Blog Stats
- 38,252 hits
Pages
Archives
Miss Armbrust
December 6, 2010
I have had a lot of responses to the last post from parents and Father Pendolphi supporters. The main topic of discussion has been the school board meeting. Again, I strongly suggest interested parties attend school board meetings, but I’m not sure Father Pendolphi will attend regularly at this point. I imagine he is embarrassed. Many people have asked what questions the board members asked that upset Father Pendolphi.
Well, Chris Miller stated that; Although the concern Father Pendolphi has is primarily getting the nuns here, the school board’s greatest concern is the school getting a permanent principal. The board is concerned that there is not any administrative consistency currently. If a nun doesn’t come….what then? Do we have to hold the position….the uncertainty is of a serious nature for the school and it’s enrollment. Father Pendolphi did not answer or address these concerns. Pete Pajor brought up the other question. He stated that there is a protocol, according to the Diocese, for hiring a principal. The protocol states there should be an advisory board, a posting for the opening and the best candidate should be hired. Father Pendolphi asked Pete if he had this information. Pete brought copies for all in attendance and then distributed them. This is when things got out of hand. Father Pendolphi suggested that the decision to automatic post to a nun was coming from the Bishop and Pete should contact him with further questions. Then Father Pendolphi said a few more unkind things to the Board and stormed out, mumbling that the board was suggesting he didn’t care about the school and that was ridiculous. It is my opinion that the board was as respectful as possible and was only trying to address concerns and get some answers.
There is no question his behavior was bad that evening. But we are taught to forgive. I think we all have forgiven the circumstances of which cause us concern. However, why is it so difficult to stand up and say; I understand your concerns as a board and as parents. The Bishop, in this process, is directing me. I don’t think the nuns will send someone that is not qualified and let’s trust in them and God to provide for our school. Kind words, clear, and to the point. We did get the nuns, they are excited about coming, the Diocese is happy to have them, but we have no idea whom they are sending until April. Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. I realize it doesn’t facilitate finding a principal in good time in the board’s opinion, but it where we are right now. Is this so difficult? But, that is not what happened. There are ways around the hiring protocol. Just like there were ways around the “firing” protocol. The concern is for our children’s education. Parents are a little nutty about being protective of their children. I know I am. This doesn’t in any way excuse Father Pendolphi’s behavior. It was not good. I think the main issue is, we all keep waiting for something that is not going to happen. An apology for hurting some members of the parish and the school is not coming. We continue to wait for someone to stand behind there discussions, but have open discussions about how these changes affect/affected everyone. We simply do not have priest who cares to engage with members that do not agree with him. This is the hardest thing we all have to accept. Father Pendolphi is the boss. We just happen to get a pastor that is of the “battle” philosophy. I have the power and you will feel it if I want to use it, like it or not. We have to accept him for who he chooses to be.
Where does that leave us? This continues to be the ultimate question. Do we pull our kids or leave them under Father Pendolphi? Everyone has to answer this question individually. However, for me I trust in St. Michael and what Miss Armbrust created. It is not going to fall easily. It may….but not immediately and we can cross that bridge when it becomes shaky. Have faith in what St. Michael School is all about, not who Father Pendolphi chooses to be. The School is still an amazing place. The community is one to be proud of. I’m still glad I’m a part of it. I am calling on my faith to see beyond the decisions of one.
December 2, 2010
I went to the School Board meeting last night…
Wow. It is hard to believe it has been over a month since Miss Armbrust’s gathering. It was a wonderful event. It was a beautiful day and everyone ate and had a great time socializing. I really thought this whole blog thing would be done after the gathering. I can’t tell you how many people have recently emailed me, stopped me at school or at the store, and called to discuss St. Michael School, Father Pendolphi, Father Dailey, and the nuns. It has been a little overwhelming. I am humbled that people want my opinion. (Even though it may be wrong) So, here is my latest entry.
First, I am very proud of the St. Michael School families. I am proud to say I am part of St. Michael School even when friends and acquaintances from different parishes imply they are glad they are not mixed up in this mess. I think the outpouring of support for Miss Armbrust was just simply lovely. As bad as things went down, and as horrible as she had to have felt when everything was fresh, I think we proved how important we felt her work was at St. Michael School. I know there are all kinds of opinions out there, but Miss Armbrust built St. Michael School. Miss Armbrust not only ran it very well, but she put her heart and soul into making St. Michael School one of the best in town. Academically, St. Michael School is still fantastic and the community has rallied to continue the legacy that Miss Armbrust built. Thank you, once again Miss Armbrust, for caring for our children and their teachers like few principals have the ability or desire to do. You will always be appreciated and remembered for what you created at St. Michael School. I hope and pray your work is not finished with school administration; you have so much to offer. Wherever it may be, I hope and pray you continue to touch many more lives in the future. God has a plan.
Well, God’s plan is to have the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist come and live at St. Michael. In the recent weeks, I have heard so many different personal views on the issue of the nuns coming. It is crazy. So many rumors have spread, so many misconceptions, so many frustrations have been heard. I think many of us still are of the opinion, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mind set. In other words, why did Miss Armbrust have to leave in order for the nuns to come? Here are some interesting things to ponder. Father Pendolphi has stated many times; the sisters will only go where they feel there is a need. Well, I believe Father Pendolphi desperately wants his legacy to be that he is responsible for the nuns coming to St. Michael School. Is it pure circumstance that there is a “need” for a principal at St. Michael School? The rumor is that the nuns like to be in charge….well, “creating” an open principal position is very convenient now isn’t it. If it were not circumstances alone that Miss Armbrust’s contract was not renewed wouldn’t we have a permanent principal in place, or at least be looking? Let me say Mr. Rossetti has done a wonderful job and the kids love him, but is there a reason this position is on hold for a year? Can anyone really believe at this point that Miss Armbrust’s contract had nothing to do with the nuns coming? Of course not. Father Pendolphi openly states, and has from the beginning of all of this, that his intent is to fill the principal position with a nun.
I don’t think he bargained for the response to his actions to be so loud and clear. Whether or not you support Father Pendolphi, his actions have cost the parish a great deal financially. Had Father Pendolphi simply followed protocol, would so many parents and parishioners still be this upset? I’m not sure. But, it sure seems to me Father Pendolphi’s head seems a bit big for his collar. The ironic thing is the nuns know what is going on at St. Michael School. Now, I’m not sure who did or if it is true, but apparently people have written to the nuns and told them not to come. It is my opinion that this is not fair to the nuns or the work that has gone into getting them here. It is a privilege to have the nuns at St. Michael. They are responsible for Father Pendolphi’s behavior. It is not their fault that St. Michael is hurting as a parish/school. They should be welcomed.
