Congratulations!
Please join us in congratulating three wonderful, highly dedicated staff members who will be retiring at the end of this school year: Mrs. Kanute, Mrs. Curry, and Mrs. DelSignore have all decided to end their highly successful careers with Saint James School at the end of June. All three have played significant roles in shaping SJS into the exceptional school it is today and we wish them all the best in this exciting new chapter of their lives.
Mrs. Patricia Kanute – Principal
Mrs. Kanute has been in education for 38 years, the last 19 of which she has served as Principal at Saint James School. Early in her career, Mrs. Kanute worked as a 1st grade teacher in the Southington Public Schools before finding her true calling in Catholic education at St. Dominic School in Southington. During her time at St. Dominic, Mrs. Kanute held several teaching positions, including Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and 4th grade. In 1997, Mrs. Kanute was called upon to be the Assistant Principal at a Catholic school in Hartford, a position she held for just one year before being moved into the role of Principal of Saint James School in 1998.
During her tenure in education and administration, Mrs. Kanute has overseen numerous successful school accreditations, including our “exceptional” accreditation status by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges here at SJS last year. Among her proudest accomplishments during her career is leading Saint James School to the esteemed honor of being designated a Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor bestowed upon an academic institution, in 2010. Mrs. Kanute says Saint James School will forever hold a special place in her heart and, while she will not miss the lengthy commute from Southington each day, she will certainly miss seeing the students, parents, and staff every morning.
Please join us in wishing Mrs. Kanute much enjoyment in her retirement as she enjoys time at her summer home on the shore as well as spending time with her grandchildren, children, husband, and the rest of her family.
Mrs. Patricia Curry – Vice Principal
Mrs. Curry has enjoyed a very blessed career in teaching, spending 34 years as an elementary school teacher at Saint James School before retiring from the profession she loves in 2014. Since then, she has been serving as Vice Principal of our school, working closely with Mrs. Kanute and Mrs. DelSignore in the main office and filling in as a substitute teacher for the grades on occasion.
Mrs. Curry began her career at SJS in 1980 as a 1st grade teacher. She moved up to the 2nd grade after her second year, where she remained until 2014. Mrs. Curry says that she loved teaching and particularly enjoyed second grade as there are so many milestones that occur at that point for children both academically and spiritually.
In her retirement, Mrs. Curry is looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren, children, and other family members. She also plans to spend more time traveling, something she has enjoyed immensely since her retirement from teaching. At the same time, Mrs. Curry will tell you that Saint James School feels like family to her and she looks forward to coming back as a substitute teacher and plans to stay connected with our school community in other ways as well.
Mrs. Eileen DelSignore – School Secretary
Mrs. DelSignore has worked as the school secretary at Saint James School since being hired by Sister Louise Kelly in 1983. Three of her four children graduated from Saint James School and four of her grandchildren attended Saint James School as well. Mrs. DelSignore has been an invaluable employee of the school during her tenure, keeping the office well organized even during the time that the school had over 500 students coming through the doors each morning!
Mrs. DelSignore has a special knack for remembering former students and their families, and takes the time to catch up with them when she can. During the past several years, Mrs. DelSignore has enjoyed seeing many former Saint James School students that she knew as children, come back into the office to enroll their own children.
Please join us in thanking Mrs. DelSignore for her years of service and dedication to our school! She is looking forward to spending time with her family, enjoying the beach, and traveling with family and friends.
New additions to the school staff and administration will be announced once these positions are filled.