On the first day of the new academic year, new and returning Cathedral High School students alike were greeted with a smile, a handshake, and a “Good morning” at the school’s front door by new Principal, Ms. Nampeera Lugira.
“You will be welcomed from one home into the next home. You never know what kind of morning people are having. A ‘good morning’ may snap you out of wherever you were,” says Principal Lugira of her morning greeting routine. “It starts off my day well, too.”
Although she began her role as principal on July 1, this was the first time students would meet their new school leader. Born in Uganda, Ms. Lugira’s parents—also both educators—brought their family to the United States when she was young. Witnessing her father work as a professor at Boston College starting in 1982 inspired Ms. Lugira to see the impact an education could have and realize “if you work hard you can get to an institution like that.”
Her inspiration would also come from women religious she had as teachers while studying at Mount Saint Joseph Academy. “Knowing their background and their commitment to teaching was a good example,” she said of the religious sisters.
The 2019-2020 school year is off to a strong start with a host of improvements already implemented and more to come. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback for the changes we’ve made,” points out Ms. Lugira. “I think the first week of school has been really great.” Among the improvements, students and teachers have begun a new 7-day rotating schedule to allow every subject longer blocks each cycle. Community building has also been at the forefront, launching the year with a cookout for families and students as well as celebrating a Mass of the Holy Spirit together at the Cathedral.
Looking further into the year, Ms. Lugira looks forward to using metrics to inform her leadership. “I want to identify the metrics that we’ll use to measure improvement in instructional practice and culturally-relevant teaching practices.”
Nampeera Lugira, M.S., is Principal at Cathedral High School bringing more than 15 years of experience in urban educational administration. Most recently before coming to Cathedral she was Dean of Enrichment at Codman Academy Public Charter School in Dorchester. Ms. Lugira earned both her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Master of Science in Administrative Sciences at Boston College. She resides in Mattapan with her two sons and is an active community member.
