By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 5/22/03)
At St. Bernadette School in Springfield, "Every day is a new adventure," according to Principal Catherine Gilbride. "You never get bored. There’s always something going on."
Gilbride will be departing St. Bernadette School with the class of 2003. She is retiring after serving the children of the Arlington Diocese for 33 years.
"Catherine's long tenure at St. Bernadette School will truly be missed," said Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Dr. Timothy McNiff. "She has been a wonderful mentor for the teachers and always remained focused on the primary purpose of the school: to love and educate our children."
Before coming to Northern Virginia, Gilbride taught at a high school in Pennsylvania for five years. After moving to the area, she worked as a guidance counselor at Fairfax High School for a year before taking time off to start a family.
In 1970, Gilbride re-entered the workforce, teaching at Holy Spirit School in Annandale for a year before teaching sixth grade at St. Bernadette School.
She began teaching at St. Bernadette thinking she would only work for a few years. After teaching the sixth grade for 14 years, she taught eighth grade for another 11, and then became principal in 1995. "It’s been a long time, but it went very fast," she said.
Gilbride is a member of St. Bernadette Parish, so she will find it easy to keep in touch with the students and staff, but she said she will miss the community spirit and support fostered at the school. "I really will miss the people, of course the children, and the teachers and the staff," she said. "We are very much a community here and we tend to take care of each other."
Gilbride said the children have not changed much over the last 33 years, but now they have more to study. Today’s students also have the advantages of computer, band, art and music classes, all taught by specialists, she said.
"St. Bernadette’s has always been an excellent school," said Gilbride. "Many graduates have brought their children back. So many of our children have done so well after they’ve left."
Gilbride says the school is excellent because of "good parents, good children and good teachers." She also added that the school receives much support from the pastor, Father Tom Ferguson.
Gilbride attended Marywood College in Scranton, Pa., run by the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and she received her master’s degree at the University of Scranton, a school run by Jesuits.
Gilbride’s four children attended St. Bernadette’s, and currently, her grandson, Patrick, is in the third grade at the school. Gilbride said Patrick "pays no attention to me." She explained that without anyone mentioning it to him, Patrick has been able to separate his grandmother from the school principal.
Additionally, Patrick’s mother, Susan, teaches seventh- and eighth-grade math.
Although Gilbride has made no concrete plans for post-retirement, she said, "I will have plenty to do, I’m sure. I can be the grandma."
Copyright ©2003 Arlington Catholic Herald. All rights reserved.
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