I have said before I am not opposed to nuns coming to St. Michael. I just want information to make decisions about where I chose to keep my children in school. Father Pendolphi has not been forthcoming to most of us with information. He is scheduling a town hall meeting in January about the nuns coming, but I think this is more of a fundraising meeting on his part. He needs to get the word out about building changes and costs. He will not get much money from parents unless he is more open with details about their arrival, so he is throwing us a bone so to speak in order to fundraise for all the building costs. That all being said, the Order does not give their placements until April, so for the most part none of us, including Father Pendolphi, will really know which positions will be filled with nuns. The “needs” right now are obviously for a principal, for a foreign language teacher and an Algebra teacher. However, it remains to be seen which positions of faculty with remain filled. It has been rumored that there will be openings for teaching positions and Father Pendolphi will offer opening to the nuns. whether we like it or not this is complete his prerogative. He is “the boss” of the faculty and is in charge of who is hired and for what position. Now, with Father Pendolphi’s threats to the faculty I’m not sure any prefer to stay, but they need their jobs like anyone else. It will be interesting to see who truly sticks around.
I have attempted this post many times. I have tried to put all of this mess into perspective. I have attended the last three school board meetings. I have spoken at length with a few teachers and the board members. I have listened to Mr. Rossetti and Father Pendolphi. So, here is what I make of the current status of St. Michael School and the nuns coming.
We are choosing to send our kids to St. Michael School because it is a damn good place. Again, I credit Miss Armbrust for this, but she is no longer employed there. Father Pendolphi bullied his way through this and definitely made the choices in regard to the administration and how he was going to fire Miss Armbrust on his own. Yes, financially this cost the parish/school a lot of money, but again it is not Father Pendolphi’s money or children that are affected. Is there a lot of gossip about who wanted her out, who was working behind the scences for Father, how he went out town, the horrible homily, etc.?Of course. It is not daily conversation anymore, but it still present. We still continue to find frustration in all these things, but it is time to move on. I realize this is easier said than done for many, but here is a little more perspective.
Father Pendolphi is not going to change. If he cared about our opinion he would listen to it. If he thought our concerns were valid he would address them. It is clear, he isn’t concerned. So, we either deal with him or leave. These are facts. I would love to see Father Pendolphi show parents, parishioners and the general public some genuineness, but it isn’t in him. He certainly doesn’t have to answer to us. See, this is where our problems begin. We have a man who shows no genuine caring or concern for the parents of “his” school. There is a laundry list of examples of his bad behavior, but that is not really the issue now. Most of us have lost our faith in our spiritual leader. I certainly don’t trust him. Father Pendolphi says the nuns coming and the changes are all coming from the bishop. The diocese office says that is not totally true. The bishop will not address this with parents that have tried to contact him, so who are we to believe? No one knows, but many are lacking in trust about this whole mess now.
So, I digress. Here is what we do know. These nuns are awesome. But, lets keep in mind why they are coming. They have no interest in putting someone not qualified in the principal position. None. They have a lot of young teachers and young women committed to their order. They all want to do a great job. We should welcome them with open arms. They are here to do “good” for our school and the Columbus Diocese. But, keep in mind there is an element of business here. They want to branch out spread their faith and recruit more nuns. The more I find out about the order the more excited I get about what they can give to our community. So, parents do your homework on this order and I think you will be pleased that we have this opportunity.
Many discuss the enrollment and losing students. I think it is sad if our students leave because of nuns coming. I do feel as a community we are blessed for this opportunity. Academically, St. Michael continues to provide an outstanding program. It is not time to leave because the changes coming are still very unknown. I do believe, in this instance, the change is positive. Academically the teachers will continue to provide a better than average experience. Remember they clearly d this because they have a passion to teach. It certainly isn’t because of the money. I can attest to that. Do I believe they will all stay? Nope. Father Pendolphi has bullied them too. If they can get out some will. It is hard though; because once you have a number of years of experience you simply become too expensive for other schools to hire you. That is where some of our teachers fall. I do know some are looking though. It is naive to think they don’t want out of a “boss” like Father Pendolphi.
At last night’s school board meeting, a train wreck occurred. Father Pendolphi is not following protocol once again with respect to hiring a principal. He will fill the spot with a nun if the nuns desire to hold that position. The protocol says the job should be posted, there should be an advisory board to interview, the best candidate should get the job, etc. However, it is still left up to Father Pendolphi who fills the position. So, we must accept that protocol will not be followed, whether or not it is coming from Father Pendolphi or the Bishop. Father Pendolphi has the final say whether or not protocol is followed. The concerns are if St. Michael School does not fill the principal position with a nun, what then? Do we have a few more years until the nun fills that position? Do we have another somewhat temporary principal? Who knows? This is the major concern. But, we must rely on those who are already in place to maintain the standards for our children. I believe whole-heartedly that the current staff will hold St. Michael School to their standards. Change will happen, but it is not necessarily a horrible thing. I think the main problem we have is we don’t have a leader defending his choices. Explaining clearly what is really going on here. At this point, we must be patient and see how it unfolds. We are all vested already with our children at St. Michael and don’t really have a choice, other than wait and see anyway. This is not an easy task, but is it God’s way of making us trust in our faith?
I plead for all to attend School Board meetings. They are very informative. Father Pendolphi has attended the last four. (FYI – Over the four previous years, he attended a total of two) He doesn’t have any new information to give us. The nuns are coming and St. Michael can communicate our needs to the Order and they will make their placements in April. Other than that anything that is stated is speculation. He freely admits to this. It truly is what it is. The nuns will decide whom they will send in April. Yet, Father Pendolphi is organizing two town hall meetings to discuss the nuns coming. Other than what has already been stated, I have no idea what could possibly be addressed, except that we need a lot of money to build for the nuns. So if you chose to attend, do so knowing answers to specifics truly cannot be answered. Maybe he will address the Bishop’s role in all of this, but this is really the only curiosity at this point.
The reason I am writing this after so much time, is I feel a huge need to communicate Father Pendolphi’s actions at last night’s school board meeting, as well as Mr. Rossetti’s.
As far as Father Pendolphi is concerned his behavior was bad. I know – SURPRISE! But, seriously, it was awful. He refused to answer valid questions. He does have a history with the school board members, and keep in mind, they feel a huge responsibility to the parents of St. Michael School because they are elected to the board. Emotions were running high. The school board was as blindsided as the rest of us in July. They do feel a higher sense of responsibility to the community. They were trying to get answers to valid concerns about the hiring process and the need for some permanency in the principal position. As a parent, as many other parents there felt, the board members were as respectful as possible, yet Father Pendolphi acted like a child. He threw out rude, negative comments and ended up walking out. “Taking his books and leaving.” All while chewing on an old toothpick…very unhygienic rude behavior. During this whole heated discussion, in which many of us were a tad uncomfortable, it occurred to me, that it isn’t about all the changes at St. Michael that have all of us this upset. Yes, it is true many of us don’t like change, but we get used to it. It settles in. As a parent, my concern is not the changes anymore. I am happy about my children being around nuns. My stress, anxiety, frustration, anger (I could go on) is a result of Father Pendolphi’s behavior.
