My name is Freda Bova. It is my pleasure to share with you some fond memories I have of working as a volunteer secretary in the St. Albert the Great Elementary School Office for 9 years from 1966-1975. The many years we spent as parishioners, at St, Albert the Great Church, School, and Community hold a very special place in my heart. We enrolled as parishioners of St. Albert’s in September 1960. We were delighted to be a part of this warm and welcoming parish and community. We looked forward to the day when our children Theresa and John would enter St. Albert The Great School affording them the very best Catholic education

When John was in kindergarten in 1966, I began my tenure in the St. Albert the Great School Office. During that time, I worked for three different principals: Sister Lillian, followed by Sister Constance, and finally by Sister Lucina. Over the years, co-workers Mrs. Lezotte, Mrs. Raymond, Mrs. Hammond, Mrs. Chevilier, Mrs. Yanovich and Mrs. Talatki added to the staff of volunteers. We usually alternated work schedules on different weeks and days of the week running the office efficiently and professionally. My permanent day was every Tuesday, but I would come in on additional days when the sister principal would call. I quickly developed wonderful friendships with my co-workers, priests, sisters, teachers, parents and students, all working together for the Church, School and Students.

We assisted the principal with a myriad of office duties, including typing letters, class lists, daily absentee lists, and calling parents when students were not in school. We also helped develop and type events programs, including Communion, Confirmation and Holiday Programs, as well as endless distribution and filing. In addition, we assisted with the milk program, school picture program, and hot lunch student orders. We were responsible for keeping student files in order and up-to-date, making copies of tests, homework lists, and notifications, on an old mimeograph machine, just to mention a few. In addition, we helped with treatment of bruises, scrapes and bumps, (when the school nurse was not available) and compassionately tried to heal little wounded hearts. I also had the pleasure of teaching art classes for Sister Charlotte’s second grade class, for two years, which I thoroughly enjoyed. For me, this was a labor of love since art was my passion, and the students were well behaved, funny, and very talented.

I have fond memories of many stories about student antics that came into the office; however, only a few I can write about. A particular memory that comes to mind happened on a very snowy day. While I was working in the office, a devilish group, as I recall, including J. Bova, and friends, decided to bombard the side of the school with snowballs making a mess on windows and brick. The lunch mother on duty marched the devilish group to the school office – shivering in their boots! Sister Constance quickly took matters in hand. After a healthy admonishing, including reviewing the dangers of snowball throwing, she ordered them to write “I WILL NEVER THROW SNOWBALLS AT THE SCHOOL AGAIN” 100 TIMES – in addition to completing all their homework. Needless to say, that ended snowball throwing at the school building!

It was an honor and privilege to have worked in the school office, a time that I will always cherish. Remembering the wonderful interactions with Monsignor John Weier, Principal Sisters Lillian, Constance and Lucina, all Marist sisters, teachers, parents and students over the years has been a blessing to me. Therefore; I was saddened to learn of the school’s closing in 2007 and the ultimate closing of St. Albert The Great Church on September 28, 2020. Although the Parish and School are closed, the wonderful memories live on forever!!