Biography
Mrs. Lisa Crockett Duddie
Pre-K 4 Teacher
Email: [email protected]
I was born and raised an Episcopalian in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. I attended Sunday School every Sunday from the age of four, until my Confirmation at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Riverside. Following Confirmation, I was a Sunday School teacher through high school. God was always important in my life.
When I graduated from college. I taught at the Stanwich Congregational Nursery School, in Greenwich. I left Stanwich, and became a third grade teacher at St. Maurice Catholic School in Stamford. I fell in love with Catholic education, and I knew I had chosen the right career path.
Following the closure of St. Maurice, I was fortunate to become a teacher at Our Lady Star of the Sea. While teaching at Our Lady Star of the Sea, I expressed to Monsignor Surwilo that I would like to convert to Catholicism. Monsignor worked with me and I became a Catholic in 1988. Thank you Monsignor Sur- wilo.
In 1989, I married a great guy, Tom Duddie, who was a product of Catholic schools in Stamford. When our son PJ was born, I knew he would attend Catholic school through high school. Catholic schools help lay the foundation for life-long learning in a faith-based environment. Catholic school students learn that compassion and loving one another are important.
During my years at Our Lady Star of the Sea, I taught Seventh and Eighth Grade American History and English, Kindergarten Religion, First Grade and Second Grade. When I left OLSS, I became the director of the Turn of River Presbyterian Nursery School in Stamford. In 1995, following my departure from Turn of River, I became a Pre-K 4 teacher at St. Cecilia Elementary School. My son PJ was in third grade at the time.
I am grateful to be a teacher at the Catholic Academy of Stamford. People ask me what I like most about Pre-K; my answer is, the children are cute, curious, unpredictable, innocent, they love you unconditionally, and most importantly, they are all gifts from God that will still be shorter than me in June. I am very lucky to be able to teach in an environment where I can show my students how much God loves them, and to be able to teach them that God is the reason that we are here, and that God will always watch over us.
Education/Certification
- Elementary Education (Central Connecticut State University)
- Elementary Education/Reading (Sacred Heart University Connecticut)
- Teacher Life Certification Pre-K 3-8 (State of Connecticut)
- Religious Education Certification (Diocese of Bridgeport)
Professional Experience/Recognitions
- 25 Years as a Catholic school teacher (grades Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 8th in Stamford)
- 10 years as Pre-School Director in Stamford
- 10 years as a Parish Religious Education Teacher, including First Communion and Confirmation Preparation
- Trinity Catholic High School 2015 Legacy of Encouragement Honoree with my husband Tom Duddie
- Diocese of Bridgeport Synod Delegate
