Catholic Schools
St. Michael's Academy Leaderhip Team

Bios on new leadership team

Miss Nelly deCarvalho, Head of Academy

Miss deCarvalho is a resident of Springfield. Having attended the former St. Michael’s Elementary and High Schools in Northampton, she graduated from College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee with a B.A. in English and a concentration in Elementary Education. She has taught at several schools in the Diocese of Springfield as well as in Burbank, California where she served for fifteen years as principal of St. Francis Xavier School. While in California, Miss deCarvalho earned a Master of Arts in School Administration from the University of San Francisco. She has served extensively on accreditation teams for both the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges for which she chaired thirteen accreditation teams. Since returning to Massachusetts, Miss deCarvalho has been principal for the past five years and is currently serving at Our Lady of Hope in Springfield. Among her many honors are recognition for “outstanding leadership” by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and as one of the 25 most influential individuals in Catholic education over the past 25 years by Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine.

 

Mrs. Claire Cote, Principal, St. Michael’s Academy Elementary School

Mrs. Cote is a resident of Chicopee. After graduating from Annhurst College in Woodstock, CT, she served as elementary school teacher and principal in Connecticut and in the Diocese of Springfield where she has held the position of principal for 28 years. Currently she is principal of Holy Cross School in Springfield. She led two schools, Mount Carmel Academy and Holy Cross, through the process of accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. NEASC has asked Mrs. Cote to serve on 11 accreditation teams, twice as a committee member and nine times as chair.

 

Mrs. Carol Raffaele, Principal, St. Michael’s Middle School

Mrs. Raffaele is a resident of Wilbraham. After her graduation from College of Our Lady of the Elms with a B.A. in English, she taught for a year in California before beginning a career in the Springfield Public Schools. She taught English at Kiley Middle School for 20 years and served as assistant principal, Gerena Magnet Community School and Kennedy Middle School. She holds an MAT in English as well as a Certificate of Graduate Study in Administration and Supervision from American International College. Upon retirement from public school, Mrs. Raffaele became principal of Mount Carmel Academy in Springfield where she has served for six years. She is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an Honorary Society of Women Educators, and has been honored as a William Pynchon teacher as well as a recipient of a Beacon Award.

 

Ms. Ann Dougal, Assistant Principal, St. Michael’s Elementary School

Ms. Dougal is a resident of Indian Orchard. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Elms College and her M.A. in School Administration from American International College. She has spent her entire teaching career in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Springfield, 14 years as principal. Before assuming her current position at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Ms Dougal served at Immaculate Conception School and St. Matthew School in Indian Orchard and Assumption School in Chicopee. She is very active in her parish community, Immaculate Conception, Indian Orchard and belongs to the National Catholic Educators Association.

 

Mr. David Nortz, Assistant Principal, St. Michael’s Middle School

A resident of Springfield, Mr. Nortz is a native of New York State and received his B.S. from the State University of New York at Oswego. He earned a M.Ed. from Westfield State College and a M.Ed. in Administration from Springfield College. After college he relocated in Springfield and began his teaching career in the Springfield Public Schools. After more than 30 years as a teacher of mathematics at Kiley Middle School, he became Acting Assistant Principal at Kiley and later Assistant Principal at Kennedy Middle School. Upon retiring from public school, Mr. Nortz assumed the principal’s position at Holy Name School in Springfield where he currently serves. He is also an adjunct professor at American International College. Among his honors and awards are recognitions by Mass Mutual at two of its Academic Achievement events and the Beacon Award.