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MIDLOTHIAN (May
21, 2002)
On June 7, Margaret
Finnegan and Pattye Zimmerman will enter their respective classrooms
at St. Christopher School in Midlothian for the last time. After
more than 25 years at the school, they are retiring from full-time
teaching.
Finnegan, who
lives in Midlothian, has been an educator since 1942: at St. Christopher
for 27 years; at Chicago Catholic schools for 12 years; and in Michigan
Catholic schools for 21 years.
"I will
miss teaching. The children are so full of energy and being with
them keeps me going," she said. "I will also miss the
camaraderie of the faculty here, who are all fabulous."
Donna Kirk,
principal of St. Christopher, describes Finnegan as "a bundle
of energy at 80 years old. She has such a delightful sense of humor,"
Kirk said.
Finnegan, a
former Dominican nun, teaches fourth grade and has a special love
for reading. Although she'll retire from full-time teaching, she
doesn't plan to stop being in the classroom altogether. She will
substitute teach at St. Christopher and do some volunteer work helping
children improve their reading skills.
Zimmerman, who
also lives in Midlothian, began teaching at St. Christopher in 1976,
after staying home for 12 years with her six children. Prior to
raising her family, Zimmerman taught in public schools.
"I came
to St. Christopher to be with the children and to share my faith.
Our family moved to the parish in 1964, and I knew I wanted to be
a part of the school community," she said. "I see my teaching
at a Catholic school as a commitment to passing on my faith to the
next generation. The teachers and parents here are totally committed
to the school. Personally, I feel we are a gem of the Archdiocese."
"We are
very lucky at St. Christopher to have teachers who are so dedicated
and committed to Catholic education," said Kirk. "We will
miss Margaret and Pattye very much, but know that their excellent
teaching has been passed on to the students, who will carry on the
faith tradition."
Zimmerman teaches
sixth grade and established and coordinated the Junior St. Vincent
de Paul Society at St. Christopher to assist the poor. She will
be busy after retirement. One of her daughters is expecting a baby
in August, and she'll go to San Diego to help with her new grandchild.
She'll also visit one of her sons in Hawaii.
On June 7, the
last day of school, the St. Christopher students will recognize
Finnegan and Zimmerman for their dedication to Catholic school teaching
at the closing liturgy of the school year. On June 8, the entire
parish will honor the teachers at the 5 p.m. Mass and a reception
will follow.
Archdiocese
of Chicago Catholic Schools
The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical
role in the life of the community by developing the minds and spirits
of nearly 123,000 students of many races, faiths and backgrounds
in the 304 elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties.
There are more than 6,000 teachers in the Catholic school system
who instill values, teach discipline and achieve strong, consistent
academic results in the Archdiocese of Chicago's 261 elementary
and 43 secondary schools. Visit the Archdiocese of Chicago Website
at http://schools.archchicago.org
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CHICAGO CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEACHER RECEIVES NATIONAL HONOR 