Sophomores at Notre Dame Academy gifted Mr. Brian Janick a surprise cake for his 60th birthday Monday, Nov. 11, during first hour.

Jazalynn Ramos Cruz, a sophomore in first-hour chemistry, remembers a prior conversation with her teacher as he told a story about his birthday and why he has neutral feelings about it. 

This compelled Cruz to take action.

Janick’s family, explained Cruz, ran a small shop that was consistently busy near the holidays.

“So it’d be halfway into December when they realized they forgot my birthday,” Janick said and laughed it off.

With help from fellow classmates and Mr. Janick’s son Max, the group conspired to give his father–and their chemistry teacher–a birthday surprise.

Together they brought everything to school and presented the cake, saying “Happy Birthday” to Mr. Janick, who was slightly confused and said thank you while having them set the cake down and sending everyone to their seats for class.

Cruz was worried and apprehensive that he had not taken the surprise well as they started the day’s lesson.

However, as work time started, Mr. Janick called the students up and asked if they were going to light the candles.

They lit the candles and happily Mr. Janick blew them out. Mr. Janick let the sophomores have pieces of cake and said that he would have what was left since he was diabetic. 

Cruz said, “We didn’t know that (he was diabetic), but we did eat some cake.”

With Mr. Janick a new teacher to the Notre Dame Academy community, Cruz and her friends’ goal was to make him feel more welcome.

Cruz said that she would like to make everyone at NDA “who’s new to the community feel safe,” and that they are not alone because it’s what “God would want us to do.”

Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Janick!