To the editor:
Let me start by telling you about my friend, Kate DePrizio. If you have ever met Kate, you are immediately welcomed by her smile and maybe even a hug. Her warmth and kind nature are not something that turns on and off, she is genuine to the core. This drew me to Kate when I asked her to be a Girl Scout troop leader with me for our incoming kindergartners in 2018.
Kate and I volunteered together at Tower Day School in various roles and it was obvious from the start that she was a volunteer at heart. After we spent more time together in Girl Scouts, what I saw in Kate was a natural leader.
She was not only a troop leader but led in a way that inspired others to follow. She listened intently to our Girl Scouts in a way that made each 5-year-old feel celebrated and heard. No girl was ever overlooked. This trait is not something that you learn, this is something that is built in to your character. Kate is a compassionate listener by nature.
Shortly after our troop was formed, I heard that the Huckleberry Hill School (HHS) variety show was looking for someone to shadow the outgoing chairs and then take over the event. With Kate’s background in dance and my love for events, I raised my hand and said that we would do it…and only after I volunteered us both, I told Kate.
Even though we had no clue what we’d gotten ourselves into, Kate was there and ready to take on the task alongside me. We worked together closely with the outgoing chairs and learned the ropes. If anyone has been to the HHS variety show you know this is not merely a talent show, but a full-on production.
It involves months of planning, organizing learners in kindergarten through fourth grade, parents of those children, volunteers, teachers, administrators, custodians, while keeping to a timeline and making sure the plan stays in motion.
Through all of this, Kate continued to be an amazing mom to her four sweet children. You might be saying, “Oh that’s great Crystal, she can put on a show, but what does that have to do with running for School Committee?”
I’m glad you asked. The variety show gives us the opportunity to work with so many in the community and for anyone that is watching, hosting a event that large and that seamlessly is a testimony to Kate as a volunteer.
Working tirelessly behind the scenes often goes unnoticed. She doesn’t stand up and take a bow. Kate does this for the children. She never asks for recognition for any of the countless things we have done together. A true volunteer never needs to take credit, they are not posting on social media about “what they do,” a true volunteer works to better their community and gives back without recognition.
For Kate, this was just the start of her volunteer work for the community. She is president of Tower Day Parents’ Forum and co-vice president of the Huckleberry Hill Parent-Teacher Organization. She hosts monthly Girl Scout meetings, and she is preparing to coach cheer this fall.
She is also planning the HHS variety show, creating safety plans and protocols, submitting and reviewing them with the Emergency Management Team and working on countless other activities that give back to the community as a whole, our teachers and our students.
The reason I mention all that Kate has on her plate right now is not to seek praise, but to highlight all that Kate is currently doing to better our town and our children.
Kate’s most recent endeavor was leading the parent advocacy group, Together We Grow, in support of Lynnfield School Expansion.
When she was approached about getting out the word, a mere eight weeks before a very important town vote (in the middle of a pandemic), she did not back down. She instead brought together three great women with unique backgrounds and a group of additional engaged volunteers — and hit the ground running.
She spent endless hours speaking with school administrators, building and planning committee members and town officials to determine how to best reach Lynnfielders to inform them about this important need.
In case you missed the outcome of this special town meeting, it was a resounding yes vote for the school expansion project on the Lynnfield High School field that warm day in November. This was then followed by another vote in favor at a special election in December.
The tenacity, authenticity and dedication that Kate possesses for the tasks she takes on is second to none. She has never done anything halfway — only gives 100 percent and her whole heart.
Everything she is a part of is well thought out and planned to succeed. My dear friend, Kate is humble, loyal, kind, hardworking, dedicated, inclusive, and fair. She will work hard for our children and for their equity. She will be honest and open and communicate to families. She will not look over anyone to better herself. She is great for Lynnfield.
So, I insist you Vote for Kate on April 13. It’s just the right thing to do.
Crystal Lavino
Atherton Circle, Lynnfield
