2/11/22 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: Our Eighth Graders in 25 years: “We had to walk to school in the snow, uphill-both ways!!

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family,

It’s cold. I get it. It’s mostly gray skies. I understand. It’s third quarter. I know the school days are dragging. It’s still dark when we get to school. I’m right with you. It’s February in Ohio. Deal with it!

The month of February is the shortest one in the calendar and the longest one in our minds. Yes, we have over 100 days of school behind us, but the 70 days we have left seem like a mountain too high to climb, to cold to withstand and too slippery to make much forward progress.

At night our warm beds invite us to pleasant slumber. In the morning we resist leaving that cozy confine to start our day. But start we must.

For staff and students our snow days was a wonderful reprieve from the above. But Monday had to come and come it did. It seems as though there were a lot of grumpy Gus’s walking the hallways.

But there are notable exceptions. Among us walk students and staff who always seem to have a smile on their faces. Even their masks can’t hide the grin. They always greet me with a big hello when I see them. When I cross their paths in the morning or any time during the day they help to lift my spirits and remind me why I love my job.

So, as we drift towards the half way mark on freezing February I want to give a special shout-out to two students from every class and two staff members who are the recipients of the first annual February Friendly Fellows Award. Their prize is small but tasty, a roll of Life Savers candy because during this gloomy month they brighten not only my day but their teachers and classmates day as well.

Kindergarten: When I come into the gym in the mornings, ready to dismiss the students to head outside or to the classroom, two students never fail to say hello (and to ask about four questions apiece!). Ramona Miklos-Moore and Lucas Rea are our Kindergarten winners.

First Grade: Our first graders have never been in elementary school without the pandemic. All of them have been wonderfully resilient. Emme Braden and Andrew Bloomberg are two of our most notable rays of sunshine in Ms. Sheshull’s class.

Grade Two:  Our second grader lay claim to being the only Our Lady of Peace class to do three months of Kindergarten by Zoom! They are a cheery bunch of students, always enthusiastic; so much so that I have to constantly remind them not to run everywhere they go. Two students who always have a kind word to say and a bright smile are London Moseley and Tony Vogel.

Third Grade: Our third graders have the privilege of being the last class to work with two-time Hall of Fame winner, Peggy Pinckeny. They have come a long way since those days and are working hard in class. They are a chatty bunch but very friendly. Two of them who come to mind and always say hello in the morning are Annabel Newsom and Liam Marmion.

Fourth Grade: If I had to vote for the class that expresses itself with the loudest volume, fourth grade would the champs. They seem to love life and always have seem to be having fun. Two students who never fail to brighten my day in that class are Addie Merrill and Aiden Crabtree.

Fifth Grade: Our fifth graders seem to love life. They always seem to be upbeat and happy. It is their last year of staying mostly in the same classroom all day with one teacher. Because this class is such a friendly bunch I have three winners here: Harrison Clark, Kaitlyn Bloomberg and Charlotte Phelan.

Sixth Grade: The first year of middle school is a tough adjustment. Changing classes is tough. Dealing with multiple teachers can be difficult. I am always amazed at the growth I see in students from the beginning of sixth grade to the end of eighth grade. Two students who stand out in this class for their friendliness and good cheer are Campbell Retzke and Brandon Hernandez.

Seventh Grade: Traditionally, seventh grade is the rebel year of a K-8 building. They are past their sixth grade silliness and have not yet made it to being top of the heap. They can be very ornary at times. Our present seventh grade class is no exception. As a group they can be like a tornado ripping through the building. As individuals they are all nice young men and women. The Friendly fellow award in this class go to Maggie Adkins and Nicholas Fuhrer.

Eighth Grade: The class of 2022 (see picture above) has weathered a lot of change in their three years of middle school. They are in their last semester at Our Lady of Peace and are chomping at the bit to move on to high school. Although sometimes we on the staff are chomping on the bit for them to go as well, we will miss them greatly when they are gone! Sophia Koah and Jayden Amalaman come to mind when I think of friendliness and good cheer.

Staff: Ms. Gina Connor & Mrs. G create an office that welcomes students with bumps and bruises on the outside as well as the inside. They are always here to assist and they make my job so much easier by their friendliness and patience. They deserve much more than a roll of Life Savers but for now that will have to do.

In choosing our February Friendly Fellows Award recipients there are many, many more students who deserve shout-outs. Indeed, most of our students and staff, on most days, deserve this award. But I only have so many Life Savers (courtesy of Mrs. “Math” Paolini), so I had to pick just a few. Our Lady of Peace is a place of friendliness, even in February!

Jim Silcott