We are not still concerned that Miss Armbrust is gone. We may not like it, but it is what it is now. But, to be continually bullied, insulted, ignored, disrespected, and treated badly by our spiritual leader sucks. All I want to do is write all the horrible things I think he has done to my friends, my friend’s children, my family, the school….I want to scream about his bad behavior. But, then it brings me to tears. Why do we have a spiritual leader who is truly so unkind, childish and rude to others. I just don’t understand how a man of God can behave the way Father Pendolphi does. But, if I want my children to stay at St. Michael School, I have to take the good with the bad. I don’t know why I have to have a discussion with my children about the bad behavior of our pastor. God has a plan for him too right? UGH.
I know there are people out there still wearing their I love my priest buttons. But, they did not see Father Pendolphi’s behavior last night. They obviously don’t see him bullying children who make a mistake serving, they don’t hear the comments calling others out at school board and parish council. It is just simply not priest like behavior. This is what fuels my anger and frustration. It isn’t about the changes anymore. He is entitled to make the changes. He is the boss. I may not like the changes, but I got used to them. It is that he is still being a jerk and unkind to all those who don’t agree with him. This is not the way I expect or want my priest to behave! Kill them with KINDNESS. Great saying right?
Okay, so I have certainly said more than my peace about Father Pendolphi. Let’s move to Mr. Rossetti. He is a God-send! He is not here for us. He loves our kids and will make damn sure he does right by them. You take a man whose entire career was about children and for children and expect him to lose that in retirement. No way. He was hand picked for us. The Diocese is trying to protect St. Michael School too. I’m sure this mess makes him second guess coming out of retirement for us, but I imagine the kids at St. Michael reaffirm his decision for him every day. You can be dead tired, frustrated and overwhelmed. But when a kid comes to you and you have to ability to help them it is a little miracle. It is wonderful for those us in education to be a part of that. Mr. Rossetti gets to do this every day with our children at St. Michael School. I think he is able to say all the crap is well worth it. Maybe he couldn’t say that last night, but let’s hope he got to partake in a little miracle today. We must trust in Mr. Rossetti right now. He has our back. Everything will be fine.
I want to say my capsule of faith is near empty, but it seems to be filling back up. I have accepted Father Pendolphi for who he is. He really is not that involved at school and won’t ever be. It is the teachers, parents and the administration (Colleen Kent & Mr. Rossetti) that continues to make St. Michael School what it is. This is the school community. Let us celebrate and involve ourselves in the good at St. Michael School and not the bad.
October 13, 2010
Enough is enough! Father Pendolphi is absolutely unbelievable! Miss Armbrust is not at St. Michael School. He doesn’t care who or how any of this affected the parishioners/school parents that were not in agreement with him, but he continues to hurt all of us. There is no way to explain why he would not allow a flyer to go out about a get together to celebrate Miss Armbrust’s years at St. Michael. He robbed all of us of this opportunity to do right for Miss Armbrust when he did not renew her contract in July. He doesn’t speak of it and won’t answer questions. He continues to behave in a very unchristian way, let alone a priestly one. All proper avenues were followed to get a flyer in the communication folder to have a picnic type get together so the families and children could say thank you to Miss Armbrust for all her years of service to St. Michael School. Here is the support group’s recent email on the matter:
Hello all,
A flyer(attached) was approved by both Mr Rossetti and Mrs Kent for distribution in the communication folders today.
The copies of this flyer were secretly removed from the communication box in the cafeteria. They were retrieved from the Parish office with the help of Fr Dailey and placed in the communication folders. The folders were then distributed to the classes. The folders were recalled from the classes and the flyer was removed. As I understand, this was requested by Fr Pendolphi.
All proper channels for the placement of information in the communication folder were followed.
There is a School Board Meeting tonight at 6pm. PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CAN!
Fr Pendolphi is supposed to be there.
Please forward to anyone you can.
Here is the Flyer that was to be included in the communication folder:
Come One Come All!!
Hosted by SMS parents and friends of Miss Armbrust
Celebrate Miss Armbrust’s 30 years of service
to St Michael School!*
When: October 16th from 3-6pm
Where: Selby Park Shelter House
We will supply the hot dogs, drinks, paper products and cake if you can help supply the rest!
If your last name begins with A-L
– please bring a side dish
If your last name begins with M-Z
– please bring an appetizer
We could definitely use some help in the following areas:
1) Gift Collection: If you are interested in contributing to a collective gift please send your donation in an envelope to(by Friday Oct 15th):
Attn: Gayle Gottlieb
c/o Colleen Rudy 5-S
or call 614-436-5095
2) Decorations: we need someone to coordinate and obtain decorations for the party. We need tablecloths, balloons etc. Anything to make it festive!
3) Set up and Clean Up
Please let us know if you plan on attending and if you can help!
Jennifer Stone: jsto1215@yahoo.com 614-844-6893
Sally Jannot: pjannot@insight.rr.com 740-548-7713
*this event is not a St Michael School sponsored event
I don’t know what to say. When a priest will not allow children to say goodbye or thank you to someone who, like it or not, has been a large part of their lives, there is something tragically wrong.
It does not make sense to any of us. We know that if there was anything that Miss Armbrust did that caused this she would not have “resigned” or been able to walk with pride. We all know she did nothing wrong. We have accepted there was a difference of opinion or whatever it may have been, but now to say in a homily that you love Miss Armbrust too, yet deny a flyer to go out to the families and children of St. Michael School that would like to have some closure and thank Miss Armbrust for her service, is downright undeserved and gravely wicked. There is no justifiable reason for Father Pendolphi to behave this way. He continues to bully his parishioners and the parents and children of St. Michael who were sad to see Miss Armbrust go.
I would love to hear from those of you in support of Father Pendolphi now. Give me one reason the children are not allowed to say goodbye and thank you to their longtime principal and leader. All we can do is try to get the word out on our own about the get together. We must continue to write and call about Father Pendolphi’s bad behavior. Father Pendolphi’s behavior continues to be not Christian, Priestly, kind or appropriate in anyway.
Come One Come All!!
Celebrate Miss Armbrust’s 30 years of service to St Michael School!
When: October 16th from 3-6pm
Where: Selby Park Shelter House
We will supply the hot dogs, drinks, paper products and cake if you can help supply the rest!
If your last name begins with A-L
* please bring a side dish
If your last name begins with M-Z
* please bring an appetizer
We could definitely use some help in the following areas:
1) Gift Collection: we would like to give Miss Armbrust a monetary gift as well as a sentimental gift. If you can help collect money and coordinate this aspect let us know! We are working on getting a picture of SMS. Our hope is to put in a signature frame for all to sign at the party
2) Decorations: we need someone to coordinate and obtain decorations for the party. We need tablecloths, balloons etc. Anything to make it festive!
