By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish public school district recently named John L. Ory Communications Magnet School Principal Terri Noel as one of three Principal of the Year award winners.
In her 18th year as a principal, Noel is happy to be recognized for excellency a second time during her tenure — Noel previously won the 2001 Principal of the Year award for all three classification levels. The principal said she considers it a great honor to be recognized by one’s peers for the work that one does but doesn’t plan to advance to regionals with her most recent award.
“Everyday is full of challenges — sometimes they’re positive and sometimes they’re not, and you can’t please everybody all the time,” she said. “So it’s an affirmation of a job well done. I’m very appreciative that I would be held in that esteem.”
Noel said that she gets a sense of joy just from being in contact with her students. The principal said she is thankful for the level or respect she receives from her staff and students.
“The job is more of a ministry. I think of my job as a role of ministry in providing service to others, and that’s where I get the joy from — seeing the children when they are successful. When I have to deal with a discipline issue, the respect that those kids give me even though I’m having to issue a consequence (is priceless),” said Noel.
When asked what traits she possesses that allowed her to be recognized, Noel said she couldn’t do it all without the support of her staff and parents. Noel said that she is proud to have maintained a consistent staff with very little turnover. She feels everyone must have the same mission and vision to make a successful school.
“Teamwork makes the dream work. I don’t make decisions totally by myself — it’s always been a ‘we.’ From the very beginning when we started this school 18 years ago, we met as a core group of teachers and planned how we wanted the school to look. Over the years, we’ve built upon that original vision,” she said.
“When we all believe that students can achieve more, regardless of what level they’re performing, and that it’s our responsibility as adults to ensure that they love learning first, everything else falls into place.”
Noel has also built a loving relationship with her student body by going out of her way to help any student who needs her.
Twelve-year-old Alex Waguespack said he had trouble preparing for a writing test last year when Noel talked him through it. Waguespack said that Noel also helped him in a similar situation this year when he had a hard time with a social studies test. The seventh-grader wanted to thank Noel personally for her help and wrote a thank you note to express his appreciation.
“I had a total meltdown, and I just didn’t know what to do. I was like, frozen. She came in and talked to me, and she helped me throughout the whole thing,” he said. “I wrote her a note saying ‘Thank you for not giving up on me, I don’t know what I would’ve done.’”
Waguespack said he views Noel as another family member and is very proud that she received the award.
“If I was the person that had the last decision whether she would get it or not, I would give it to her,” said Waguespack.