Leadership

Sharon McCloskey is an experienced school leader with 20 years under her belt as a manager and teacher at a number of schools in the School District of Philadelphia and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Prior to joining St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Ms. McCloskey was an instructional supervisor at Catapult Learning where she was responsible for the instructional supervision, ongoing coaching, and professional development of K-12 teachers.  Before that, she served as the Co-Principal of Northeast High School, where she left a legacy of building a culture of literacy, learning, and collaboration in the largest high school in the Philadelphia School District.

Having been an educational leader and teacher for her entire career, Ms. McCloskey fully understands the demands of leading a high-quality school and knows the importance of educating young men and women who will shape our world for tomorrow. Her experience working in urban environments has helped her to appreciate the challenges that our students and families face and the impact that quality education in a structured, nurturing environment can have on their futures.

Ms. McCloskey received a bachelor’s degree in early childhood & elementary education and a Master of Education from Holy Family University. She also holds a Master of Education in educational leadership degree from Lehigh University and a distributive leadership certification from the University of Pennsylvania.

Assistant Principal

Rochelle Lacina has more than 20 years of people development experience where she built and operated coaching and training companies in Asia, North America and Europe. She joined St. Thomas Aquinas School in 2022 as a part-time technology teacher with a goal to instill computer literacy and digital citizenship in students. In the years that she taught as STA, she found her passion for teaching kids. She enjoyed seeing her students’ faces light up when learning new and emerging technologies. While teaching, she also managed the school’s social media activities and periodical MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing, and installed systems processes to help with school operations. As an Assistant Principal, she aims to support the teachers in maintaining high-quality, rigorous teaching standards; support IMS especially STA’s principal and staff in growing the school through its strategies and pursuit of long-term goals; and to continue the traditions of STA that ensure a school culture that is safe, loving and guided by faith.

Mrs. Lacina is a faithful member of the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish where she volunteers as a co-facilitator for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), a program for adults who desire to join or learn the Catholic faith. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Ecology and a Master of Public Affairs degree in Strategic Planning and Policy Studies from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Her family has been an STA family since 1998 with five kids educated in the school.