welcome from our school principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,
What a pleasure it is for me to be in the office serving as your next principal here at St. Peter School.  My thanks to those who have reached out, either in email or on social media, with a word of welcome.  My transition to St. Peter has been an extremely positive one!

Having been called to lead the St. Peter School community is one of the greatest honors of my career in the Archdiocese of Washington.  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!

My life's work has been dedicated to administration in the Catholic Schools in this Archdiocese. 
In the fall of 1998, I assumed the role of Vice-Principal of St. Elizabeth School in Rockville, Maryland, a position I held until 2000, when I was named Principal of St. Ambrose School in Cheverly, Maryland.  During my tenure at St. Ambrose, we saw a 30+% increase in enrollment, allowing us to add a second section to several grade levels in the school.  I was able to create a resource department and add a full-time Spanish teacher.  With the support of the pastor and the parents, we re-established the school’s defunct CYO Program. 

In 2005, I returned to St. Elizabeth School as Principal, and was tasked with stabilizing enrollment and teacher retention, which was addressed in my first two years.   Over the course of the next seven years, we saw an increase in enrollment of more than 100 students, the creation of full-time teaching positions for all special subject teachers, the addition of countless after school clubs and organizations, the expansion of the School Advisory Board, and the creation of an Administrative Council within the school. 

At the request of the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, I explored the possibility of assuming the position of President of the Consortium of Catholic Academies in Washington, DC, a position I did accept in May of 2019.  During the two years I led the Consortium, I was able to create an internal framework for the organization, while advancing each of the four school’s academic programs and overall development efforts. 

Returning to a Catholic elementary school is where my heart is, and serving as your next principal is where I feel called to be.  I look forward to leading St. Peter School to even greater levels of achievement partnering with you, our teachers, parishioners, benefactors, and alumni. 

You can be assured that as your principal, I will work hard, listen well, and appreciate often.  It is my sincere hope that as we look to the new school year, we can do so knowing that a sense of normalcy awaits us.  We’ve earned that! 
 
I look forward to meeting you this summer, and I truly await with excitement the day when I welcome your children at the front doors of St. Peter School.
 
Sincerely yours,
Vincent P. Spadoni
Principal