Published April 8, 2021
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — When you’re as actively involved in mentoring students and their activities as North Reading High School Principal Anthony Loprete, it’s pretty hard to have a couple of carloads of out-of-town guests go unnoticed and not spoil the surprise when they arrive on your campus.
How do you get them inside and where do you put them so they don’t cross paths?
Fortunately, EVERYONE at NRHS was in on the secret during the Friday powerblock on March 26, except the man of the hour, who was being kept pre-occupied by a meeting with the Senior Class officers at the other end of the school.
Meanwhile, in the auxiliary gymnasium, Student Council members were busy setting up refreshments, balloons, socially distanced chairs, and greeting members of the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (MASC) Executive Board members and statewide student officers, all of whom were on hand to present the 2021 MASC Administrator of the Year Award to Mr. Loprete.
Athletic Director Dave Johnson was assigned the task of informing Loprete that he was needed in the auxiliary gym due to a “situation.” Queued up on the school’s loudspeaker was “It’s a Beautiful Day,” a favorite song, as AJ and Dave walked down Main Street lined with Student Council members holding signs and cheering him along.
It was all being live-streamed so that students in other classrooms could also watch and listen, while observing COVID protocols.
Loprete was stunned; they had pulled it off! Glancing around the room, among colleagues and students, he saw his wife, Dr. Rebecca “Bee” Loprete — who incidentally found the best bakery to make tasty and individually boxed “Hornet” logo cupcakes for the collation — and then saw Steve Graham, his best friend from high school, as well as his good friend and mentor, Jon Bernard, retired Superintendent of School (once a Hornet, always a Hornet).
Under ordinary circumstances, this prestigious award would have been presented during the annual MASC Spring Conference in Hyannis in front of over 1,000 students and a few hundred chaperones. But due to COVID, nothing about the past year could be termed “ordinary,” which makes the fact that this celebration was possible at all a testament to the leadership skills being modeled and encouraged in the students by mentors like their principal.
Loprete, in turn, shared his moment in the spotlight by offering congratulations to Student Council Advisor Amy St. Arnaud for her tireless work with the students over the years.
It is the Student Councils of the MASC member schools who nominate their administrators for the award to the MASC Executive Board in January.
In NRHS’s nomination letter, StuCo President Paris McAuliffe wrote in part, “A critical aspect of any involved student body is a strong relationship with their administration, and Mr. Loprete’s genuine compassion and appreciation towards our council, the NEMASC regional association, and the MASC association as a whole has allowed North Reading’s Student Council to be successful at both a regional and state level.”
McAuliffe added, “His open mindset has supported numerous Student Council members in working collaboratively alongside him to bring new events to our high school. Mr. Loprete has always been so willing to hear our voices, and for that, we are truly grateful.”
“This past November, I approached Mr. Loprete regarding the North Reading High School student body’s desire to throw a School Spirit Week, despite COVID-19 leading to a hybrid model,” continued McAuliffe. “The student body wanted to celebrate North Reading High School even if it would not be the same as an average year with an exciting football pep rally at the end of the week. Mr. Loprete’s dedication to his students is truly reflected in his eagerness to help me put this event together in less than a month. Mr. Loprete cheerfully responded to my event proposal with ‘I will go home and find my green and gold!’ which are North Reading’s school colors.
“Mr. Loprete helped us plan a competition for the greatest participation during every spirit day between cohorts. He assisted me in everything with advertising and ways to make the week a smashing success! Not only did the student body appreciate the hard work and dedication to the school, but the staff had an amazing time participating in silly outfits,” she wrote.
Also noted in the letter of nomination from the Student Council was Loprete’s high visibility with all students in the school, in particular, his daily greetings to the students as they pass by him on Main Street and his frequent visits to classrooms every afternoon during powerblock.
