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New Principal at St. Francis of Assisi School
As it embarks upon its 109th year, St. Francis of Assisi School in Torrington has welcomed a new school principal, Jo-Anne Gauger. Mrs. Gauger is a veteran educator, having taught at the elementary and middle-school level for 25 years, 17 of which have been at St. Francis. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Western CT State University and a Master of Arts in Reading from Central CT State University. She is currently pursuing an advanced degree in Administration at Central CT State.
A native of Torrington, Jo-Anne Gauger is active in the community. She is currently president of Torrington High School Boys Soccer Parents and has held a number of positions with the order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), including National Education Chairperson and State Scholarship Chairperson. She also was the first woman elected to the position of State President of Connecticut for OSIA.
In announcing the school's new principal, the St. Francis Board of Education cited Mrs. Gauger's exceptional leadership skills, enthusiasm, and thorough understanding of the school among the reasons for their choice.
"We're thrilled that Mrs. Gauger has agreed to assume the responsibilities of principal at St. Francis," said Bart Piorkowski, school board president. "This is an exciting time for our school, which can take great pride in offering one of the finest educational programs in Litchfield County. We continue to draw students from such areas as Litchfield and Winchester Center, in addition to Torrington. And our students consistently score well above their grade levels on standardized tests. Obviously, we could not accomplish this without the continued dedication of our fine staff, including Mrs. Gauger."
Mrs. Gauger notes that she is benefiting from the tremendous support of her family as she makes the transition to her new position. Her mother, Frances Lovallo, assists with the school fundraising by baking goods to sell at the school's weekly bingo games. Her daughter, Nicole, an alumna of the school and a graduate of Western New England College, helps in the cafeteria when time allows. And son Wes, also a St. Francis graduate and a soccer enthusiast at Torrington High School, helps with everything, says Mrs. Gauger, including painting her office over the summer. Alan Gauger, Jo-Anne's husband, helped ready the school for reopening at the end of August.
"My family's involvement in the school is by no means unique," says Mrs. Gauger. "St. Francis has enjoyed a longstanding tradition of family and community support. We believe it's vital to teach the children to become an active part of the community, contributing all they can to the greater good. And that attitude has helped to foster a very real sense of loyalty within St. Francis, as generation after generation enters the school."
With volunteerism an important part of the students' school experience, Mrs. Gauger would like to remind the Torrington community that the school has a large group of capable children eager to lend a hand. "If there is an opportunity to help," she says, "please let me know. I also invite members of the community to take time to visit the school and see all the wonderful things that are taking place. Regardless of whether you have children in the school, we would like to invite you to become a member of our community."
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