Schools

Principal Profiles: Lisa Farrell

Learn about Henri A. Yelle Elementary School teacher Lisa Farrell.

principal Lisa Farrell says that this has been one of the best years in terms of the first few days of school. When kids walked through the doors Sept. 5, the fourth grade students entered dry-eyed and prepared. The fifth grade students know what’s expected of them, so they were also calm. Seven new staff members joined the Yelle team, the most Farrell has had in one year. There have also been no bus route issues.

Learn more about Farrell and her plans for the upcoming year below.

What town do you live in? Easton

What is your background in education? “This is my sixth year in February. I didn’t start in a new school year, so it’s been six and a half years here. I was in Taunton for five years as the Title 1 coordinator and curriculum coordinator for the city. Before that I was in Easton for two years as a reading specialist, and then 14 years in Pembroke as a classroom teacher and reading specialist.

“The people here in Norton are the best I’ve come across anywhere though. The teachers, paraprofessionals and just the staff in general go above and beyond all the time and don’t expect anything for it.”

What are your goals for the school this year? “We have a new teacher evaluation system this year and are attacking that. The teachers are just going through that and seeing what the expectations are, how they are a little different and how we can meet those.

“My personal goals are just to make the year go smoothly, but still have a lot of new initiatives. We are going to try and have a school senate with the fifth graders. I’d like to have some type of little government set up so I can hear more of what the students want.”

Farrell would also like to get a recycling club going and start a school newspaper. She said she will probably rely a lot on fifth graders to help her with the newspaper.

What is your favorite band? Goo Goo Dolls

What is your favorite movie? “City of Angels” and “Finding Nemo”

What are your hobbies? Farrell loves reading. She recently read “The Hunger Games” series and said it was probably the best series she’s read in a while. She thought the movie was pretty good, though she might have changed a character or two.

“It was probably one of the better movies that I’ve seen that had gone along with a book.”

Farrell also loves working at her part-time job at Vera Bradley in the South Shore Plaza.  “It’s fun, because who goes in to buy a pocketbook and is grouchy? Nobody. It’s just a fun job.”

“My other hobby, is, and it’s a passion also, hanging out with my kids. I’ve got three awesome kids that I enjoy hanging out with.”

Tell us something interesting about yourself that students and staff might not know: “I didn’t like school. I was extremely shy.”

What did you want to be growing up? Though Farrell not a fan of school, she wanted to be a teacher. Her father was a truck driver and would buy her notebooks and books on his trips. When he gave them to her, she would set her dolls up and play school.

“I went to catholic school and I was very, very shy and I just didn’t like it. Maybe I was hoping I could change it. In my world, this is what school would be like.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Norton