3) Set up and Clean Up
Please let us know if you plan on attending and if you can help!
Since we do not want to post private emails on the web, please contact us through the SMS support group email here. Your email will then be forwarded to the party coordinators and you will receive a response from them. Please let us know who you are and in what way you would like to help. Thanks to all!
Post September 14, 2010
I am still waiting to hear details about a gathering and will post as soon as I get information. But I have posted a more recent personal insight if interested.
Wow. I cannot believe we are in our fourth week of school. The festival has come and gone. Meet the teacher night was last week. St. Michael Soccer is over and volleyball is about to start for us. Football is on our minds, and my kids are discussing Halloween costumes. The end of summer is here and the time continues to go by so fast.
I have pondered this post for some time. I have had lots of conversations with many people about the previous posts and what this site has meant to our parent community and Miss Armbrust. It is interesting that so many of us can relate our feelings to one another and we continue to finish each other’s sentences and thoughts.
In the last post, I pleaded for communication from our leaders. We got some information in the weekly bulletin within a week or so of the post. I found the tone of the information condescending. I find it juvenile when writers use bold capital letters, underlining and explanation points when writing to make a point. Especially, when it is meant to be an underhanded reprimand. Ham and Eggs. It is just my opinion of the letter. we have yet to hear how the visits are going and what the sisters thought of St. Michael School.
I stated, as a parent, I was well aware that none of us know for sure what is going to happen with regard to any order of sisters that may or may not be coming to St. Michael or any Columbus Diocese Parish for that matter. I think having nuns in our children’s lives and our own, as adults, would be wonderful for St. Michael or any parish. I feel blessed that my children may have the opportunity to be more exposed to these holy women and their calling. It could be an amazing learning opportunity for all of us. It seems like our parish leaders believe there is an opposition to having nuns come to St. Michael School and Parish. I don’t believe this to be the case. The concern has never truly been having nuns come. It is the underhanded way it has come about. No one knowing anything, Miss Armbrust not being renewed, no direction, just hope for the nuns to come, etc. Father Pendolphi not doing right by Miss Armbrust, making changes without regard to the community as a whole and its feelings on the matter. These are the issues, not the nuns coming.
The issue at hand is we don’t have answers to the direction our school is moving. There are changes being made, i.e.; no Miss Armbrust, with little or no plan for the future. We may not know exactly why Miss Armbrust did not have her contract renewed. It can be stated how it needs to be, “resigned”, but the facts still remain the same. The school board, the faculty, the parents had no knowledge of the situation until done was done. Father Pendolphi took off on vacation immediately. That is not a good way to stand behind a major decision. Father Pendolphi came back to a very upset group of parents and community members. Father Pendolphi proceeded to give a couple of homilies that were at best outrageous, uncalled for, rude and extremely unholy. Father Pendolphi has no plan for our children’s future because he simply does not know what the future holds for St. Michael School. We don’t know who may or may not be coming. We don’t know when some one may or may not replace Mr. Rossetti. It looks like it will be a year, but no one knows for sure. So, we continue to hear nothing about the future of St. Michael School. Parents continue to ask questions that are not answered. There has been no attempt to ease parents’ fears. The major concern for all of us at this point is that St. Michael School has a lack of direction and none of us understand why. We have no path and Father Pendolphi still doesn’t understand why, as parents, we feel the way we do. We may be a minority in his eyes, but there are many parents who continue to discuss these concerns.
Father Pendolphi seems to be sticking to the fact that people become unemployed everyday and still questions why it is such a big deal and asks why parents won’t support him. The big deal is we are a school not a business. We, as parents, are not here to turn a profit or increase a margin. We are here to educate our children. We chose a school that was more than a local public system. We chose a faith-based community where we believe our children would thrive. We can teach them the values and faith we so strongly believe. We are a family, a community, built upon faith and trust, not a business. This faith and trust was by no means respected or honored by those in charge. It hurt most of us to know that our opinion does not count, was not considered and will not be respected in any way. We are members of this community too. It was certainly not a matter of making drastic changes because something was not working well. It was a choice that was made by those in charge. We will never know the reasons these changes truly came about, because no one can speak of it from a legal standpoint. But, obviously, when the letter announcing Miss Armbrust’s “resignation” came out, we realized it was more a leadership choice for a change, than anything Miss Armbrust may have done to deserve the treatment she received. Father Pendolphi did not respect or honor this part of the community in any way. So, I have come to realize now why I feel so betrayed by the leadership. Not only do I strongly disagree with his decisions, but I am not entiled to that opinion and am expected to beg forgiveness when I get to heaven. There will be two hours set aside you know. I can answer the question that Father Pendolphi continues to ask others.
People become unemployed everyday. Why is it such a big deal and why are so few parents standing behind his decision? There was no respect or value given to the parents within the community or to Miss Armbrust. There has been a lack of pastor involvement in the school since Father Pendolphi got here. Then, out of the blue, Miss Armbrust is gone. Why now was there a reason for Miss Armbrust to not be renewed? Nuns? There was never a warning, because arrogance blinded the need. All I wanted or needed, as a parent, was for someone to say we are making some changes. Here is why we are making those changes. Here are some of the directions we are looking to move toward and here are the reasons we think it is important for our school to have this new direction. We will honor Miss Armbrust, everything she created and allow the children to honor her too. We will do right by her and will conduct ourselves with honor, dignity and respect for all involved in this situation. We will lead by example. I would not have been pleased that Miss Armbrust was not renewed, but I can say I would be willing to swallow new directions if it was done with some integrity and in a kind and loving way. The fact that there is no concrete plan for our school at this point only continues to aggravate the issue. This is why I continue to be concerned. It just did not have to be this way. It just doesn’t and will never make sense. It still seems this was all done in a very dark way with little thought or regard to where St. Michael School goes now. Do I want my children to be under Father Pendolphi’s type of leadership?
And, of course the question continues to come up. Who is going to pay for Father Pendolphi not following protocol and not communicating? Is it going to be the parents who wanted Miss Armbrust to be renewed who end up paying for a change they did not want in the first place? Are tuition increases going to cover this settlement? I am one parent that won’t be laughing last or hardest.
So, all this being said, where do I stand now? Is it worthy of note? Well, I was watching all the 9/11 shows this past week/weekend and made a connection. Like most of us, I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, etc. I can say in some ways it hit me harder than some. I had just given birth to my second child. She had just gotten out of the hospital after staying in the NICU for a few weeks. I was home alone with my new daughter and my three year old.