“Having such a visible administrator has proven to greatly strengthen student activities and the school environment as a whole,” McAuliffe stated. “Time and time again, Mr. Loprete has helped out with the community and school, wanting no recognition for his actions. He has never been the one to deny the Student Council a chance to go to conferences to improve the leadership and strength of our council. He strongly believes that having strong student leaders is an important building block in a school’s success.”
At the presentation, Senior Class President Nessren Ourdyl, who is also a member the Student Council at NRHS and serves as President of the North East Region of Mass Association of Student Councils (NEMASC), offered these words: “…In a world where school had been put on hold, and life turned upside down, Mr. Loprete worked endlessly in getting us back in the building and making sure we are able to stay, and still have fun. Since September 14th, he’s been bombarded by emails, including ours, pulled from every corner imaginable, and asked questions he was not in control of answering. Despite these constant beckons, Mr. Loprete answers all emails with a smiley face at the end, does his best to connect with students, and has brought life back to the student voice. It’s evident students come first to him, as many times have we found our own selves appreciated through moments of thanks. As we can attest to, never have we felt so comfortable in reaching out to him, an admirable trait of approachability that may lack in others.”
As the StuCo advisor, St. Arnaud had sent a letter in support of Loprete’s nomination for the award as well. This year marked the third year in which Loprete has been nominated for this honor by the students during his decade in North Reading, first as vice principal for four years alongside former Principal Jon Bernard, and then being promoted to principal after Bernard became Superintendent of Schools. In 2018, Bernard was presented the MASC Administrator of the Year award for his devotion to the student body. Having a second administrator selected for this award is a testament to the legacy of both administrators.
St. Arnaud cited Loprete’s selfless acts, such as volunteering to serve as a chaperone at last year’s conference in Hyannis when they came up short one chaperone at the last minute.
“Mr. Loprete put his personal and professional responsibilities aside to accompany the NRHS delegation to Hyannis. Not many principals get to experience Hyannis as a chaperone like Mr. Loprete did. This connection to his students was evident that week and through the spring and summer as he navigated the school closure and planning events to connect our students and say good-bye to our seniors,” St. Arnaud wrote.
She credited his efforts in large part for the school’s ability to possibly have had more in-person learning days than most schools in MASC. “Our doors are open 5 days a week, every week. As I write this letter, students and staff have remained 100% safe because there has been no transmission of the Coronavirus in our school or district. We thank Mr. Loprete for the many thankless and unnoticed tasks he has done to help us achieve this astonishing accomplishment,” she said.
During Loprete’s tenure, starting as vice principal through today, his close work with student leaders has enabled the school’s StuCo to be successful locally, such as his support for the October Food Drive for the town’s Food Pantry, which has gone from a few hundred donations to several thousand donations each year. “Over the years, student leaders have asked Mr. Loprete for permission to do many ‘crazy’ things to motivate more students to donate, and he has never said ‘no.’ He has also tripped over donations stored in his office space and carried heavy boxes that are about to fall apart into an overstuffed car. Most notably, he allowed (pre-COVID) a small group to travel to the Food Pantry to learn more about the services they provide,” St. Arnaud wrote.
His support of student leadership opportunities has extended to encouraging students to participate in regional conferences to hone their skills and these students have gone on to receive both individual and group recognition. In the past five years, after the new school was built, NRHS has hosted three NEMASC conferences, welcoming over 200 students from around the state into the school each time.
“Our council has been a Gold Council almost every year Mr. Loprete has been an administrator. His door is always open to student leaders and he approves every feasible idea. Some ideas have been very successful and others have not been successful but that has never stopped Mr. Loprete from giving student leaders the chance to try something new and better the community of North Reading High School,” St. Arnaud wrote.
“While this letter focuses on Mr. Loprete’s involvement in Student Council, it is worth mentioning that North Reading High School has first-rate theater and athletic departments and has been named one of the 50 best high schools in Massachusetts (Boston Magazine),” St. Arnaud stated. “These credentials demonstrate that Mr. Loprete shows other groups the same support and guidance he shows Student Council. North Reading High School is a thriving community because of his leadership.”
