This May Be Our Year!

I believe there are no people in the world who are more superstitious than athletes! They wear the same socks for an entire season because they think that last victory had something to do with their foot garb. They always wear the same number and use it for raffle picks,email addresses, and other such choices. They often follow a ritual before and after games that has to do with what food they eat, the hours of sleep they get, and the sequence of prepartaions for a game. The top rule in all this lore is that you NEVER predict the outcome of a season or even a game before it happens. If you do and things don't turn out, you will be blamed forever for a loss! Since I am one of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel's biggest fans (and clearly not an athlete) I need to try to abide by these "rules of engagement." That said, I think that this may be our year. I cite a few recent happenings to prove my point.
Last week our varsity boys soccer team had its annual game with alumni. Our team has many experienced upperclassmen on it and they are really talented. They also really know the game and are great leaders to the younger players. They are coached by Drew Ganzzermiller, an alum--Class of 2001 or so, who experienced the sweet taste of a championship and is a great coach. Since I know the "rules" I predict nothing about the win/loss record that will come and I only know that I expect to be cheering for a LONG season! The reason I mention this event, though, has to do with the spirit of the team and that alumni game.
We had many alums return to play and they represented a broad span of graduation years. That said, many of these men are holding their own in the "stay in shape" department....some not so much. All came to give it their best and the old guys ended up winning in a shoot out. The game was completely good natured and fun as much as is possible for competitive athletes. Our varsity team could not have been more respectful of their elders on and off the field. The neat thing that happened , though, is that there were two pairs of fathers and sons who played against each other. Both fathers and sons seemed to revel in that fact. Vince Schiavone, one of our senior leaders, played against his Dad, Mike, an alum from 30 years ago. They both did a great job,Dad kept up and I think it was a bonding moment for them. As they walked off the field I think there was a gulp or two from a few of us. It was just one of those moments that you remember.
The other father and son duo had a little more drama. Mikey Krannebitter who is also a senior this year is a great goalie. Mike, his dad who graduated in the late eighties, is an offensive man. You can guess the scenerio--Dad dribbles down the field, figures out his shot, and one flies past the goalie. BUT, there is a whistle and the goal is called back. There is a little "discussion" about the call and then, history repeats itself and there is a flash of yellow. This was the funniest part of the game and we all enjoyed the little drama as it played out. I enjoyed even more watching Mikey and Mike walk off that field smiling from ear to ear.
As is true many times after a sports event, the end of the game is not the end of the evening. Many of us gathered at Harvey's Pub on Myrth Avenue in Essex. This place is a hidden neighborhood treasure and the burgers are heavenly. Harvey's is owned by the Schneehagen family who are also Carmel folks. Jon went to our elementary school and his sister Jill went through both schools. Jon and his Dad, Gary, are our women's soccer coaches. They allowed our Athletic Department to invade that evening to do guest bartending and literally take over the place. It was so much fun! Mike Naunton, who is always giving 150%, was a gracious servant to all, some of our seniors did a kareoke routine, alums joined us with family and friends, and several televisions blared the Ravens game. As I looked around that night, I felt that this little event really captrued what happens at our school. Our community is in so many real ways--intergenerational. Current students sat next to former students. Families were together enjoying each other's company. Faculty blended with coaches and parents and kids. This is the Carmel spirit I love and this is the spirit that will make this year our year!
School is ready to start and this week teachers came back for meetings, parents met them, and the lower and middle school students had their first days of school. In the midst of the many changes that happended--different rooms, changed schedules,revised agendas--everyone from youngest to oldest was upbeat, positive and willing to work together to make sure everything would work. As furniture was reshuffled and computers hooked up,positive and upbeat banter could be heard throughout our campus. Everyone was and continues to be willing to give it their best to work through transition and end up with what is best for our kids. This is the the Carmel spirit I love and this is the spirit that will make this year our year.!
So, let me clearly say that I am abiding by all the rules and superstitions of every athlete and Carmel fan. I do not predict the score of a game nor the outcome of a particular season. I can say, without a doubt, that the good spirit, dedication, and love of school, community , and family that I see everywhere--soccer field, school corridor, classroom, and even pub--can only result in a great year for us. I revise my statement--This WILL BE our year--in all the best ways!