I had been through so much already in 2001. I desperately wanted another baby, got pregnant with twins just in time to find out I’d lost one. Thankfully, the other was still growing and doing well. Then, at 14 weeks pregnant with a 2 ½ year old at home, I lost my husband to a fatal heart attack. He was my college sweetheart. We had been together for 12 years. So when I say I was alone, I really was. Every time I thought things would be okay and things were getting better, God would shake my confidence. I lose my husband, whom I loved so dearly. Yet, thankfully to God, I had a last gift from him and a glorious gift from God growing in my belly. I cherished her and my pregnancy. My next curve ball was that last gift, my daughter, who I was so looking forward to loving, ended up in the NICU right after I gave birth to her. The doctors did not know what was wrong. Prayers and faith continued to get me through. Finally, my gift was home and healthy and my little broken family could begin a new chapter for itself, with fond memories of a dad gone. I was home and beginning to heal in the joy of my three year old and a new baby who finally got to come home. God only gives us what he knows we can handle right? Well, honestly I couldn’t take much more, at least, as far as I was concerned. Then, two weeks later was September 11. 2001. I thought and felt many of the things that everyone else did. But my biggest concern was for all the babies left without parents. The pain, loss and sadness came rushing back. I could so relate to all those mothers being interviewed who had just lost their husbands. It was awful. There was more sorrow and frustration. But, God got us through. So, where the heck am I going with this?
Well, I certainly am not by any means comparing 9/11 to the current situation at school. I just learned a lot from my emotional experience and wanted to share a few things. I swear it will all relate in just a minute.
From my experience, I believe God has a very good sense of humor. He can bring us joy and goodness even in tough times. He brought me so much joy in Bridget when the better half of her was gone. He not only brought a nation together on September 11. 2001, but he made all of us reevaluate our lives. What was important to us? We began to appreciate everything a little more. We began to count our blessings. I was holding on to the few blessing I could count and was holding on tight. We all knew things would be rough for a while. But, time heals and allows us to move ahead. Many of the feelings we experienced during 9/11 are revisited annually at least in our heads and our hearts around this time of year. I appreciate everything about my life so much more than I would have had I not experience such a traumatic year in 2001. I figured out what is important to me and how to endeavor to protect it. It was all about my children now. I feel as parents we don’t know any different once we scoop those babies up in our arms. We live to protect and care for them. I know my children will be gone some day. But, it is my responsibility to do what is best for them now. I did what was best. I signed them up at St. Michael School. It was my choice. They are my responsibility. Now, I am faced with a choice I feel I should never have had to make as a parent. Do we stay or do we go?
The protection mode has kicked in here. I am a parent who wants what is best for her children. I don’t think a school with the conflict at hand and a pastor I don’t trust is the best place for them. But is disrupting their lives a better choice? I don’t know, but I can tell you I am upset I am in this position in the first place. Thank you Father Pendolphi. Now you know where all this frustration comes from. I am a mother who wants what is best for her children. I’m just not sure I can handle the casual, well let’s wait and see what happens at St. Michael School. I do trust so much in the teachers, but I know there is sadness and frustration there too.
Many of us parents want so badly to protect our children and do the best we can for them. I think that is why we were so very derailed this summer. We all chose St. Michael to do what we felt was the best for our children. We want to protect the things we care most about, our children. We would give our lives for them. We want to give them the education and faith that will carry them through the toughest of times. I found the best the community I could have imagined in St. Michael School. It was everything I valued and cherished. I cherished St. Michael School because I knew it would protect and educate my children in life and in faith. Now it remains a community split, frustrated, at the mercy of a priest who obviously doesn’t care about people who don’t agree with him, who don’t support his decisions or have their own personal opinions that are different from his.
I imagine St. Michael will still be valued and cherished. I will just proceed with much caution now. I didn’t want to feel this apprehension, but with all the lack of direction and unanswered questions, that not only remain unanswered, but there are yet to be answers for, leaves me with a sense of helplessness. That feeling that maybe we can’t protect our children from everything is constant as a parent. We all inherently know this. I realize I can’t live my live afraid of terrorists, accidents or anything else threatening and out of my control. I have to let life happen. But, why the heck are St. Michael School and the direction of my children’s education part of this category? The uncertainty is devastating when we had such a good thing going. What sense does it make that the leaders get to just decide when they are good and ready to decide the future for our school. What the heck were they thinking? What they heck are they thinking? What is going to happen to St. Michael School is now just like other instability in our lives.
As a parent, this is precisely what is so difficult to deal with now. Father Pendolphi, you won. We are completely at your mercy. We know it. You know it. So now what the heck is going to happen? Why do we as parents not have answers to our questions or some sense of direction? Well, there are no answers. It is just a waiting game to see what may or may not happen. Doesn’t sounds like a great way to lead a school, especially where so many are so vested. What continues to happen is not right in the eyes of the children’s’ parents. We have an instinct to protect and care for our children. We are all at odds with ourselves because we feel we are not protecting and educating our children to the best of our ability. Yet, for the children it is not fair to disrupt their lives by moving them. We cannot do both what is best for us as a family, and our children at the same time because of the circumstances. This is what is frustrating. I want to provide my children with some stability. St. Michael School is not stable. Having no direction creates a very insecure environment. Yet, change for the children can be detrimental in the long run. How do we meet both needs? Well, we can’t. So we decide, let it play out. Father Pendolphi has succeeded to oust Miss Armbrust, but at what cost?
I, as a parent, have now accepted that Miss Armbrust is not at St. Michael School, as I believe many of us have. I have accepted there will be very limited if any communication. I have accepted that most likely, in some way, it will come down to the parents paying for both Miss Armbrust’s settlement and an interim principal. I have accepted that the leader of our community does not value my opinion, because it is different than his. I have accepted a pastor who continues to demand respect and loyalty, but has yet to even try to earn it back in any way. I have accepted that I am sending my children to a school that is at the mercy of leadership with little or no concrete direction at this juncture. I continue to accept all these things. As a catholic this is what I was taught to do. These issues are not hourly on my mind anymore, but I think of them often. Just like as a nation we healed, we will heal as a community. I will move ahead because God and my faith allow me to do so. We are taught to forgive and heal. I am getting there as a parent in this community. I am re-learning, once again, to accept a situation I do not like and cannot control. However, and most importantly, I have learned it is impossible to forget what has been lost. We have lost as a community in so many ways. Like it or not, as a parent, I still will never be comfortable around Father Pendolphi or Father Daily. I will forever be hard pressed to trust in them. I will never feel they truly have the best interest of the children or the school community at heart. I don’t believe they will handle our concerns with respect or impartiality. The damage is done and now we begin to heal.
Post September 1, 2010
There will be a gathering for Miss Armbrust to show our appreciation for her dedication to our children, their education and St. Michael School. It will be coming up in September/October. I do not have all the details yet, but will post them as soon as I have the specifics.
Please view the News and Action Plan for current updates.
Post August 25,2010
Well it is here. School started in the morning. My children are excited to get back to see their friends and meet their teachers. I am thrilled to have a routine back and a little time to myself, but like many, I still have an ache that will not go away. It has dulled a bit with all the business to get ready for school, but it is still there and at times very apparent. I just feel very uncomfortable going to school and being part of this community. I love the teachers and am more than confident that they will do everything in their power to have an incredibly successful year considering the circumstances. I have a lot of faith in them and know many of them are at odds with all that is going on at school. I have heard a few are fine with Father Pendolphi’s decision, but I have heard most others are not. However, as teachers I know they will do right by the students this year.
