Farewell, Mrs. Galluzzo
Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
-Malcolm S. Forbes
Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.
-G. K. Chesterton
He who opens a school door, closes a prison.
-Victor Hugo
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
-Will Durant
With the end of school, we will be saying farewell to a vital member of our team here at Holy Redeemer, our School Principal Linda Pahl. She is retiring after giving eighteen years of service to our school as both an educator and a principal. I join all of you in saying THANK YOU for her diligence, fortitude, insight and
compassion.
During my first couple of months here at Holy, Pam had to deal
with a difficult situation that called for balancing several values, as well as trying to do what was best for our students. So right off
the bat, I found in Pam an administrator who had the heart to see the bigger, wider picture as well as how her decisions may effect a student on an individual, personal basis. It is not an easy job.
With me, Pam had to deal with a pastor who had experience in secondary schools, but little understanding of education on a primary and middle school level. (Believe it or not, it is quite
different.) In effect, a grade school is four different schools, 1.) Pre
-School, Pre-K and Kindergarten; 2.) Primary Grades (1,2,3); 3.) the tweener grades (4-5); 4.) the middle school (6,7,8). Each level
brings its own individual and distinct challenges, strategies and problems. I found it all quite mindboggling. Let’s just say that Pam was very patient with me. And for that I am grateful.
And then there was Covid-19, the most difficult and demanding educational experiment since the development of written
language.
I often tell everyone that every single year here at Holy Redeemer felt different. The bottom dropped out in March of 2020 and we had to scramble to help our students finish the year remotely.
May I be honest here? Some students will thrive with remote
learning. Good for them! Some students will get by, some barely. Nevertheless, it is my humble opinion that many, many students
floundered during that mad and preposterous time. Remote learning takes a lot of discipline. I personally hated Zoom
meetings. I can only imagine what some students went through during that time.
The decision to reopen our school in August of 2020 was a bold one. This was uncharted territory for everyone, faculty, students and parents. If you remember there was a lot of controversy that even we dared to open up. Pam organized the school so as to
minimize the possibility of infection. There was plexiglass everywhere, hand sanitizers, social distancing, face masks, air
purifiers and quarantines protocols. Again, mindboggling. But it was, in retrospect, the right thing to do. I was never so proud of Catholic schools as I was during that year. (And I got to be the milkman!)
A principal is a juggler, often keeping several things, bowling balls and chainsaws, going all at once. Being a principal is not for the faint of heart. Besides keeping the kids safe and on task, you have to make sure that the faculty is OK. You have to deal with parents who naturally will want to advocate for their children. Pam
brought to all of that an arduousness balanced by compassion.
She was determined and relentless when she needed to be. She was gentle and patient when the situation called for consideration.
Here’s the thing I have learned about administering a school: You can’t make everyone happy. Nevertheless, Pam took on the task with intelligence, love and with the best interests of our students in mind.
Anyone and everyone who has worked in education deserves a happy retirement. (Mine will come in nine years…) And everyone who has worked in education deserves our gratitude.
Have a great summer teachers!
Enjoy your retirement, Mrs. Galluzzo!!