THOUGHTS FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL, JOSEPH VORBACH:
Last Friday was the last day before teachers departed for the summer break. As is our tradition, we had a luncheon to wrap up the year and to send our retiring and departing teachers off with a proper salute. We took particular note of the service of Mr. Bill Carpenter, Mr. Tommy Orndorff, Mrs. Patrice Connolly and Mrs. Mary Lou Wentzel, and you can read my comments from the luncheon HERE.
Inevitably, this last day feels abrupt to me because of how it creeps up even when I know it is coming. Its arrival is a reminder of missed opportunities to personally thank and congratulate teachers and students for services rendered to the school. I am also conscious of unfinished work on different initiatives.
At the same time, this "last day" is a first day. First day of well-earned vacation for teachers and students. First day to start major maintenance and repair projects. First day to get deeper into reflection and planning for next year, often fueled by professional development opportunities.
I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks about, among other things, the convent demolition (which we will capture with time lapse photography) and our capital campaign progress, our summer improvement projects around the building, the kinds of professional development our team is engaged in this summer, and who will be joining our faculty as new members next year.
In the meantime, I thank you all for your interest in and support of Bishop O'Connell this year. As the DJO community demonstrated on June 7th's "OneDayAllKnights" event, it is a very engaged, spirited and generous group that the school is blessed to have behind it.
Wishing everyone a blessed summer!