Remembering School Principal Dr. Laura Leach

It has been a year since our local school community was rocked by the loss of a beloved wife, mother, friend and amazing elementary school principal. She was Adria's 5th grade principal, and my daughter cried in my arms for an hour when I told her Dr. Laura Leach had died. 

Today, the Woodbridge School District remembers her by inviting all staff and students to wear Purple, her favorite color. And they will unveil a memorial at Phillis Wheatley Elementary School in her honor. 

In May 2020, I wrote this article that was published in our local newspaper, The Seaford Star, about her life.

Woodbridge mourns sudden passing of PWES Principal

By Julleanna Seely

The Woodbridge School District community mourns the sudden passing of Phillis Wheatley Elementary School Principal Dr. Laura Michele Leach on April 29.  Leach is remembered by her friends and fellow educators for her care, empathy and sense of humor.

Dr. Leach pictured with her husband and daughter

“She made every student and every staff member feel important to her. She took time to get to know us and showed us all how much she believed in us, inspiring us all to want to achieve the greatness she saw in us. She was truly an incredible leader,” said Stephanie Vodvarka, fourth grade teacher at PWES.

At just 39 years old, Leach experienced a pulmonary embolism when a blood clot traveled to her lungs. Leach was married to John Franklin Leach for 16 years and mother to her young daughter, Keely Leach.

“I don’t know that I’ve worked with an administrator that had so much empathy for kids and families... She saw in a lot of our families what she grew up with,” Woodbridge Superintendent Heath Chasanov said.

Chasanov remarked that the community is feeling numb in the wake of many recent losses.

Last fall, Woodbridge High School quarterback Troy Haynes passed away after battling kidney cancer. Since then, the Woodbridge community has lost former long-time staff members – Beth Judy, Diane Jones, and Sara Greene. Just a month ago, the vice president of the school board, Walter P.J. Gilefski, passed away after decades of service in the district and many years on the board.

“I feel like we’ve been grieving all year,” Heath added. “With Laura, it was just shocking.”

Leach became the principal of PWES in the fall of 2019 after serving as vice principal of the school for a few years. The school serves 3^rd to 5^th grade students in the Greenwood and Bridgeville area.

Zachary Huber has worked with Leach since 2013, and became PWES vice principal in the 2019-2020 school year when Leach took on the role of principal.

When asked how he and the school staff are responding to this loss, Huber said, “Heartbroken and devastated to say the least. This has all been surreal. She will always be remembered by our staff and community as a compassionate leader who always put an emphasis on putting teachers and students first. Our staff and community is more united than ever as we mourn her loss.”

Leach was born in Wilmington and earned degrees from Delaware Technical & Community College and Wesley College, before completing her Doctorate in Education from the University of Delaware.

Huber added, “Not only was Dr. Leach a fearless leader but also a phenomenal mother and wife. While working side by side with her, I was fortunate enough to witness her compassionate interactions with students but most importantly, I saw the unbreakable bond she had with her daughter Keely.  My thoughts and prayers are with her husband John, and daughter Keely as well as the rest of her family as they are facing this loss.”

Parents and students from PWES share the impact of her life.

“I will remember her for her support with my child’s education. She would do whatever she could to ensure all students were treated equal and their needs would be met,” said Katie Birmingham, mother of a PWES fifth grade student.

“Also, I remember her sweet smile and her humor.  Dr. Leach always had a smile on her face no matter what was going on. She will be greatly missed.” Birmingham added that her son Alex said that he will miss the jokes that she told during Monday announcements.

Leach was known for sharing these jokes and even as the coronavirus pandemic resulted in Delaware school buildings closing for the year, she shared jokes with her students on Class Dojo, an online community connecting students, parents and teachers.

Huber fondly recalls a Leach’s fun-loving side, “She made me paint my face green as the Grinch for the holidays and go to each classroom to visit students because that was what she often called me during the holiday season.”

Katie Sears is the school counselor at PWES and worked with Leach for nine years. This year she earned the honor of Delaware’s Elementary School Counselor of the Year after Leach nominated her and encouraged other staff to as well.

“I will miss the close relationship that we had as well as what an amazing leader she was at our school” Sears said. “She cared about our staff and students immensely and it showed in everything she did at PWES.”

Stephanie Vodvarka has taught with Woodbridge in the Phillis Wheatley building for 16 years. The last few years with Leach as an administrator.

Vodvarka shared about how Leach took great pride in the school, staff, and students. “She wanted it to be a welcoming place, and would get so excited when a visitor would come in and comment on the positive and inviting atmosphere in the building. She understood the importance of connection and the direct link between meeting social and emotional needs and academic success,” Vodvarka said.

“She wasn’t afraid to stand up for something she believed in, which wasn’t always easy. The difficult conversations, when she could get a little feisty just go to prove how much she really cared.” Vodvarka added.

With the support of Leach, Vodvarka earned the title of 2020 District Teach of the Year. Leach wrote a lengthy letter of recommendation for Vodvarka to be considered for National Teacher of the Year. Her writing in this letter gives evidence of Leach’s care and support of her staff and students.

Leach wrote the following in the letter last September:

“She [Vodvarka] is one of the most determined, caring, gritty, rigorous, innovative and reflective teachers, and person, I know… She sparked my interest right away because she had many of my previous students in her class who I had the privilege of teaching when I was a third grade teacher. I knew many of them needed extra attention, extra love. Some needed extra food, clean clothing. A couple even needed to shower at school because they didn’t have running water at home… I watched as Stephanie built the most amazing classroom environment I have ever seen in my entire life. See, I grew up very poor myself. School was never, ever a welcoming place for me… I succeeded in life in spite of many teachers, not because of them. I watched in complete and utter awe as Stephanie cared for her students…”

Courtney Diamond has taught fourth grade for all 15 years at Woodbridge. She explains what she experienced while working under Leach, “Dr. Laura Leach was an advocate for children…It really didn't matter the challenges that they may encounter as low income, underprivileged, or coming from broken families.  She was proof, and she let it be known that no matter the situation they can rise above it and achieve greatness!  She had this innate ability to bond with students...even the tough ones!  She made us feel as though we were one big family.”  

Diamond also appreciated Leach’s humor and said she will miss that the most.

“Her untimely death has left a gaping hole in our community.  We are absolutely heartbroken.  However, I will be forever grateful and feel honored that she was not only my friend but our trailblazing principal that reached countless students and that was her life goal.... to PROVE THEM WRONG!” Diamond said.

Vodvarka summarized the feelings many share for Principal Leach, “There is a John Quincy Adams quote that says ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.’ Well, she most certainly was, and darn good one, too.”