The month of May provided opportunities for schools within the Diocese of Gary to celebrate those making Catholic schools places where academic excellence is inspired by faith in action. Principal Appreciation Day was celebrated on May 1 with Teacher’s Appreciation Week following May 6-10.
Marquette High School made little gestures planned all week – on Monday teachers received a bag of candy with a note saying, “You make Marquette a sweeter place” and Starbucks drinks, treats and other novelty items handed out during the week to show gratitude. The school also provided lunch on Wednesday and breakfast on Friday thanks to Big Shoulders Fund for a stipend to cover the cost of the food.
Principal Katie Collignon said the faculty at the Michigan City school is a small staff, so it truly embraces the "team" mentality. She added when she took her position this fall, she was able to take on the challenge because she knew “what an exceptional, professional and selfless staff that we have at Marquette.”
“We took on the challenge of hosting a 400 person Diocesan Professional Development day for the first time in many years, and my staff stepped on beyond even my high expectations,” Collignon explained. “They continue to amaze me with their dedication to our school community as a whole, while still being experts in their craft. We received so many compliments about how welcoming and thoughtful our staff was, which in my opinion, made the day even more special.”
Fellow principal Lorenza Jara Pastrick at Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond shared a flyer among staffers which provided the details of special themed days that were organized by the school’s administrative team. Each day of the week included some sort of treat – specialty coffee, homemade breakfast, tacos and raffles.
Students at BNI were also asked to participate following their own separate list of themed days such as “Mindful Monday – Act Properly,” “Tuesday Treat Day – Bring a teacher a treat” and “Why Not Wednesday – Why not share why you appreciate a teacher in word and in person?”
Pastrick said teachers within the Catholic school system are important because they are part of the community's village that is responsible for forming young disciples.
“Not only are they expected to model Christ in their interactions, they are also expected to share Christ in the classroom through prayer and word,” she said. “This is why my teachers at BNI and our teachers in the Diocese of Gary are EXTRA important!”
Teacher Hannah Lareau is in her fourth year at Bishop Noll and enjoys being able to share her love of graphic design and photography with the students. She worked professionally in design and marketing before coming to Noll, and getting to break down all of that knowledge to teach students how to tell stories visually, she said, is a fun experience.
“I think the teachers within the diocese, especially at BNI, are special because we care so much about our students,” Lareau commented. “We love seeing our students succeed in and out of the classroom, academically, creatively, athletically, etc.
“I think what a lot of people don't realize is, to sort of put it in the context of a ‘normal’ job, we are all at once a teacher, product manager, disciplinarian, creative director, solutions manager, data analyst, collaborator, content creator, mentor, conflict resolution specialist, lab specialist, you name it,” she added. “There are so many tasks that we complete just within one class period.”
In Griffith, teachers at St. Mary School were provided lunch from Lou Malnati's on Tuesday and breakfast from Panera on Thursday. The school also gave them little tokens of appreciation throughout the week, including gift cards and monetary gifts.
Principal Rebecca Maskovich said she also thinks the teachers enjoy having a dress down week for them.
“My faculty goes above and beyond whenever there are special events (Catholic Schools Week, Dr. Suess Day, 100th day of school, etc.). They plan activities involving all the students that are fun and educational,” she said.
Linda Ruby has been teaching at St. Mary for 21 years after working in the Archdiocese of Chicago for 11 years. Her favorite aspect of her job at St. Mar is the fact that everything she does and teaches can incorporate Jesus. Not only when she teaches religion but in all other subjects she can “relate it all and share it all with the students.” During Holy Week, she explained, she spends the whole week immersing the students in all the special things about the Easter season.
“As I’m sure it is at all the schools in the diocese, since we are such a small school we know all the students,” she said. “Not only those in our own grade but those whom we’ve taught many years before. It’s been a joy watching them grow up before our eyes.”
Ruby admits to being an early riser, beginning at 5:55 a.m. at school to get things ready for the day. She may clean desk tops, correct papers or prepare special projects.
Ruby added it's not uncommon for her to buy lots of things for the classes and the students with her own money. Along with other teachers at the school, she also works after school care twice a week.
“I think sometimes people forget that teachers are always thinking about their students, not only during the week, but even on the weekends and on vacation,” she said. “I always say that being a teacher is not what I do, it’s what I am.”
For more information about the Office of Catholic Schools, including tuition assistance and employment opportunities, visit dcgary.org/office-catholic-schools.
Caption: Social Studies Teacher Clare Majchrowicz dresses up as St. Casimir school principal Matt Chico on May 1 in honor of School Principals' Day. The following week, many diocesan schools held special activities in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10. (Provided photo)