THE GLEN BARD
May 2018 gwhsnews.org
West celebrates Ms. Barrett, Mrs. True, Mr. Fornaciari, Mrs. Bertane and Ms. Lubiniecki, their retirements, and what the future holds next School psychologist Joyce Barrett reflects on her career, retirement plans By Aliyah Mohiuddin ’18 Features Editor
rett works on a problem-solving team with other staff members. “I really like trying to investigate what some of the problems might be with a student and working as part of a team to help a student,” says Ms. Barrett. Reflecting on her past careers, Ms. Barrett recalls working at a private psych hospital, specifically with adolescents. She says, “I learned from that experience that I wanted to work with teenagers.” What Ms. Barrett finds to be her favorite part of working at West is
With the end of the school year fast approaching, it is with great appreciation that we say farewell to the many teachers and staff retiring. Among them is Ms. Joyce Barrett, school psychologist, who has worked at West for fifteen years. As a school psychologist, Ms. Bar-
“Life takes you to unexpected places. Love brings you home.” By Emma Blackwell ’18 Editor-in-Chief For Mrs. Linda True, administrative assistant at West for thirty-one years, this quote truly describes her time here at West. This year will mark her last time here as she plans on retiring at the conclusion of this school year. Before she came to West, Mrs. True worked in a few different jobs, but it was when her friend informed her about an opening at West that Mrs. True ended up coming to this school. Saying farewell to Mr. Fornaciari By Ellie Ostroff ’19 Assistant Editor-in-Chief After his thirty-third year of teaching and his nineteenth year as a faculty member at Glenbard West High School, Mr. James Fornaciari - World History and AP European History teacher - will retire this spring. Mr. Fornaciari graduated from college in 1985 and began teaching at Normal Community High School immediately afterwards. Three years later, he moved to Naperville to teach at a junior high school; in 1999 - 11 years later - Mr. Fornaciari came to West to be our high school’s head baseball coach. “If I was going to leave [the Naperville school to be a high school’s head baseball coach], it had to be to go to a community that really valued academics,” Mr. Fornaciari said. Luckily for Glenbard West, that
As the school year comes to a close and we get ready to say goodbye to the class of 2018, we also must commemorate the wonderful teacher and faculty retirees. After thirty three wonderful years, social studies teacher Mrs. Bertane will be saying farewell to the Castle on the Hill. After graduating from Loyola University, Mrs. Bertane soon found a job as a dedicated member of the Glenbard West Socials Studies team. Ever since, Everyone has a purpose: Ms. Lubiniecki leaves a lasting impact on West By Emma Blackwell ’18 Editor-in-Chief Amongst those retiring at the end of this year is Ms. Lubiniecki, a dedicated counselor of thirty years. Having come to West twenty-five years ago, Ms. Lubiniecki has been a huge help to many students over the years. While most of her time was spent at West, Ms. Lubiniecki had previously worked as a counselor at a school for K-12 in a small town in rural Illinois. Beyond be-
She has since enjoyed and cherished her time at West stating that over the years it “started to become my family.” Mrs. True has attended many of West’s student activities, often working the ticket booth at football games, watching numerous theatre productions, and going to pep assemblies throughout the year. “I think my favorite thing is all the people I work with. I love the people here,” she says. “I’m going to miss everybody a lot.” In regards to her retirement, Mrs. True is looking forward to “getting up after the sun is up, gardening, golfing, bike riding, travelling,
community was us. Mr. Fornaciari successfully rebuilt West’s baseball program from 1999 to 2006; he also pioneered West’s AP European History curriculum, beginning the program in 2007, something he “was very happy to build.” Upon his retirement, Mr. Fornaciari plans to keep working, though, he does not currently have a defined plan as to what his next career will be. He does know, however, that he wants to challenge himself. “You need new challenges [in life],” he advised. “[Don’t] let anything become stale.” Mr. Fornaciari also had advice for current students: “[Try] and find something every day where you’re going to get a little bit better.” The goal, he maintains, is “continuous improvement” - as all students “have great potential.” Glenbard West students are extremely special to Mr. Fornaciari - he names them
Find your passion for teaching: West celebrates Mrs. Bertane By Molly Molloy Columnist
that “I work with a wide variety of students and I really enjoy that faceto-face time.” Along with her involvement with the student body, Ms. Barrett says, “We have such a supportive staff. The staff go out of their way to help kids and I love that.” On her plans after retirement, Ms. Barrett hopes to spend more time with her kids and grandchildren as well as “reconnecting with friends I haven’t been able to spend time with.” She also looks forward to traveling and doing volunteer work in her spare time.
