Classroom has a touch of Little Flower

They say a prayer to St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower.

Homeroom and English teacher Janice Smircich said of the Carmelite nun: "She is the greatest saint of all times. She did every small thing in an extraordinary way. That's what I instill in them. I try to make Therese a part of their life. My mission is to teach them about her."

Mrs. Smircich hopes that she is laying the groundwork for a life of prayer and service in her students. "I want to pass it on to them," she said of her devotion, "so they can make it a part of their life."

Inspiration

In the 10 years Mrs. Smircich has been at the school, she has had the opportunity to share her devotion with many students. Several years ago, a group of her students began volunteering at Teresian House. That practice continues today with many junior high students visiting the nursing home after school, on the weekends and during school breaks.

The students' volunteer efforts include visiting residents, helping at mealtime, taking the residents outside during nice weather, painting nails and other special duties. When the nursing home was opening its new addition, volunteers from Holy Cross helped clean and organize the rooms.

Example of teacher

The students enjoy listening to Mrs. Smircich's stories of St. Therese and the power of prayer. One of the students' favorite stories is of Mrs. Smircich meeting Olympic ice skater Tara Lipinski. The teacher had attended a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City in honor of St. Therese being declared a Doctor of the Church. While there, she gave one of her St. Therese medals to the young skater. When Miss Lipinski was skating in Albany, they met again and the skater told the teacher how much the medal meant to her.

One of the things Mrs. Smircich enjoys about teaching at this Catholic school is that she can pray with her class. She is pleased to see her students praying when they're having a difficult day or if they know someone is in need of prayers. "I call them my powerhouse of prayer," she said.

Saint's life

Classmate Lauren Bussey echoed that, saying, "I've become devoted to her because we talk about St. Therese in class. It's part of my everyday life. I feel close to her."

"She shined all of the other nuns' shoes and didn't tell them," said Beth Russ. "She didn't get the credit for doing it."

Said eighth grader James Furlong, "She did ordinary things in an extraordinary way. I try to, but it's very hard."

Classroom pluses

"I like the way she teaches," said Beth. "We talk about stuff that's happening now; it's not just reading from the book."

The students look forward to a writing activity they do with Mrs. Smircich that involves listening to popular music. "She knows what's happening and what it's like to be young," said James.

Lauren agreed, noting: "The way she teaches is different from other teachers. She explains things differently than other teachers do. She can relate to the students' interests."

Another saint?

When she took the eighth graders to the Carmelite motherhouse in Germantown for a retreat, she told the students they were "walking the same halls that a future saint walked."

(02-11-99) [[In-content Ad]]