The Faces of Generosity

I write this beneath a searing South Carolina sun. On one side of me I see my son attempting not very successfully to lure some fish from the surf. Glancing another direction I see my oldest grandchild splashing in the waves. Words like "respite,relaxation, reprieve" spill over me as I enjoy this much anticipated week of vacation. Thinking just a few days in the past, though, the word that comes to me , loud and clear, is generosity.
When I think of my summer experience this year at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, it is the word GENEROSITY that smacks me in the face. It is not the word that has such power, it is faces. This week I want to tell you about Carmel's faces of generosity. This is quite a challenge because the faces, each one, are unique and different from each other.
The first faces are adult. They are the faces of leadership, commitment, dedication and, yes...generosity. The first faces are those of Joe Bartenfelder and Russell Berk the owners of Bartenfelder and Chapel Hill Farms, respectively. Last Sunday they gave a tremendous gift to our school. They threw a fundraiser to help us launch a football program and generated $16000.00 plus for the cause. They also rallied helpers from friends, family, community, and the Bartenfelder campaign . The afternoon was a delight from beginning to end. There was a pig roast, animals for the little kids to see,feed, and pet and people with whom to chat and visit. It was a glorious afternoon and one which could have been shared with many causes. I was so tremendously grateful it was shared with us. This family atmosphere reflects the values of these community leaders. What is really important? The day said it all--family, friends, opportunties for our kids . Thank you Mr. Bartenfelder and Mr. Berk for setting a high standard for all of us as men of generosity and character.
The other faces of generosity I see are the faces of our students especially several seniors who have spent the summer at school with me. Our shared time does not reflect their best talents nor mine but it does reflect an understanding that our goals are not achieved without hard work that is low on glory and high on manual labor! Two of our students in particular, Ally Emerson and Kelly Aquilla, must have generated several hundred hours of service. They helped landscape the front of the school, clear a playground, merge two libraries into one, decorate several bathrooms, move lockers, and paint Cougar paws all over the place. There were several days that ended in exhausted "See you tomorrows" and many days that I was handed a list of chores to do before the next day--often involving buying things at Home Depot. Ally and Kelly were joined on many days by an assortment of friends and classmates who willingly lent helping hands. It was clear, though, that the vision we were following belonged to them. I am grateful for the generous service and hard work of all of all these kids and their sense of ownership. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is clearly loved and owned by our students. Isn't that just as it should be?
I have enjoyed this week thinking in retrospect about our summer of generosity. It is filled with hard work but it is also filled with laughter. I see Ally and Conner Naunton (whose dad Mike, our Athletic Director, was a constant summer helper too) coverd in red paint. I see Emily painting Cougar paws on any space she could find. I see the dismay of several students who tried often in vain to get the fiction books in our new library space in the right order--Who packed these anyway??? What I really see are the faces of young people who are willing to fight and work for their community. They have integrated into their values the notion that what we value is worth all of our effort. I am so proud of our kids and I am so grateful for them. These faces of generosity are the faces that I have come to love and appreciate beyond measure.
So, as the sun sets, I smile at the memories of the faces of generosity that I have seen this summer at Carmel. Remembering them with gratitude, all is right with the world!

Don't You Love It When a Plan Comes Together?

I have spent 27 summers at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel with sunny days filled with planning, meetings, ordering, moving materials,scrubbing, and renovating. Even in the midst of remembering all that work, this summer surely "takes the cake" so to speak! As the end of July approaches I do not think I can find one corner of the campus that is not in some state of upheaval! All this chaos, of course, will be resolved before our students return. It is important to focus on the upheaval as a means to the end of providing an even more positive Carmel experience for our kids. Let me share two big changes that seem, at last, to be coming together.
The first is the very exciting reconstruction of our web site. We will still be located at olmcmd.org but the current parish part of the site will be on a separate but linked domain of parisholmcmd.org. Tom Rose, our Director of Institutional Advancement, and I have been meeting all summer with the owners of VIM Interactive, Pete Karabetis and Steve Fickus. These guys really know their stuff! Not only have they done sites for several of the schools under the Johns Hopkins umbrella, several local companies, and currently campaigning politicians, they are alumni of Mt. Carmel High School!
I am always so elated when our kids do well and these men are achieving SUCCESS with more than a capital S! It is very exciting and heart warming for me for these alums to be giving back ot our school in such a generous way. They are literally transforming our current rather static site to reflect the vibrancy of our programs, our commitment to kids, and the new Early Childhood thorugh grade twelve configuration of our school. At every level there is a plethora of information for current members of the community and for those searching for a great school for their children. The site will be easy to navigate, information rich, and pleasing to the eye. Pete and Steve have been patient with my lack of expertise in this area and I am so grateful for their help. After going through this astoundingly detailed process (and learning lots about information architecture and analysis of content!),I understand why web design is costly. Our new site will launch on September 1 (fingers crossed) and be ready for the new recruiting season as well as the beginning of school. Please take a look--It is going to be great! This renovation of the web site is a crucial part of our effort to meet people where they are in today's fast paced, information rich society. Thank you to VIM Interactive and to alums with a desire to give back!
The second project has to do with our library. Up until a few weeks ago, there was an under-utilized library in the elementary building and another library/media center in the the high school. Both areas needed attention and it seemed a good idea to combine them into one fabulous library/media/ learning area for our kids. Little did I realize at the time that idea was uttered, how work intensive it would be. Literally several thousand books needed to be relocated in order to paint, moved again in order to put down carpeting, and then reorganized according to a very speciifc organizational code. I rue the day Dewey invented that system! Thank goodnes for the many hours or service given by our high school students who cleaned, moved books, cleaned some more and then moved books again!
Given all that moving around , I think we have created something great. There is a reading room for younger children which houses their collection. There is one media room filled with brand new PC's and another quiet work room with reference materials and computers. All these smaller rooms are off the main library which is now bright, open and inviting. This resource space is one which "invites" students to work at learning. It is bright, clean, and (fingers crossed) will be ready for business when school starts. There is an Open House to see the new library on August 29 from 11:00a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the high school. Please come see the results of a good idea and lots of hard work!
These are two of the many initiatives that we have taken on this summer but they are two that are coming together! I hope you take a look at both and that you come to agree that all this work is really a labor of love which will provide great oppportunities for our kids--They deserve the best we have to give!

