February 6, 2012
Realizing he never taught any of the current senior class, Principal Pat Bates figured he needed to get to know all those students who would be receiving diplomas in May down at the Basilica. As a new guy on campus, I know even fewer seniors than Pat. So, for a couple of weeks now, most days Pat and I have been eating lunch in the conference room with a dozen or so seniors at a time.
Pat asks students for their candid thoughts on their Good Counsel experience. Though there's a slightly awkward aspect to sitting down with the Principal and the President for lunch, our soon-to-be graduates have been generous in sharing about the experience of the past four years.
Some gripes about uniform and the toughness of the IB and AP classes. Some acknowledgement that senioritis is creeping in for the second semester. Not a whole lot else that's negative.
One thing that has been both surprising and gratifying as I prepare to go public with a campaign to "finish the dream" has been the frequency of comments about the arts. Many students have objected to the stereotype that suggests that we are "just a jock school". They enjoy the identification and the energy around all our athletic success but they do not see sporting excellence as coming at the exclusion of success in everything else we do. Actors and musicians praised the quality of their experiences and the support from teachers and moderators. They did, however, lament the absence of a Good Counsel stage. They know the extraordinary talent of their peers and advocated for greater recognition of the arts by building a performance space that befits a school of our stature. Amen to that.
The bottom line? Our seniors like their school. They especially love their teachers and we have heard time and again how they recognize and value the dedication of our faculty. Many referred to being able to get access to teachers each day after school and the sense that help is always available. It's also clear to Pat and me that our seniors like one another. Our school promotes a climate where students are focused on their ambitious goals for college and beyond but there are things we do (service projects and Junior Retreat are mentioned often) that help students learn about and accept themselves and their peers. In the best traditions of Catholic schools across the globe, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School bonds students to their community.
A former colleague of mine (and former Marine) was fond of saying that working in a school, "Every day is a holiday and every meal is a feast." A sandwich, a cookie, a piece of fruit, and a bottle of water. Not exactly a banquet. But in the simplicity of sitting down with the Class of 2012, there's no doubt that Pat and I have experienced a rare treat.