April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
REFLECTION
Giving thanks for ND-BG
I didn't even have to think of my response: "The place where I work, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School."
This is my first year working full-time at ND-BG. I've worked at a few other schools in the Capital District, some private and some public; yet, when I first walked in the door at ND-BG, I perceived something different about this school.
When I initially substituted at ND-BG, students would hold the door open for me. Teachers I hadn't even met would come to my room and offer to help with any problem, or would even just come down to chat and see how I was doing. Even students would come to my room to ask how I was doing. Everyone knew everyone - and, best of all, everyone respected and cared for everyone else, even if they disagreed.
It took me a while to describe how I felt to my friend, but eventually he said, "In other words, it's like a family." I smiled and nodded: "Yes, it's like a family."
How exactly is ND-BG like a family? Families stick together through thick and thin. The school has suffered multiple personal losses during my time there, and there was a strong sense of solidarity among the students and staff during those tragedies. I was particularly impressed with how hard the staff and faculty worked to help the students during difficult moments, often sacrificing their own time to be there for students.
Families know how to laugh and be social together. I could never forget my attempt to referee an ND-BG Frisbee tournament (emphasis on the word "attempt") or laughing at the crazy antics of my middle-school students.
It's always fun to visit teacher Paula Thibault and laugh with her about her high-school students, or to go and see Ninette Kondratowicz, our principal, to compare funny stories about growing up in the Troy/Watervliet area. It's equally fun to chat with my students about their latest extracurricular activities, like our recent school musical, "Anything Goes."
Families, especially Catholic families, also know how to pray together. I am impressed at the good behavior I see by students at Mass, and the wonderful chaplain we have in Rev. Leo Markert, a retired priest of the Albany Diocese.
I feel a sense of reverence and awe for Christ whenever I go to spend time with the Blessed Sacrament, which is available for students to visit during certain times. The atmosphere is distinctly Catholic, which inspires me to become a better teacher, and a better person.
As I prepare to go home to my own family for Thanksgiving, I am reminded of how grateful I am for my ND-BG family, and how much I can't wait to see them again!
(Mr. Gustin is a parishioner of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Troy and a teacher at ND-BG.)[[In-content Ad]]
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