Julie DiGiacomo, the principal of Laning Avenue elementary school, announced by email on Sunday afternoon that she is resigning:
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It has been an honor to have had the opportunity to service and care for the wonderful children and families at Laning Avenue School but after much deliberation, I am resigning as principal. Please know that this was not an easy decision.
With the support of my Laning Family, our little school has undergone many changes over the past two years. As you know the Laning staff is AMAZING! From Ms. Buro to our incredible team of teachers, it is evident that everyone goes above and beyond for our children! I am most proud of the shift that has occurred at Laning in reading and writing. Our teachers are differentiating more and more by using the responsive teaching methodology in Reading and Writing Workshops to better meet their students’ needs. I am honored to have been able to offer instructional support and guidance over the past two years. I also feel privileged to have the chance to work closely with the three, Verona elementary principals, a team of gentlemen that I truly value and respect to support our staff at the district level as well.
In just two short years with the support of the Laning/district budgets and SCA funds, we were able to buy much needed furniture, ENO-Boards and document cameras, sound panels for the multi-purpose room, thousands of leveled books and book sets, games and crafts for recess, and furniture for our garden. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to establish a book room to house our leveled book sets and libraries so that we can better share our resources. When we did not have the money to purchase the level of books that were needed to implement Reading Workshop, I worked with many of you, our parents, to organize a school-wide book drive. Our Laning parents not only donated thousands of books but also helped to organize and level them. This was a huge undertaking but transformed our classroom libraries. For this, we are most appreciative.
Last but not least, Laning has undergone a transformational make-over as well! With the help of the Laning parents particularly Johanna Breitenbach and Trish Moore, we were able to spearhead a painting project that involved close to 30 Laning parents! This project continued into the following year with the support of the SCA. I have been blessed to work with Paul McDevitt, Luigi Nese and our amazing team of custodians to not only clean out and organize Laning but facilitate multiple repairs and school improvement projects on the building as well. I am so proud of the impact that this has had on Laning. Our building is cheery and clean and filled with LOVE! It reflects the care and respect we have for this special place.
I feel that I have put my heart and soul into Laning and with my leadership, hard work and care, it has flourished. I am committed to ending the year with the same enthusiasm and passion as always and will ensure that I efficiently close out the year and support the transition of a new principal. Once again, I would like to thank you for being the most incredible group of parents a principal could ever work with and affording me the luxury to be part of a community that will forever hold a special place in my heart.
All the best,
Julie DiGiacomo
Principal
DiGiacomo came to Laning in July 2013 from Cresskill, where she was assistant principal of its middle school and high school. At Laning, she succeeded Frank Albano, who had been the principal there since 2000.
It is not known why the resignation announcement came from DiGiacomo rather than from the Board of Education. Resignations and retirements are typically announced as agenda items at Board of Education meetings; there is a BOE meeting this Tuesday, April 28. Superintendent Rui Dionisio sent an email on Monday morning saying that the Board will approve the resignation at tomorrow’s meeting. “We are thankful and appreciative of Mrs. DiGiacomo’s service to the Laning learning community over the past two years and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
John Quattrocchi, the president of the BOE, also sent a statement this morning. “The evolution of the quality of our schools is a never-ending journey of continuous improvement,” he wrote. “We thank Julie DiGiacomo for her leadership at Laning and across the district for her part in that journey. We wish her well as she transitions to the next part of her career.”
DiGiacomo’s resignation is the second change of leadership at a Verona public school this month. At the April 14 BOE meeting, the Board announced that Glenn Cesa, who has been the principal of Verona High School for 13 years, will be voluntarily leaving that position for a new role with oversight over athletics, health services and peer leadership programs in the district. The Board also said that it had begun the search for his replacement.