[and] spending time with family and friends.” If there is one thing she would want to tell her younger self it would be “that this is not just a little part-time job that you’re going to have for a couple years while your kids are little — it’s going to be a career.” Mrs. True hopes that seniors will be open to change as life has its way of turning to the unexpected. As we send off the seniors, we also recognize all the contributions Mrs. True has made to West over the years, and we sincerely thank her for her time at West.
as what he will miss most about teaching both in general and at West. “Kids, no doubt about it. The energy that our kids bring,” he stated. He will also miss “relationships with...parents,” especially “these families where...you’ve had a son and a daughter and you really get to know that mom and dad well.” His special relationships with his students and their families led to Mr. Fornaciari’s invitation to two separate weddings of two former students - and these experiences of seeing his former pupils as mature adults led him to reflect on his primary goal as a teacher and a coach. “[B]ecause of the challenges you gave [students], and because of the hard work and the critical thinking skills, the teamwork that goes on and going through the hard times, [students are] just going to be [better adults]...They’re going to forget about Philip the Second, they’re going to forget about Queen Elizabeth, but they can work through [challenges] because
she has developed a bond with the school and fellow teachers. She states, “I will really miss my colleagues and the camaraderie and the intellectual stimulation I get every day with my department.” Along with her special connection with coworkers, she reflects on the unique atmosphere of the school. “There really is a culture of respect. The students, I think, overall really know they are at a remarkable school, at a remarkable setting so there is a tremendous sense of pride from being at Glenbard West,” Mrs. Bertane says. Above all, however, Mrs. Bertane reflects on her favorite and most impor-
ing a counselor, Ms. Lubiniecki has also worked as an English teacher and a senior editor at a book publishing company. Despite having these various jobs, Ms. Lubiniecki ultimately wanted to work with teenagers “because I was able to connect with them, and they made me laugh and cry.” After a friend of hers — who was also a counselor — told her about an opening at West, Ms. Lubiniecki came to West and has since loved working with West’s students and staff. She says, “My favorite things about West are the kids, the car-
In advising students, she says, “Make the most of your high school years and get involved.” However most importantly she says, “Find ways to get help if you need it and make sure to communicate with the adults in your life.” As we take the time to say farewell to graduating seniors, we must also convey our sincere gratitude for Ms. Barrett’s work at West and wish her the best of luck in her future plans.
Mr. Fornaciari (left back row) coached the 2005 baseball team pictured here after winning the Regional Championship you’ve taught them how to work hard,” Mr. Fornaciari said. “That’s what I’m most proud of…[and that’s] one of the things that teachers and coaches want to do.”
tant part of her time here at West, her dedication to her students and love for teaching, saying, “It’s really just fun in the classroom. I have fun with the kids. I enjoy them and I think I really will miss being in the classroom with the students.” As one final piece of advice, she inspires young teachers to “enjoy [teaching], have respect for your students, and have a passion for what you teach and everything else falls into place.” Glenbard West thanks you so much for your wonderful impact on the school, Mrs. Bertane. You will be missed by the entirety of the school.
ing adults, the beauty of our campus, [and] the feeling that we are all connected.” Ms. Lubiniecki also sheds light on what she hopes for in her retirement. “Every day I think of something creative I can do after retiring,” she states. “I am open to all ideas!” Looking back at her memories at West, Ms. Lubiniecki comments, “I will miss most of the kids, especially those students alphabetically assigned to me.” She also mentions the “senior panelists, mindfulness groups, and college 101 participants” as people she will miss along with
working with students on their college essays. To the seniors graduating this year she leaves a simple haiku: “We believe in you! Accomplished, kind, sparkling Go find your purpose!”
eyes
West thanks Ms. Lubiniecki for her time and commitment to bettering students throughout the years. She has certainly left an impact on many lives and will be sincerely missed.
670 Crescent Blvd Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
While Glenbard West congratulates Mr. Fornaciari on his retirement and wishes him the best of luck, he will most definitely be missed!