It is strange though. I have a lack of trust now I never thought I would experience within the church and school. I was never that involved. I did a field trip here or there and volunteered in the classrooms when I could, but I was never around that much. I always enjoyed giving my time at St. Michael School. I always felt comfortable going in and I enjoyed being with the students. It is different now though. We have all heard many, many rumors about who was and is in support of Pendolphi and Daily and about how this all went down in our school. I don’t know what I believe and what I don’t about all the people “involved”. Even if some of the rumors are somewhat accurate I feel a huge injustice has occurred. But, I was not involved and still truly don’t understand any of “what really happened”.
All I can say is it doesn’t feel good for me as a parent. I do believe there may have been many different opinions and many different philosophies about where to take St. Michael School and who is to take it there. It also occurs to me that St. Michael was far from “broken”, so I still don’t understand why it had to “fixed”. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We had a veteran principal. We had someone in charge that ran a great school. The numbers were fantastic. Tuition was low and scholarships were high. Service was as much a part of the curriculum as was basic Math. Enrollment was strong even when the economy was not. I felt a lot of pride when telling others my children attend St. Michael School. I believe it is one of the best elementary schools in the Diocese if not the best. Now, all the strength that was St. Michael is in question; no veteran principal, an interim one, a faculty that is bewildered by the changes that occurred unknowingly to them, but are intimidated because they still need their jobs, a parent community that has either left or is dazed and confused and most of all a parish that is divided.
I know about the division first hand. I really started this blog for Miss Armbrust. I, as a parent, wanted to communicate my gratitude and wanted to find an outlet to let others do so also. That truly was why this was started. It got much bigger than gratitude. After Father Pendolphi’s homily I think even the supporters of Father Pendolphi and Father Daily realized something was very off. See, it isn’t about who is right or wrong anymore. It is not about what your personal opinion may or may not be. We are now a community divided and a school that has a lot of bewildered parents. There are comments from both sides that are at best inappropriate and not catholic based.
Maybe as a school parent I know a little more about the school and the school community that a parishioner that doesn’t have children in school, thus I form my opinion and my beliefs about what St. Michael School is to me. Maybe parishioners who are more involved at church know Father Pendolphi and Father Daily better than I do. They may understand Father Pendolphi better than I do. Maybe all this had to happen and maybe it didn’t. Some people blindly have the ability to trust, I don’t. I don’t believe there is a track record of strong support between the parish and the school. I have not seen it. Maybe I am missing something, but the division I have seen is certainly there when I have been around. From my experience, I don’t believe it is a matter of a vocal minority and a silent majority. There are clearly supporters and non-supporters. Both sides have done some justice with their words and behavior and some clearly have not. The comment blog on the NBC 4 site is a perfect example of how all this got way out of hand and both sides were out of line. We are certainly divided on this issue within the community. I have received some very angry communication. But, we all must remember it did not have to go down this way if appropriate protocol was followed and there was open communication. Even most supporters don’t really understand what direction the school is heading. No one can really be specific because no one really is sure the sisters are coming and in what capacity they will actually be involved. But why can’t the parent and faculty community know what is going on here?
There are certain things that still really concern me as a parent in this situation. I can’t help but believe this has all been in the works for a very long time and most parents had no idea what was going happen. This is where most of the injustice lies. Because now we all feel as though we are being held hostage to the decisions that were made behind our backs. One can’t help but feel completely blindsided and upset. I, as a parent, should have the opportunity now to do what I feel is best for my children. I still don’t have the information I need to make an educated informed decision about my children’s future. No one is talking and we still have no clue what may or may not be coming for St. Michael School. As a parent, I don’t want to upset my children’s lives by pulling them out of school. But, is the only alternative to shut up and let what is going to happen, happen?
Trust me, I wanted to pull my children immediately, because I think what happened to Miss Armbrust not only was unjust, but a tragedy for St. Michael School. Everyone is now aware, Father Daily publicly stated more than once he wanted Miss Armbrust out. But, what I can’t understand is how a priest of only a few years can comprehend what it actually takes to run an elementary school successfully and continue that for 25 years. It doesn’t make sense that because a young man, albeit good intentions as far as he believes, is educated enough in the reality of the real world to even contemplate this decision let alone be the forefront of it. It is my understanding everyone “downtown wants the nuns to come and I understand there are people at St. Michael that are onboard and will defend this decision. However, for those of us that are parents who made the decision to send our children to St. Michael School did so under the impression Miss Armbrust would be there until she was ready to leave, which all of us believed would be at least long enough for all our kids to graduate. Miss Armbrust is gone and so is my belief and trust in the people in charge. Even if there were legitimate reasons for Miss Armbrust to not be renewed, protocol was not followed. Miss Armbrust not being renewed and a nun coming in as principal should have been better communicated to the parents. Even though it is still just a possibility, why can’t the parents be more involved? At the minimum, Miss Armbrust should have been given a heck of a send off for her many years as principal. The celebration of what she created should have been huge. Protocol should have been followed purely out of respect. Yes, I have to get over all that now. I have to let go of the fact that the only two public showings of gratitude for Miss Armbrust from Father Pendolphi were in a now imfamous homily where the all non supporters were scolded and a quick lame announcement letter of Miss Armbrust not reutrning with one quick line of thanks from Father Pendolphi. Remember how passionately he stated he loved Miss Armbrust and St. Michael School is his homily?
I will do my best to get over it, but I believe many parents feel the way I do. Now, it really just comes down to not knowing anything about the direction of the school except rumors, being told we are not entitled to an opinion about our children’s schooling, and enduring the philosophy there will not be communication or collaboration with the parents about Miss Armbrust, the school, or a new direction. At least, let the parents know what is going to happen. Are the nuns coming? I understand they are still pitching and there is no decision, so technically there is nothing concrete to tell us. But the sisters are visiting, there are certain possibilities of what may happen. At least, let the parents know what is going on here. Let us know your vision, and then allow us to make educated decisions for our families and our children. A lot of families have already left. They are not waiting for more of the same. Many parents are looking to leave by next year. The numbers will continue to fall until there is open communication and the parents concerns are eased a bit. Why is there such a strong belief that the parents don’t have the right to know the new direction of St. Michael School? It just doesn’t make sense. As a parent, I can’t help but feel like something is just not right about how this all came about.
My personal concern at this point is complacency. Maybe no one really cares about what is happening anymore. Maybe most are willing to get over it and move ahead. Maybe many are willing to accept that all this is unjust and not fair, but don’t feel strongly enough about everything to fight for what we as parents believe to be just. There are so many reasons to just get over it. Even if I get over Miss Armbrust being gone, the issue at hand then is; I can’t make my decision without any information. I am still held hostage to choose to get over it or leave. How can I choose one way or the other without any answers? I still don’t have any of the information I need to make an accurate informed decision. Why can’t everyone know what is going on? I, as a parent, just can’t let all this change happen and not know the reasons for not communicating with the parents what the changes may be or why they are happening in the first place.
