UTICA — It was natural to see Donna Salerno stop the interview midway to say hello to a St. Lawrence Elementary School parent and give her daughter a big hug.
“I can’t help it. I’m a people person,” she said, laughing. Her response was indicative of how people within the St. Lawrence community react to seeing her, anywhere, anytime.
Salerno’s last day as a kindergarten teacher was in May, marking 31 years as a Catholic school educator, having first taught at St. Matthew in Detroit for five years, followed by the last 26 at St. Lawrence. She admits the hardest part was leaving, because, she says, she still loves her job. “But it was time,” she said. “It was just time.”
“I had the best job in the world,” she added, “because I feel I’ve gotten more than what I gave.”
Many of her close ties to the community is with the school’s parents, and she credits them with how great the students are. “Sure, their halos may be a little tipped, but kids are kids,” she said. “But these kids are great because of their parents.”
Such a believer in Catholic education is she that she continued that tradition with both of her sons, Matthew and Tom. They attended St. Lawrence and continued their Catholic education at De La Salle High School. “They are awesome boys, inside and out,” she said. “I’ve always said, St. Lawrence prepared them for high school, and De La Salle prepared them for college.”
Salerno credits her own Catholic education and background, having attended Our Lady of Good Counsel in Detroit, Regina in Harper Woods, followed by Marygrove College in Detroit, as adding to the richness of her life. “It goes back to what I believe in, in that religion is not just a class, but it is a thread that goes throughout the whole day,” she said.
“It’s all about how you treat others and how you react to situations,” said Salerno, adding she hopes her students have also learned that from her.
Sara Moceri, an eighth-grader at St. Lawrence, said memories of her former teacher will be that “she was always so kind, always smiling and always giving out hugs up to this day.”
She said she’ll miss the positivity and cheerfulness she brought to St. Lawrence.
Cathy Ciolino, who will begin her second year as principal this fall at St. Lawrence, said Salerno will be sorely missed. “A good teacher inspires a thirst for learning,” she said. “We were blessed to have a great teacher. Donna Salerno is that teacher.”
Ciolino had a special name for her, calling her “Sunshine” for her positive outlook and bright smile. “From the very first time I stepped into St. Lawrence as the new principal, Donna was a source of sunshine,” she recalled.
It just so happened that Salerno’s own eighth-grade teacher, “who was very strict,” as she recalled, used to call her by the same name.
These days, with several grandchildren, including a newborn, she is ready to fully embrace other roles in her life, dedicating more time to family and friends, and traveling with her husband, Mike. “I’d like to play before I die,” she said with a smile.
But she still plans to be a substitute teacher at the school. “I have no regrets,” Salerno said. “I am very excited about the future. I am totally content.”
