Franci Strapac

When Franci Strapac appears in front of David Leech Elementary each morning, only the stars are twinkling. She turns the key at 6:30 am to unlock the building and begin her day. With all of the special activities Franci provides, it's easy to understand why she arrives so early. Mrs. Frances Strapac is one of those extraordinary teachers who goes to great lengths to make being in her class an unforgettable experience.

One of her first graders' favorite activities, the annual Thanksgiving feast, marked its 30th year anniversary with a big celebration. For years the children and their families have enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the fixings, followed by a play performed by Franci's students. This past November, however, everyone in Leechburg was invited to the feast. It was held at the Lenwood in West Leechburg, and 320 people gathered to share the celebration! Franci was thrilled that so many former students and their families attended. Both present and former students gave her a gift and showered her with hugs. Believing in the importance of building self-esteem, Franci provides abundant opportunities for all her little "stars" to shine. For example, at Christmas she takes them to the high rise to sing carols for the residents. Also, since the kids are reading after Christmas, Franci allows a child to read a story to the class everyday. The greatest self-confidence builder, however, is the spring drama production. Every child gets a speaking part, and the children memorize a script with 70 pages of lines. This year's play, "The Little Mermaid," will be performed May 27th and 28th. Over and over parents have expressed to Franci how much the play boosts their child's confidence. Franci credits a great deal of her success at coordinating first grade extra curricular activities to the wonderful support from parents. From the first week of school, she makes her relationship with the parents a priority. "I invite all the parents to a meeting that first week to talk about everything we will do for the year. I give them my home number and tell them to call anytime," Franci explains. "Our relationship is a triangle, my parents, my students, and me." Franci recently received the prestigious honor of being inducted into the Leechburg Hall of Fame for outstanding dedication to the community. On March 7, 2004 the Leechburg Area Community Association held a dinner to present to Franci and five other inductees a beautiful clock from Krutz's Jewelers and a plaque. The honored guests gave speeches for an audience of 175 who attended the ceremony.

Along with her strong commitment to teaching, Franci devotes ardent dedication to her family. She actively supports the endeavors of her husband, John, and three sons, Michael, Abraham, and Dominic. The boys play on baseball, basketball, and football teams, while when they were younger, the three became accomplished tap dancers. As a family they attend Christ the King Parish in Leechburg, where Franci teaches children's liturgy classes. In addition for seven years, Franci taught Faith Formation (CCD) classes at her church. Feeling enormous gratitude for her parents' example, she states, "My parents were my inspiration. They taught me to be kind and compassionate."

Amazingly Franci manages to work at Krutz's on weekends and vacation time, as well as enjoying a few pastimes. "I love to be with my family, I love music and dance, and I love to shop. My family and I go the mall together." To sum up the best part about being a teacher she relates exuberantly, "I love people. I love kids. I love watching a child when they first learn to read. They look up and say, 'Hey I did that all by myself!' Franci adds, "That's worth a million dollars." She holds to this motto, "If I've inspired one child in 30 years, then I've done my job." Former students declare, however, that she's inspired many more than one!