I know it is very easy to forget about all this and hope and pray for a great school year. I believe it will be a good year for the kids. The students’ growth and education is what it is all about in the first place. But, I know I’m going to have to make some really hard decisions for my children next year. I just do not like being in this position when I feel I didn’t have to be. I wish I could just get over it easily and allow all these changes to be made without any explanation, but I just can’t get myself there. What is going on is just much too unjust and I feel very manipulated. Why does this have to be so hard for the parents? I love the argument trust in your pastor. Given the continuing of horrid comments and Pendolphi’s track record I just can’t do that. I am just still frustrated. The edge is off, but we have to stand up as parents of the students of St. Michael School.
Post August 16, 2010
Well, school starts in a week and a half. Many of us are getting ready to go to the supply sale on Thursday to see which classes our children have been assigned. Everyone is getting their uniforms together and packing up supplies. New shoes, backpacks and lunch boxes are almost ready to go off to school. I usually love the beginning of school. Thursday is typically so exciting. Anxiously awaiting class lists to be posted and saying hello to all our friends we haven’t seen much over the summer. It truly is an exciting time. However, I can’t help but feel utterly defeated this year.
I still don’t understand what happened. I had a long talk with my friend Christine a week or so ago. (not Armbrust I may add) She is my Catholic friend that is truly faith-based in all she does and speaks of God in daily conversation with everyone. I adore her. She asked how I was doing and I explained everything I was feeling to her. We discussed the situation at length. The funny thing is she knew way more about the situation than I ever dreamed. She is not affiliated with St. Michael at all and never has been.
She began with why do you have such an issue with nuns coming? I told her I had heard rumors of nuns, but didn’t think that had anything to do with the current situation. She asked if I knew about the Dominican Order in Michigan or the one in California. I asked her what she was talking about. She explained that she talked with Father Pendolphi a few years ago about possibly sending her children to St. Michael and they spoke of nuns coming to the school. She also talked about Father Daily and Father Hahn encouraging the idea. They have been very involved for a long time trying to make this happen in Columbus. So, obviously I was awkwardly dazed and confused.
I took some time to process what I learned. I came home and researched the orders and found out what I could and passed the information along. Now, I realized I really don’t have a problem with nuns coming. I gained a lot of clarity after talking to my friend. She helped me tremendously, but I left with more angst than I had before.
Now let me state this is not about what I know or don’t know. It is not about an opinion or being right or wrong. It is simply how I, as a parent, feel in my current situation. A dedicated woman was “not renewed”. I do not know the circumstances, and I can honestly say at this point I don’t care. I know she was the leader of the school where I send my children. I know people may have had difficulty with how she did things, but she is honest, dedicated and always did what she felt was best for the children of St. Michael. I respect her. I don’t think I could find a more devoted principal for my children. I am very saddened she is not the acting principal of St. Michael School. I feel the way everything was handled was at best, miserably poor for Miss Armbrust and the community.
It goes much deeper than that now though. Father Pendolphi said in his infamous homily people get fired all the time. That is true. However, in my most humble and possibly wrong opinion it is not a matter of simply getting fired here. Father Pendolphi did not follow protocol for not renewing Miss Armbrust’s contract. Father Pendolphi left town for three weeks immediately after the “non renewal”. Regardless of the reason for the “non renewal”, he had to have known the impact of what his decision would do to the school community. He still chooses to not speak of the issue at all. Now, truly he cannot discuss the legalities with regard to Miss Armbrust. I think we all know this. He could, however, explain why he left his parish when they needed him. I will never forget “the mob” staring down Father Daily and what it must have been like to be in his shoes the day we all showed up in the parking lot to find out what was going on with Miss Armbrust. It wasn’t about getting the gossip. I was concerned for our children’s school and it’s leader. I believe after hearing Father Pendolphi’s homilies he feels very justified in his actions and therefore feels there is absolutely no need to discuss the situation further. Father Pendolphi told us we have no right to a wrong opinion. I don’t even need to address that statement. I remember being taught actions speak louder than words. I believe in this statement. There are no words necessary now. Father Pendolphi has spoken volumes without even saying a word.
My issue is as a parent I need words. I need someone to explain to me that the nuns are coming and may teach my children. I would like someone to address how long the nuns coming has truly been in the works and why it has never been publicly discussed. I feel Father Pendolphi believes parents don’t have rights to the information and changes happening in their children’s school. As a parent, I would like to know what I am paying for and why I am paying for it. I would like someone to explain to me why my children’s school pastor left when we all needed words of comfort and understanding of our concerns. For me, it was never about the “juicy” stuff. That is juvenile. It is about the direction my children’s school is headed. I was very happy with St. Michael and it’s principal. Father Pendolphi is changing St. Michael School. Now, I have questions spinning in my head; will I be happy with the changes? Will I agree with the new educational philosophies and what might those philosophies be? Does Father Pendolphi have an education degree I don’t know about? Is he educated in regard to the curriculum? Does he know what standards are to be met and how to meet them academically? Does he even know there are state standards that are to be followed? Since he is taking charge, will he be more involved with school board, the faculty, and the students? He has not been very involved before, why now then? Does he know what he is doing, considering he had a veteran at the helm for so long? Did he take everything Miss Armbrust did for granted? Does he have any idea what responsibilities she took care by rote after 25 years? Do I want a pastor like Father Pendolphi to be in charge of my children when I feel he has let me and the school community down? Do I want a man like Father Pendolphi more in charge of my children’s education? Do I think Father Pendolphi treats people fairly and do I want my children to see how he, as a priest, treats people? How long have these changes really been planned? Are the nuns coming the real reason Father Pendolphi didn’t renew Miss Armbrust contract? Was this in his grand plan all along? I could go on and on with questions. Are these questions too tough for Father Pendolphi to answer honestly? Is that why he isn’t talking? My head actually hurts. If even some of these concerns were publicly addressed I could at least rest a little easier.
However, Father Pendolphi feels no need at all to help us through this. Minority or not, right or wrong, we are still part of the community. But, he is in charge and we either like it or leave it. He belittled everyone who does not automatically trust him. No questions, no discussions, no answers, no reasons given and no information about what is really happening at St. Michael School. The concern is that it is our children’s lives we are affecting. I was very comfortable with Miss Armbrust as the principal of St. Michael School. I’m not comfortable with the feelings I have now or the direction of St. Michael School. We as parents are responsible to teach our children, give them a good education at home and at school, and to make decisions in their best interest. How can I possibly make appropriate decisions for my children now without all the information? I am primarily responsible for my children and their education, not Father Pendolphi. Does anyone get this?