"...Shoulder high we bring you home...Townsman of a stiller town"

There are some events that make us stop and take pause in the business of life. There are some events that cause us to mull over all that has been and all that we hoped would be. And, there are some events that just seem to suck the life and breath right out of us. Yesterday was like that...
Early in the morning I got a call from our Athletic Director and as soon as I answered, I knew something was wrong. He tearfully told me that one of our students, John Crowder, had been gunned down in the streets of Baltimore the night before and had died from his wounds. It was and still is impossible for me to imagine that very tall, gangly kid who never stopped smiling, stilled forever.
John always reminded me of a big pup who was all limbs and legs who had not yet quite grown into himself. And, what a "schmoozer" he was! He could charm the attendance moderator out of multiple demerits for lateness without blinking an eye--He only had to smile and come up with any lame excuse. He could make his whole lunch table of sophomore boys burst into laughter because of a face full of donut powder or making generally non-acceptable noises at the lunch table. He could illicit the admiration of a teacher for hard work done or a discussion question sincerely asked. And, he could play basketball better than most guys who were older and had more experience.. He was a "natural"--a natural, wonderful, talented kid with a wonderful future within his grasp.
And, these positves were hard won. John had no parents and was being rasied by his grandmom and his uncle. He had experienced loss more times than most adults and recognized that life had sharp edges and black holes as well as promises and hopes. But, he generally chose the positve and kept right on smiling, learning to be a good student, sharing experiences with his many friends,flirting with girls, and, of course, playing basketball.
And, then in the midst of all that promise, this athlete died young. But, in this case, there was no cheering crowd carrying him "shoulder high." Instead, there was a dark street and a passing car and bullets flying.
How is there any possible way to make sense of this kind of tragedy? Yesterday afternoon, our basketball coach gathered his team in our cafeteria to help them process what happened and try to support them in their grief. Our school is small and most of our kids describe our community as "family." So, we had our family meeting and we talked a little and cried a lot and sat quiet when no words came. I hope our boys know how deeply we share their loss and how much we ache for them. So much was lost---John himself, innocence, trust in the world's justice....What kind of world is it anyway?
In answer to that question all the negatives apply--It is a world where life means too little to too many, a world where children have guns and use them on each other, a world where it is not safe to walk back to your grandmom's house...
We grownups who have been called to work with kids, are obligated to wade through all these terrible realities. It is our job to help kids (and ourselves as well) reach some steady ground so that we can use life's tragedies to make us live out a truer version of that same world...We have to live in a way that shows that life means EVERYTHING! We have to teach our children to stay out of harm's way without living in fear. We have to show them how to treat self and others with the respect we each deserve. We have to keep them safe and build them neighborhoods that truly are safe havens. We have to do our part to make the world the way it should be. We owe it to John and to all kids who deserve the best we can offer them--the best of our world.
In time we will come to "own" and teach about this better world. Right now, we are overwhelmed by "the silent sounds no worse than cheers" and are mourning our lad who has "slipped..away." Right now, it is enough to pray--God bless you dear John and may God already be holding you in his arms.

"Time, Oh, Good, Good Time..."

