School Leadership
A Welcome from the President
Welcome to Nazareth Academy High School! It is my distinct honor and privilege to serve as the first president of Nazareth Academy High School. During the 2017-2018 school year, Nazareth implemented the President Principal Model. Over the last 6 school years, we have strengthened the financial position of the school by making intentional, strategic and prudent decisions. We have enhanced our academic, student life and student services programs. In those decisions, we are mission-focused and student-centered. Nazareth needed sustainable growth with an infrastructure that integrates best practices, strong fiscal management, aligned functions, consolidated roles and responsibilities in the areas of Academics, Counseling, Student Life, Catholic Identity, Advancement, Alumnae Relations, and Marketing
Consistent with our mission we maintain an unceasing commitment to educating the mind, body, and spirit, along with an unparalleled dedication to academic excellence. True to its tradition, the Nazareth experience transforms girls into young women prepared to be life-long learners and leaders in a global society.
We challenge our young women to attain their full potential academically, spiritually, and personally. We are steadfast in this mission and in our Catholic identity to ensure that the Nazareth experience includes opportunities for community service along with leadership, athletics, and extra-curricular activities. Your daughters will find that at Nazareth, our academics, athletics, activities, and the arts come alive.
At the end of the day, Nazareth students learn to believe in the power of faith; to believe in the power of possibility; to believe in themselves. In a world that cries out for leadership, we greet our incoming freshmen as girls, and in four short years, they are transformed into tomorrow's leaders. They are leaders as defined by their professional success, yes, but more importantly, leaders in virtue, morality, and social justice.
Preaching the Gospel to others not with our words (which can often be misunderstood) but through every action and every interaction we have with everyone every day, is our north star, and that is what makes Nazareth Academy extraordinary. That is what makes Nazareth Academy the right choice.
As you visit our website and experience our many admissions events, I invite you to talk to our students and parents, visit our school community, and experience for yourself why Nazareth Academy is a school worthy of your daughters. They are the treasures of your lives, and the Nazareth community will embrace them and prepare them well. In fact, they will leave us changed for the better after having lived the Nazareth experience for four years.
Blessings,
Mrs. Denise LePera
President, NAHS
A Note From The Interim Principal
I am honored to serve Nazareth Academy High School as Interim Principal. It will be a pleasure to work with dedicated students and an extremely devoted staff. I am blessed to continue to be part of this school and to offer my support.
As an undergraduate at Holy Family University, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in Medical Technology. I then went on to Drexel University and earned a master’s degree in clinical microbiology. The culmination of my academic career led me to the University of Pennsylvania completing a master’s degree in chemistry education. I began teaching at Nazareth Academy in 1998 as the chemistry teacher and have always been grateful for the supportive school community. Since 1998, we added honors chemistry and advanced placement chemistry, along with numerous college preparatory, honors, and advanced placement course offerings. In 2012, I was appointed Academic Dean and I assumed that role until 2016, when I was conferred the title of Assistant Principal for Academics.
The mission statement of Nazareth Academy is rooted in faith, family, and education. We are faith-filled, as the Catholic faith is the foundation of and the impetus for all that happens both within and beyond the walls of every classroom. Nazareth Academy High School educates the mind, inspires the Catholic faith, and builds the character of the young women who walk the halls. We are family focused, creating a culture of togetherness through small class sizes and collaborative experiences. The educational opportunities that your daughters receive are limitless. Our numerous college preparatory, honors, advanced placement, and partnerships with Holy Family University and the Arrupe Virtual Learning Institute, demonstrate that there are many roads to success as Nazareth students discover their unique talents and ambitions. Nazareth provides an unrivaled, well-rounded education that leaves its students well-prepared for college and the world that awaits them.
Inspired by Mother Foundress, Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, I offer praise and gratitude to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth for establishing this school 95 years ago. As a result of their dedication, sacrifice, and wisdom, they formed a preeminent institution committed to the academic, spiritual, and personal growth of young women. I am thankful that you have entrusted your daughters to us.
I view education as a continuous process where daily reflection is paramount. Students are the focus, and their successes are fundamental to our outcome. With over 25 years of teaching experience and six years as Assistant Principal, I am prepared and eager to share in your daughter’s high school journey.
Blessings,
Mrs. Patricia E. Quinn P '04
Interim Principal, NAHS