I don’t want to disrupt my children’s schooling. They are happy and very content. A move would be mayhem for them and me. Yet, some parents are so distressed they are running. They would rather leave then deal with this ugly situation. I don’t blame them one bit. It is so very unfortunate that our community is being affected this way. It just did not have to be this way. Some parents are just contemplating leaving because they have no answers and are thoroughly dazed and confused. There are many of us with confusion, concern and the ultimate question…what the heck do we do now? We trust the teachers right? Yes, but what changes will be made under Father Pendolphi’s rule? Are the teachers going to get the same treatment, “not be renewed” either? What is going to happen to them? The stress level among many parents is running high. You can feel it.
We don’t know why our pastor fired our principal. Under the circumstances now, it seems to be very unjust. I may be wrong, but just or not, it is not the treatment I would expect from a loving Catholic environment or a priest that says he loves Miss Armbrust. No matter what the issue, Miss Armbrust deserves much better treatment and more respect after all her years of service. But, then again, we parents, part of the school community, deserve better too. It certainly doesn’t look like we will get any answers any time soon. When it is time for some answers, we will only get what Father Pendolphi wants to tell us. Because, according to Father Pendolphi, there are some things, we as parents just don’t have the right to know about our children’s education.
New Post
It has been very challenging for me to have composure when discussing this issue. I feel the school where my children attend has a pastor that is not treating people appropriately. I feel the leadership is making decisions and still not communicating well or at all suitably with the parents or school community. I have little faith in the leadership and feel that even more new decisions may be made that are on the whole unpopular and not well-suited for St. Michael School. They do not have the academic training or experience that Miss Armbrust has. No one can be sure just what else Father Pendolphi has up his sleeve for St. Michael School and just how much we can swallow at this point.
However, the initial point of this blog was to communicate our appreciation for Miss Armbrust and what she created. Thus, I would like to say a few more things.
Miss Armbrust created the St. Michael School that we know today. The school has been run for many years under her direction and leadership. We are involved at St. Michael because of her policies, her standards, her drive for academic excellence and her desire to have the best Diocesan school. Where the heck do we go without the management and guidance of Miss Armbrust?
Well, here is how I see it. Miss Armbrust shaped St. Michael School. She put together an outstanding faculty that works like a well-oiled machine. It is this faculty that holds to Diocese standards and works very hard to uphold the values and principles expected at St. Michael. The faculty at St. Michael School may or may not agree with Father Pendolphi. Noting, many of them did show up at a moments notice to support Miss Armbrust. But regardless of their personal opinions, they will be there to open the school year. The faculty that is teaching there is there because Miss Armbrust trusts in them to do an outstanding job.
As a parent, I have more faith than ever in this faculty. I know collectively, they too, like Miss Armbrust, want the best for our children. I know many people have threatened to pull their children away from St. Michael School. I know we don’t know what other decisions Father Pendolphi might want to make for our children’s education. However, contractually he cannot change the faculty this year. We as parents must have faith in what Miss Armbrust established in the first place. The faculty will not let our children down. We must have faith that they will fight for what is right as we fight for what we believe is a huge injustice. At the very least, Father Pendolphi did not handle this situation well and continues to not address or communicate with us. No one is asking that he tell us the details of Miss Armbrust’s firing. We just want to know what his plans are now. No one can deny this at this point that this situation was not handled well. That is fact. There is no appropriate mutual communication as of yet. This is the frustrating part. Supporters are condemned because we want to know what decisions are being made now and why. We are shamed for asking why things were handled so inappropriately. The concerns are valid especially seeing we are writing tuition checks this week. We can only continue to ask why were things handled this way, what is the direction of the school now and why the change something that wasn’t broken. But, concerns aside, we must have faith in the faculty that Miss Armbrust put together. The teachers are solid and will do the best they can for our children.
Let us not forget to truly stand up for what we believe is unjust. We must not forget why we have so many concerns. Our children need a leadership we can trust. Until this is established, anything can happen.
Parents please continue to keep this issue fresh, but have faith in the faculty, for they have a job to do. They will do it well as they always have. Supporting them right now is truly supporting Miss Armbrust and what she created.
Original Front Page
Welcome to a blog about Miss Armbrust. This is a site for those of us who would like to write to Miss Armbrust and express our appreciation and gratitude for all she has done for our children, our community and St. Michael School.
I go into detail about why I created this site under the “reason for this blog” tab. But, in short, it was created for us to communicate with Miss Armbrust and each other. It is for the sole purpose of expressing our appreciation for Miss Armbrust. This blog is intended to be a very positive place for us to connect with each other and hopefully Miss Armbrust.
It has been impossible for us to understand the circumstances that lead to the current situation. However, those circumstances are not up for discussion on this blog. This blog is not meant for any political discussion. It is not meant to discuss our concerns about the direction of St. Michael School. It is not meant to disrespect anyone, in any way. We are Catholics. Even though we may feel very hurt as a community, this is not the outlet to discuss these issues at this time. It is not the intent of this blog to be negative or damaging to anyone in any way. Please do not communicate unconstructively on this site.
There will be circulating information posted. There is contact information for expressing our concerns to the Diocese. There are interesting articles that have been posted. Any concrete news on the status of the situation will be posted.
Many of us have many feelings regarding the current state of affairs at St. Michael and St. Michael School. However, this is NOT an open forum to discuss any of these concerns. I want to make clear this is a good feeling blog for gratitude, prayer, appreciation and kindness. Please be respectful of this.
Chris Eramo says:It will be hard to top what Megan has written. All I can say, is that my wife went to many schools prior to our first son starting kindergarten and Tina Armbrust was the reason we picked St. Michael School. That was 9 years ago and we now have four enrolled at St. Michael school. We have never regretted our decision! Her dedication, love and commitment to St. Michael and our children is UNMATCHED by anyone else in the St. Michael community. I ask that we all continue our support for Miss Armbrust in an effort to gain her reinstatement as our principal.
Dan Garrick says:As a veteran Catholic School educator I can say without equivocation that Ms. Armbrust was a tireless advocate for the children of St. Michael school; moreover, she was an ambassador for Catholic education. I enjoyed my professional interaction with her over the years and know that I was fortunate to have such an excellent resource.
Respectfully,
Dan Garrick
I have no doubt in my mind that Tina Armbrust cares about St. Michael school more than anyone. She has tireless dedication and enthusiasm for its teachers and students. I have seen her have almost childlike excitement when the school or the students receive awards and recognitions. I have always been impressed by the discipline, politeness, and caring shown by students of ALL grades when I visit the school. After 10 years with children at St. Michael school and those same 10 years with a child in the Worthington Schools, I can assure you that those qualities are a rarity. This must reflect on the principal and the standards she sets. She does not accept mediocrity. Tina, I am praying for you and a just resolution in this matter. Thank you!
Thank you Miss Armbrust 