My work has always been in the world of education and there is an ebb and flow of the activities of a school year. Though it is always busy, there are times when the pace accelerates. The creation of report cards and the parent conferences that accompany them, right before a holiday or the end of a term, and the end of the year are times in a school community when the activity level reaches a zenith. Nothing compares, though, with the week of graduation and exams in a high school! Emotions run high with the bitterweet leaving of our students and students, teachers, and families share a roller coaster ride of events such as awards, Mass, and graduation itself not to mention the anxiety of exam grades, grade point averages, and final college plans. At Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, early June was such a time and graduation was accompanied just twenty four hours later with the five year reunion of the Class of 2005! What a whirlwind!
First of all, our graduates deserve so much credit for the poise and humor with which they dealt with the graduation "event." They paid attention as awards were given and laughed at some of the humorous traditions at school such as the senior bowling honor. They laughed at themselves as they watched a slide show that included photos taken over the last four years. Even the students were amazed at the changes that were so evident as children grew into adulthood. They listened to the advice of many and endured the tears of the adults who care about them even as their thoughts were turning toward graduation parties and the beach. Those of us who worked with them were proud of their grades, the college credits they already earned and the scholarship dollars (over 1.5 million) that have been promised to them. Most of all, it was a great feeling to know that they are ready to leave us and that they are prepared for the next stage of their lives. They are ready for the rigors of college classes and the decisions that accompany independent living. The Class of 2010 has made us proud and we smile with them as their adult journey begins.
And then, less than twenty four hours later, many faculty members joined the Class of 2005 for their fifth year reunion. It was a great evening and many class members attended. There were many recent college graduates, several graduate school students, and discussions of jobs, careers, and plans for the future. Class members seemed genuinely glad to see each other and their former teachers and marked the occasion as a right of passage. There is something about sharing a drink with a mentor or teacher that makes adulthood a reality. The conversation included the ususal "Do you remember?" and "What happpened to so and so?" but for me there was one conversation that said it all. A former student gave me a hug hello and whispered in my ear, "I wanted to thank you for supporting me and giving me the space to discover who I really am." Though I was happy to hear that she is now a professional woman with a degree, I was elated to see that she remains quirky, bright, and creative and now has added confident to the list of qualities that describe her. It was a lovely evening in so many ways.
And, this past week the underclassmen finished their exams and final grades are being computed. Tomorrow teachers will finalize this school year and simultaneously begin to work on the next one. In just a few weeks another group of youngsters will join our community and we will begin again. It is truly a blessing to journey through these formative years with students who become so much more than that word conveys.
And, as each year passes we value the time we spend with students and the time we take planning to provide the best in Catholic education for them. This year, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, there are big changes in the works. Our school will be reconfigured into an Early Childhood through grade 12 school. We will operate using an Upper School/Lower School model rather than as the three separate units we now have. The cohesion that will come from this reconfiguration will benefit our students through an improved use of resources including both personnel and space. Outward signs of this change are already happening. The library is being consolidated and the book collections decentralized for optimum use. Classrooms in our elelmentary building will be moved to allow students closer access to their assigned administrator. More challenging academic classes will be introduced at both the middle and high school levels. These changes and many others are outward signs of internal growth.
Our school community has been given the time to re-assess how we can best serve our children, of all ages, in a fast-paced, information rich, value poor world. There are exciting changes on the horizon but they will make for other stories yet to come. It is my hope that, in time, I can share all these new stories with you! I hope you decide to take the time to read along and join in the journey!

The Fruits of Our Labor!

