Kobza's Komments

As I sit down to write my final message for the Father Leonard Van Tighem School community the high school English teacher in me is coming out as all I can think of are quotes to express the moment. I am a huge fan of Shakespeare and one of the famous lines from Romeo and Juliet definitely fits how I am feeling: “Parting is such sweet sorrow”.  While I am sad to be leaving FLVT I am looking forward to my new adventure at Our Lady of the Assumption. For me, it really is the people that I met along the way that I am going to miss. Another line that describes my time here comes from a Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Over the past ten years we have experienced a gamut of emotions from the joys of new life to the sadness of loss. Things have not always gone smoothly, but the community truly is a family and families stick together through the good and bad times. I have been blessed that my educational career has taken me to FLVT and as I leave I want to reflect on and share my gratitude for the journey.

First I need to express gratitude to Mary Anne Murphy because without her, my journey would not have happened.  I remember seeing the Associate Principal posting for FLVT, but did not plan on applying for it as I was only in my second year at Our Lady of the Assumption school.  I cannot remember where or when the conversation took place, but I do remember Mary Anne telling me that I should think about applying for the position.  I am so grateful that I listened to her and went down that road. As Frost says, “and that has made all the difference”.

Secondly, I am so grateful that I got the chance to work with Terry Wilson, my mentor.  Although our time together was short I learned so many things from him.  Among the many things he taught me was the importance of humour and laughter.  Terry was always telling jokes and deflecting tense situations with a dose of humour.  He also taught me that the people in our lives are the most important thing.  The job is always going to be there, but the people may not be.  These are two lessons that I have tried to keep in the forefront everyday as a way of carrying on his legacy.

A third person that I am grateful for is Patti Pilsner, my admin partner for the past seven years.  We have faced many trials and challenges over the years, but have never lost our sense of humour. I am grateful for the many laughs we have shared. I am also grateful for your creative energy and when we would get on a roll with new possibilities our ideas would skyrocket to the moon, come back to earth and eventually come together.  Thank you for being there on this journey with me.

Another thing I am grateful for is the chance to work which such a professional and dedicated staff. While the people on staff may have changed, their professionalism has not.  I know it was quite a challenge to have two brand new administrators who knew nothing about the culture of the school.  The staff was welcoming and embraced the idea of change when we brought it up.  Many times the ideas and willingness to try new things comes not from the admin team, but from the staff themselves. I am grateful and blessed to have been able to support them in their goal of improving their practices.

I am so grateful for the morning gatherings in the staff room which has enhanced the sense of comradery and family.  I know it does not happen in every school and the laughter, tears and prayers we have shared every morning is something I am dearly going to miss. It is a blessing to be part of a Catholic school where the faith community can come together to support one another.  God was with us every day as Matthew 18:20 says “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

I have had the chance to meet many families and I am grateful to them for sharing their children with us. There is a saying that I found that says that “God doesn’t give you the people you want; he gives those you need.” I am so blessed to have met so many people and got to work with them through parent council and various activities and experiences. I know I have learned so much from my interactions with parents and students. Many substitute teachers or University consultants have told me over the years what a great atmosphere we have at FLVT and how good our students are.  I know this to be true as so many students come back to visit or do their Faith in Action hours at the school. The return visits are something I will truly miss as it is always nice to see our students when they come back.

As I know Wendy is anxiously awaiting my newsletter submission, I am going to wrap it up. I will leave you with a list of ten other things that I am grateful for experiencing at FLVT:

1. For being able to have had my children attend FLVT.

2. For an amazing office staff. Wendy, Sue and Tamara are so welcoming, positive and efficient. Thank you for keeping me on track with your gentle reminders and just getting things done.

3. For a great last year with a fabulous team. Thanks Ken, Tracy, Matthew and Patti for all you work and support.

4. For all the staff that I have had the opportunity to work with.

5. For all the students I have had the privilege of knowing and teaching.

6. For all the parents, guardian, aunts, uncles and grandparents that I have had the pleasure of meeting.

7. For all the parents with whom I have worked with on parent council. Thank you for your dedication and work.

8. For all the high fives and hugs from students.

9. For the variety of clubs, activities and options that our students can experience: athletic, cultural, artistic, academic and spiritual.

10. For the staff, parents and community members who have volunteered their time to help support the school and make it a great experience for our students.

Finally, to our families that are leaving us at the end of the year and to those who we are welcoming in the fall, we wish God’s blessings on you. I hope everyone has a blessed summer vacation. I know that the community will embrace and welcome the new administrators as was done when Terry and I arrived. I am not going to say good-bye but instead leave you with an Irish blessing and say farewell until we meet again.