a running theme of being inspired by the spirituality and mission of the Brothers and the opportunity to be a part of that mission. These men feel that the Lasallian community is a true family.
John Carpenter has taught at LaSalle Academy for 39 years. He is not an alumnus. In fact, he says, he “never had set foot on LaSalle property until the Friday before school opened in September 1968. It was Divine Providence or just dumb luck that I got a job at LaSalle in the first place. In those days my mother worked as a cook in the Brothers’ residence. She told me that an opening existed for an English/history teacher. I applied, got the job, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Carpenter earned both his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Providence College. He taught English at LaSalle Academy for two years, then became a full-time social studies teacher. In 1977, he was appointed department chair, a position he held for 20 years.
“LaSalle has had a profound impact on my life,”?Carpenter said. “ My perspective and values have been greatly influenced by the wonderful colleagues I have had the pleasure of working with and most especially by the spirituality of the Christian Brothers who have led LaSalle during my tenure. Each one, in his own unique way, helped develop my skills and personal qualities to help me become a better teacher and person.”
Asked to relate a memorable moment from his days at LaSalle, he relates, “It occurred on the day [of] the Great Blizzard of 1978. Around 10 a.m. it began to snow heavily. It took a couple of hours to make arrangements for dismissal and by noon, blizzard conditions prevailed. I remember [a student] standing on a desk and yelling at the top of his lungs, ‘When are they going to let us out of here?’ We were dismissed minutes later, but conditions were so bad many students were unable to leave and wound up spending days living at the Brothers’ House.”
Joseph Fioravanti ’66, current chair of the Social Studies Department, also received both his B.A. and M.A. from Providence College. He has taught at LaSalle Academy for 37 years. Fioravanti has also taught Italian, and was the “Voice of LaSalle” at home football games for many years. Indeed, the extensive co-curricular activities at the school, he says, have kept him connected to the Lasallian community. “The enthusiasm and dedication of the players, actors, musicians, coaches and moderators have left a lasting impression on me.”
He too found the Blizzard of 1978 memorable. After school was dismissed, “I walked home, which was about a half mile from the school… every step was an effort. I remember a bus stuck near Fargnoli Park. That bus literally could not move another inch, there was so much snow.”
Fioravanti praises the school for making “a tremendous commitment to its faculty, staff, and student body through its efforts in building and in technology. We have come a long way from chalk and talk and filmstrips.”
Beginning his career at LaSalle Academy in 1966, Edmond Heroux holds the distinction of serving the longest tenure of any faculty member in history – 41 years. Completing his degree work in French at Providence College, Mr. Heroux later earned his MEd in counselor education from Rhode Island College. He became a full-time guidance counselor in 1972, and for many years has headed that department. For nearly a quarter of a century, Heroux has also been the men’s head basketball coach.
No matter where he goes, he noted, he always meets fellow Lasallians. One time, he was stuck in an airport in Baltimore. He was frustrated in his efforts to get assistance until he met a fellow Providence College graduate, whose roommate went to LaSalle Academy. That Lasallian connection was able to resolve the matter!
“LaSalle is such a loving and caring community,” Heroux said. “We support one another through prayer and friendship. [Support for me at] the recent death of my mother is a great example of this love.”
Robert Lisi, ’67, earned both his B.A. and his M.A.T. in French from Rhode Island College and has taught at LaSalle Academy for 36 years. Currently principal of the PEGASUS 7/8 program, Lisi, in addition to teaching French, has served as class dean and vice principal in the high school.
What has touched Lisi most deeply over the years has been the great number of students who return to the academy to thank administrators and faculty. He is especially touched by those whose chances for achievement seemed questionable, but who proved to be successful in later years.
Lisi relates with amusement his most memorable story, which comes from his days as a student: “Bro. Andrew could never remember my name. He always referred to me as ‘the boy in front of Mr. DiLorenzo. Years later, when I returned to LaSalle Academy, I ran into Bro. Andrew in the hall. He said to me, ‘I know you. You’re the boy who sat in front of Mr. DiLorenzo!’”
Lisi holds dear the familial link among everyone in the community. “I don’t relate to people separately as administrators, teacher, secretaries, or maintenance staff. To me, we are all here for the same purpose, to serve the young people at LaSalle. And that makes us all equal.”
Michael McNamara ’63, received his degree in mathematics from College of the Holy Cross, and an M.A. in mathematics from the University of Washington. He has been teaching that subject at LaSalle Academy for 36 years.
McNamara relates that “the most deeply touching of my experiences here has been the journey of my wife, Carolee and me through her illness with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and her death in August…Throughout this time, the LaSalle administration was enormously supportive. My schedule was adapted so that I could care more effectively for Carolee. The school held fundraisers that allowed us to hire caregivers and purchase equipment. Colleagues were remarkable in their support! [Many] prepared dinners for us, delivering a nutritious, delicious, and substantial dinner three times a week. There was no end to the hearty greetings, prayers, cards, and visits by colleagues, students, and former students. Each little gesture was an important and tangible support. The support Carolee and I received certainly demonstrates a model of community in action.”
McNamara says that “the major aspect of my career here at LaSalle has been my participation in the mission, spirit, and spirituality of St. LaSalle. I am deeply grateful to the Brothers for their enlightened efforts to share that mission with their colleagues. They have certainly managed this task with skill and grace. My life has been enormously enriched as a result.”
James Quinn, a veteran of 38 years of teaching mathematics at LaSalle Academy, is the sole member of this group who is not a native Rhode Islander. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Quinn went off to graduate from the University of Maryland, then to Ohio State for his master’s degree.
Quinn cites his fellow teachers’ attitudes toward their students, their professionalism, and the camaraderie as what touches him most profoundly. As a single person, Quinn feels that having the Lasallian community be “like a family to me” is a special blessing. He says, “There’s no better place to have spent my working years. To be in teaching, you have to like working with kids. I do!”