Most people who go into the profession of education do so because they love kids. They also share some fundamental beliefs about the human condition. They believe that people can change for the better. They believe in the infinite potential of children. They believe that learning about the past can improve the future. They believe that children who have acquired solid information about how to learn can take us quantum leaps into a better future. Educators are the harbingers of hope and include many of the last "hold outs" of idealism. Sometimes this vision of hope becomes dulled by dispassionate kids, uncooperative parents, and the world gone amuck. Very often educators never know of the good that they do. They never see the fruits of their labor because sometimes the benefits that they have inspired do not come to fruition for many years. Unless they happen to re-unite with former students many years after teaching them, educators often wonder if their labor matters at all. In recent weeks, the educators at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel have had two wonderful occasions to "see" the fruits of their labor of love and, both of those occasions were very, very good!
On April 21, 2010, our high school celebrated our fiftieth anniversary at a dinner celebration with several hundred people in attendance. There were alumni there from most classes including the very first class of 1963. There were current and former faculty members and parents from various eras at the event. There were current and former school and parish leaders, too, and as you can imagine, stories were being swapped for hours on end. The room was filled with chatter and laughter. Most of all, the room was filled with gratitude. As we honored representatives of each group--pastors, teachers, parents, students, Board members--each took their turn to give tribute to what our small school did for them. Those stories resonated an important theme--
Mt. Carmel High School made a difference in so many lives because excellent teachers gave their best to their students who deserved nothing less. Not surprisingly, no one mentioned the bricks and mortar of the place. They mentioned how much being challenged to excellence meant to them, how much being cared for mattered, and how much they learned about self, life, and faith as well as the world. It was and is a wonderful school--a small school that makes a big difference in the lives of people!
The second occasion that showcased how our former students were doing out in the world was Alumni Night at our recent Festival. Friday night of the Festival is always the night that former students gather to share their recent accomplishments,introduce their new heart throbs, and show off their beautiful children. This Festival was a banner year--both in the number of alums attending (over 200!) and their stories. Several recent college grads returned to get a much deserved hug of congratulations--There were teachers, a P.A., several nurses, an engineer and a former high school "technology kid" who works with and helps invent the gadgets at CNN. There were tales of law school, graduate degrees, and life in New York City. In the midst of these stories were the stories of weddings,new babies, and the perennial sentence starter--"Do you remember...?" And the answer from the many current and former faculty there was always, "Of course we do!" The bonds of relationships at a small school are powerful and often span the decades.
I am a firm believer that given time and nurturing, all kids eventually grow up in the sense of reaching maturity and developing the wisdom to make good choices. It is so wonderful to be in a place like Mt. Carmel where seeing this process from beginning to end is a frequent reality. There is no doubt that teaching is a craft, a profession and hard work. It takes long hours and it sometimes breaks your heart. But, it is also true that, though teaching is labor, it is a labor of love. Seeing the fruits of that labor--adults who are people of kindness, integrity, faith, and successful as well--is a joy!

The Anniversary Dinner--When is a Dinner MORE than a Meal?

Next Wednesday on April 21, 2010, there will be a dinner celebrating the fifitieth anniversary of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School. The dinner will be held at Martin's East--the site of many a prom--and should provide an opportunity for a gathering of several hundred wonderful people. Many of these people will reconnect with others that they haven't seen in years. Others will renew acquaintances and share information that hasn't been updated since that last soccer game, baseball event, or graduation exercise. There will be former students and faculty and parents of alums as well as current students, parents, and faculty. The people attending will leap over the barriers of time and revel, for one evening at least, in a common theme.
The common thread that binds all of our dinner guests together is that each of them played a part in the history of our school. Many of our guests grew up in the classrooms and corridors of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School learning both important academic information and important lessons about life. Many of our guests are the men and women who provided the inspiration and guidance for that growth of mind and heart to happen. Many of the guests are loving parents who sacrificed so much and worked so hard on fund raisers and tuition challenges in order to provide an opportuntiy for their children. Many of the guests shared the joys of friendships that have lasted through decades. Many of the guests were supported in times of heartache and challenge by the loving community of Carmel and the faith on which that community is built.
It is my great hope that the dinner provides a special "moment" for all who gather to pause and think about what it is that we all share. I know that there will be memories shared of classroom antics, sports events, and individual accomplishments. Beyond that I hope there will be at least one moment when everyone realizes that we share several beliefs that are much more profound. These are some of the beliefs that we celebrate and share--
We share a belief in the importance and value of every child. Knowing that children come in all shapes, sizes, and with assorted gifts of mind and heart, we believe that they ALL deserve our love and attention.
We believe that education provides the stepping stone that indiviuals need to make life better for themselves and their family. Knowing that families struggle to provide for their children, we believe that we need to work together to support those who need assistance.
We believe that when excellent academic programs are combined with faith and a Gospel vision, students are inspired to be the people God intended them to be. Knowing that setting standards of quality and developing a sense of service are necessities for living a Christian life, we hold in high regard the contribution of every student and the development of their character.
We believe that Our Lady of Mt. Carmel has provided a "family" for many young people who have thrived and have reached adulthood with integrity. This year, on our fifitieth anniversary, we celebrate every successful young life our school has touched and every member of our school family who has helped that success to come to fruition.
Even as we celebrate the past, we look to the future. There are students today even more in need of the nurturing community at Mt. Carmel than ever. In these competitive times, post-secondary education is a must for all and our students need to be prepared. In these days of political and economic crisis, integrity is crucial to becoming a leader. In these challenging times, faith in a loving God is foundational as is the belief that we each have a part to play in making this world a better place. Today and in the days to come, more than ever before, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is a school and a community that is necessary!
At our anniversary dinner, it is these beliefs as well as the people who share them that will be celebrated. As you can see, our dinner will be a celebration dinner that is, oh so much more than a meal! (If you would like to attend our dinner that is so much more than a meal, call Laura Cummins at 410-686-4972 for ticket information)