Faculty Q&A

with Janie Garrett and Missi Olson Kovachev ’89 How did you find Fort Worth Country Day 21 years ago? In 1995, my husband, Bob, and I came back to the U.S. with our three daughters, Q &A after nearly 14 years serving as missionaries in Argentina. Bob was teaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and I got a job as a bilingual teacher in Fort Worth ISD. Someone recommended FWCD to us as a school for our two school-age daughters [Rebecca Garrett Finn ’99 and Elisabeth ’01], so we looked into it. It was a great fit for our girls. In Rebecca’s senior year, my oldest daughter, Janelle, taught Upper School French and Spanish, and my youngest, Elisabeth, was a sophomore. It was the only time I had my three girls in the same school. I began teaching Lower School and fifth-grade Spanish at FWCD the next fall. After nine years, I moved permanently to Middle School to teach fifth- and sixthgraders.

What led you to be a teacher? Ministry and teaching were part of my DNA. I thought I would do medical technology when I went to Baylor, but I kept being drawn back to education. When Bob and I moved to Kentucky so that he could go to graduate school, I took my first job teaching seventh-grade math. During those years, I taught grades 4-7, but I took time off when Janelle was born.

We were appointed missionaries in Argentina in 1979. I was 30 years old and knew nothing about Spanish because I studied Latin at Baylor. In 1980, I went to language school in Costa Rica for five hours a day, five days a week to learn Spanish before we moved to Buenos Aires in 1981. Our work in Argentina was so fulfilling. I worked with families going into ministry, serving as a mentor to married students, while also taking care of my family. I did a little bit of everything from teaching, to offering parenting advice, teaching cooking classes, and serving as hospitality chairman. Spanish was our language each day.

You have always had a focus on inclusivity and other cultures. What are some of the programs of which you are most proud? Early in my career, I sponsored a Culture Club that presented MLK Day assemblies, visited a mosque and a synagogue, and hosted a Culture Fair and a Hunger Dinner in the old cafeteria. Students and their families bought tickets and then pulled a bean out of a bag to determine their wealth, which determined where they sat at the table. Those seated in the middle were served a wealthy dinner (Cordon bleu). Those seated on the outside had rice and beans. The money raised was donated to world hunger. The discussions and lessons learned were profound. To hear more from Janie, visit fwcd.org/janiegarrett.

What led you to Fort Worth Country Day 20 years ago? I was working in “corporate America” at the time ... and hating it. I was so ready to get back to sports, which I have always loved. Fortunately, so many coaches that were at FWCD when I graduated in 1989 were still here ... Coach [Butch] Traeder [H’06], Coach [Joe] Breedlove [’78], Trainer Ed Chisholm, Coach [Joe] Murph … that I had an immediate connection, and was lucky in the timing that FWCD was hiring three full-time PE/coaching positions that year. I knew how much FWCD had helped me as a student, and I wanted to do the same for someone else.

At FWCD, you have worn many hats; do you have a favorite? Wow, where to begin! I have taught kindergarten, grades 1-4 and 6, and Upper School PE classes. I have coached Middle School girls volleyball and basketball, varsity boys volleyball, varsity boys and girls tennis, and I have even chaperoned the cheer team to a game at St. Mark’s many years ago! I also scheduled the games, referees and facilities for the Athletic Department. I love the variety of all of those roles: from tying shoes in kindergarten PE in the morning and working on finding the perfect schedule for a particular team to coaching seniors who are stressing through college decisions in the afternoon. This variety is one of the things that makes FWCD such a rewarding place to work.

What is your teaching philosophy related to FWCD’s Dynamic Physical Education Program? No. 1: You are stuck with your body for your whole life – treat it right! No. 2: There is a ton of research out there supporting that people learn better when they are getting regular exercise. Sure, there are exceptions, but the general rule seems to show that physical fitness and academic learning go hand-in-hand. No. 3: Physical activity reduces stress. I hope we can expose kids to a good variety of exercises and athletic endeavors, so they each find their go-to stress-reliever. I know that when I was a mother with young children, there was no better place for me to go than to the volleyball court for a few hours. For me, it was the one place to lose track of all responsibility and pressure for a few hours and completely re-energize for whatever was coming next.

What will you miss most about Country Day? I will miss the energy and positivity that comes from working with kids – not many other things can give you that “hopefulness” for the world that comes from working with students who are eager to learn and excited to make a difference. I’ll be around as a Country Day parent, so I don’t think I’ll miss it that much! I do know I will miss my work friends ... the Athletic Department is a tight-knit group of people, and there are many coaches on our staff that are not just co-workers, but close friends also. I will miss talking with them every day! To hear more from Missi, visit fwcd.org/missikovachev. FACULTY Q&A