FACULTY INTERVIEW

A Few Minutes with

MRS. DIANE PAGE

When & how did you end up teaching at Kellenberg? I taught in the Brooklyn Diocese before I got married and had my children. I took a break from teaching for several years to raise my family. I returned to the classroom in my children’s school, St. Raymond’s, in the Diocese of Rockville Centre for eight years before I moved over to Garden City Public Schools. I really missed the faith component when I was in the public school system. I knew Father Tom from when St. Raymond’s used to have retreats here at Kellenberg. So I sent him a letter saying how much I would love to teach here. My daughter (Tara ’10) was a student and I loved the school so much. I just felt very spiritually empty when I was teaching in Garden City. It was so difficult not being able to talk about God or faith. I was so happy when I was hired here for the 20092010 school year, and I’ve been happy ever since. I have remarked to Brother Kenneth that Kellenberg is the country club of teaching. I’ve taught in other places, so I can say quite confidently that this is a very special and beautiful place to be.

What have you taught & moderated or coached during your time here? I’ve taught sixth-grade reading since I arrived. Additionally, I’ve taught seventh-grade English for five years and eighth-grade English for six years. I currently teach Reading 6 and English 7. I was an assistant moderator for Junior CROSS and Latin School CROSS for many years. I spearheaded the Latin School Academic Quiz Bowl, which I just handed off to Miss Victoria LaMonica ’09 this year. This year, I am moderating Latin School GSO and a Sophomore Sodality. I started the Latin School Book Club, and I am continuing as an assistant moderator of Junior CROSS. I have been doing guidance for approximately ten years, as well as retreat work in the Latin School.

What is your favorite thing about teaching at Kellenberg? The best part of my work is that I get to talk about God every single period of every single day! I feel that is the reason I came here. I like teaching English, but I love being involved with retreat work and the faith aspect of my job. The best thing about being here is that God is here in everything we do. Personally, I love that Mass is available to me here every day; it is a great gift! I really enjoy praying the rosary with students during midday prayer, which is a great grace. These opportunities help me to continually grow in my faith. I also love seeing how comfortable kids are expressing their faith here. You can be a student-athlete or a chess expert but also do the “God stuff.” You can do it all here!

What is so unique about an education that impacts both the heart & the mind? I think the teachers here are tuned into the students as whole people. Of course, everyone wants to see positive performance in their subject area; everyone wants to see excellence. But we all know it is important not to lose sight of the fact that students come with a whole family behind them - they come with a history. More and more, there are certainly many aspects in kids’ personal lives that impact who they are as students. The emotional piece is a very important part of the equation to consider. There are so many things to navigate beyond your subject matter with students today. There are a lot of challenges, so it’s important to work with parents in communion. Everything goes better when we’re working together.

What do you hope to instill in your students? I want them to know the most important thing is that they have a relationship with God. If they walk away knowing that, I truly believe everything else will fall into place. I just said to them today while we were discussing All Saints’ Day - be a lawyer, doctor, engineer, teacher, chef, dancer, professional athlete, be whatever you want - but use your gifts to be a saint first. If you don’t have God in your life, there will be an emptiness no matter how much success you experience. I always tell them, “God, people, then stuff. If you put God first, then the people in your life and finally, all the other things, life will flow better.” Your life should start and end with prayer. You need to have a relationship with Christ, and with Mary, too - she always points us to Christ. If they walk away saying they feel close to God, then I did the right thing. Teaching is vocational; it is a ministry. Teachers can have very positive impacts on their students’ lives.

What does the phrase, “Firebird family,” mean to you? I would say we are a family here. The faculty and the staff are all working toward a common goal; we are all working to teach the faith. Everyone in this building is working in community to spread the faith. We have a common mission. People feel connected to each other here. I feel very connected to my colleagues, and I know I can rely on them. The Latin School is really a school within a school, and we all have different things we bring to the table. The younger faculty members bring amazing energy, expertise, and beauty to everything, and I bring some experience. Together, we really complement each other. The faculty strikes a great balance between maintaining tradition and exploring new horizons. Father Tom and Brother Ken always make a point of saying that we are lay Marianists working in communion with their order. There is a constant welcome and invitation to be part of the Marianist community. It is a great blessing to be here!