Staff Info
Our Pastor: Father Daniel W. Lacroix has a long-time commitment to Catholic education, dating to his days in diocesan elementary and secondary schools. He has a previous association with Cape Cod, serving as the pastor at Holy Redeemer parish in Chatham. Prior to his assignment at St. Francis Xavier Church, Hyannis, he had been the pastor at St. Francis Xavier Church in Acushnet, which also had a parish school. A history buff, Fr. Lacroix brings strong administrative experience and background and a clear vision to his assignment here.
Our Headmaster: Mr. Robert H. Deburro received his BA from the UMass and his MEd from Westfield State College. He has been an administrator for the past nineteen years. A former assistant principal at East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT, Mr. Deburro began the middle school program at Saint Timothy Middle School in West Hartford, serving as its principal for twelve years. A member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Independent Schools, Mr. Deburro also serves on school accreditation teams for the NEASC. He has been a speaker at the NEASC’s Annual Convention and a speaker at the National Catholic Education Association’s Annual Convention. In addition to being the headmaster at SFXP, Mr. Deburro also co-teaches eighth grade reading classes and the fifth grade study skills course.
When you need an answer, seek out our secretary, Mrs. Mary Offiler. A Eucharistic minister, Mrs. Offiler has three sons, two of whom have graduated from SFXP.
Mrs. Jacqueline P. Battles, a graduate of Salve Regina College, has taught for ten years. She has been at St. Francis Xavier Prep for the past sevent of those years. An elementary school major, Mrs. Battles minored in biology. At St. Francis Xavier, she teaches science. Mrs. Battles is a member of the New England League of Middle Schools, with whom she attends a variety of workshops and conferences. She has a particular interest as a miniaturist, and is a member of the Cape Cod Miniature Society.
Mrs. Maribeth Burch is in her fifth year at SFXP. A teacher of language arts, Mrs. Burch has her B.A. from Stonehill College. Mrs. Burch has worked as an attorney and holds a doctorate of jurisprudence from the New England School of Law. A member of New England League of Middle Schools, Mrs. Burch co-chaired our Self-Study process for accreditation. This year, she moderates the social action club with Mrs. Beth Kelley. Additionally, Mrs. Burch offers a study skills course for students new to SFXP and assists with the fifth grade student skills. A CCD teacher at her parish, St. Pius X, she also has led retreats from confirmation classes. Mrs. Burch is the cheerleading coach for the YD Pop Warner Program. The mother of three, Mrs. Burch has an eighth grade homeroom.
Mr. Walter Crotty, our physical education teacher and athletic director, attained a political science degree from the University of Massachusetts. He also earned his M.Ed. from UMass. He has an extensive background in the development and implementation of youth sports programs. An athlete himself, Mr. Crotty has played on cross country, soccer, football, basketball, hockey, and baseball teams from high school and into college. He also had a stint playing professional baseball. A retired U. S. Army Captain, Mr. Crotty has run programs for the Girls and Boys Club in Mashpee and has been the varsity baseball coach at Mashpee High School. He is in his sixth year at St. Francis Xavier Prep.
Mr. Joseph Daly teaches seventh and eighth grade religion. Mr. Daly is a widely experienced educator with an international business background. His experience as a teacher has included all levels of education from grade school through college. He also has been a guidance counselor and teacher for an international school in Japan. Mr. Daly has taught high school theology and philosophy at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington, DE. There, he was also the school’s chairman of the department. Prior, he was a Campus Minister at State University of New York at New Paltz. Most recently, his work has been in the business field. He has a BA in religious studies from Saint Anselms, a Master of Divinity from Maryknowll School of Theology, and a MA in religious education from Fordham. Mr. Daly is sponsoring the Bowling Club this year.
Mrs. Eileen Kelley has been at St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School since its opening. A veteran of more than twenty-five years of teaching, Mrs. Kelley is a graduate of Regis College, majoring in history. An active member of the New England League of Middle Schools, Mrs. Kelley has also kept updated professionally through her attendance at a variety of outside conferences and workshops. She married her husband of more than thirty years in Bamberg, Germany. With a sixth grade homeroom, Mrs. Kelley teaches grade six social studies and geography to the fifth graders.
Mrs. Elizabeth Kelley joined as our language arts and reading teacher for grade five three years ago. A graduate of Regis College, Mrs. Kelley taught most recently in El Mirage, Arizona. There she taught reading to students in grades seven and eight as well as art across the curriculum. Prior to her relocation to Arizona, Mrs. Kelley taught at the Ben Franklin Charter School in Franklin, MA and at Hudson Catholic High School, her alma mater. Mrs. Kelley also has taught religious education for her parish, also in the middle school grades. She co-moderates the social action club with Mrs. Burch.
Mrs. Debbie Pickett-Mills, our art teacher, has taught art education for twelve years at the junior and senior high level, including advanced placement art. She has her B.A. in art with a minor in education from Appalachian State University and has done graduate work at Appalachian State, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and UMASS. A practicing artist herself, Mrs. Mills work has been accepted into juried shows at Caldwell College in Lenoir, NC, Ellison Center for the Arts in Duxbury, and in the Duxbury Art Association, where she won a first place. A member of Printmakers of Cape Cod and enjoys travel and photography.
Mrs. Maureen Philbin-Crockett, or "Mrs. P-C" has been a teacher at SFXP since its opening. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Two years ago she completed her master’s degree from Cambridge College. Her course work included integrated studies. With her husband, she runs a financial services business. Mrs. Philbin-Crockett has been an active attendee of the Newspaper in education workshops and NELMS Conferences. She has undertaken the major task of coordinating the eighth graders’ trip to Washington, D.C. Mrs. Philbin-Crockett teaches U. S. History to grades seven and eight.
Mr. Robert Sagona is the religion teacher for students in grades five and six. With a BS from St. Francis College in Brooklyn and a M.Ed from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mr. Sagona was in the business world prior to this second career as a allowed him to travel the world with the responsibility of reviewing the operational and financial structures of banks. He has been a teacher of religious education at Our Lady of Victory Church, his home parish.
Mrs. Janice Shepard has spent thirteen years as a school nurse at the middle and senior high school levels. Additionally, she has spent 18 years in critical care as a hospital nurse. A graduate of the University of Hartford, Mrs. Shepard completed additional course work this summer at Fairfield University. A member of the Massachusetts School Nurse Association, the MA Private and Parochial School Nurse Association, and the National Association of School nurses, Mrs. Shepard currently is serving on a committee that is revising the National School Nurse Certification Examination.
Mrs. Velna Zuzick holds a degree in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire. A certified music educator, she is in her ninth year of teaching. Mrs. Zuzick was the school’s first music teacher, serving for two years, and returned to us five years ago. She coordinates our entire musical offerings and even sponsors a movie club at school. Her music background is extensive, qualifying her to teach a range of instrumentation and vocal music. Mrs. Zuzick has been an adjudicator at the All-Cape Chorus and a performer and substitute director for the Provincetown Choral Society.
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Our Mission
| Saint Francis Xavier Preparatory School is a faith community rooted in the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. We are committed to meeting the needs of early adolescents, grades five through eight, throughout Cape Cod. We seek to provide a challenging curriculum which will prepare students for success in competitive secondary school environments. We seek to foster academic excellence and to promote harmony with self, with others, and with God in a caring environment centered on the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. |
Verse of the Day
Absent Email
Email us your student's absence by using this address: absent@sfxp.org |