Along with Senior Night this season, the Notre Dame boys’ basketball team introduced the recognition of impact teachers.
Each senior on the team chose a Notre Dame teacher or staff member who has impacted them over their four years at NDA. They presented that teacher with a ‘pennant,’ a thank you letter and an invitation to be recognized at the game.
Senior basketball player Thomas Bobinski’s mom and Head Coach Brian Bobinski’s wife is the one who first thought about the idea. She explained that a friend from Arizona shared the idea after her son’s team did something similar. Senior athlete Adam Guyette’s mom also liked the idea when she saw it on Facebook.
“I thought Coach Bobinski would like the idea, as it fits well with the appreciation and respect he likes to encourage. I mentioned the idea to him and from there it was added to Senior Night,” said Mrs. Jill Bobinski.
“I think in the busyness of senior year,” she continued, “it is important to reflect and thank those who have been a part of your journey so far. I love how many teachers at NDA get involved in cheering and supporting their students outside the classroom in sports, arts and clubs. To me, this was a way for the senior basketball players to applaud and cheer on a teacher who made a difference in their lives through academics, faith or athletics. We are blessed with some pretty amazing teachers at Notre Dame, some with an impact that isn’t felt until college or beyond.”
Mrs. Bobinski and Mrs. Guyette decided to add the pennants to give the teachers something to display “proudly for the difference they made in the student-athlete’s journey.”
“Doing this was important to me because teachers don’t get recognized enough for everything that they do for students and this school,” explained senior Ethan LeCaptain. “It is nice that we are able to honor those who have made an impact in our lives and let them know that they do mean something to us.”
Adam Guyette added, “This was important to show teachers that they are more than teachers; they can be friends. We wrote letters to the teacher, and mine did not talk about school. It was the memories that she (English teacher Carolyn Brown) gave me.”
Several of the athletes and staff provided their thoughts about giving and receiving the recognition.
Andrew Rader chose Mrs. Molly Mattke.
Rader’s thoughts: “I picked her because she was always so nice and truly caring to me and treated me very well during a tough sophomore year. She was always so reliable. She is someone I do not see as often as I am older and do not have any of her classes, so I wanted to show her some appreciation for the past few years.”
Mrs. Mattke’s thoughts: “I was very honored and even teared up a bit as I stood in the lunchroom during lunch duty. I was Andrew’s honors biology teacher when he was a sophomore when he was dealing with a persistent injury and was out of school for some time. He said that part of why he chose me was for the support I gave him during that time. On my end, I joke that my connection to Andrew stems from the fact that both of my boys are on his growth curve and are tracking to be as tall as him. In reality, my appreciation for Andrew stems from an appreciation of who he is as a person – a kind, thoughtful, funny young man who I appreciated having in class and enjoy seeing throughout the community as he has continued to grow up. I’m excited to see him play basketball at the next level, and I really do hope he changes his major to become a teacher.”
Adam Guyette chose Mrs. Brown.
Guyette’s thoughts: “I picked Mrs. Brown because she has always been there during my basketball journey. She was my teacher during my freshman year and my advisory teacher for four years. She is at all of the games she can be at, and she always wants the best for me. She was the very first person I thought of, so it was an easy decision that she was the teacher that made the biggest impact on my life.”
Mrs. Brown’s thoughts: “I was humbled. His card’s message brought tears to my eyes, especially the line ‘Thank you for the support you have given me over the years. I always become a little happier whenever I see you walk through those gym doors.’ I had Adam in Freshman Honors English AND in advisory all four years. When he started playing varsity his sophomore year, I kept encouraging him to shoot. I became fanatical about his basketball skills, just like I was once fanatical about my own sons’ skills. I could SEE how good he was! I’d sit on the front row at the games and holler ‘Shoot!’ to him. I’m so proud of the player and man he has become.”
Ethan LeCaptain chose Mrs. Katie Bialk.
LeCaptain’s thoughts: “I picked Mrs. B because she has had the biggest impact on me. She has given me many habits that I still use today, and her door has always been open for me whenever I needed it. She has been looking out for me ever since I set foot in NDA as a freshman. I chose Mrs. B because she does not get enough credit for the things that she does at NDA. She cares about all of her students and will make sure that they are successful, doing it the right way.”
Drew Siudzinski chose Mrs. Denise Laack.
Siudzinski’s thoughts: “I chose Ms. Laack because over the years we have become close. I have been in her class for three straight years now, and I have grown to enjoy the subject of math because of her. We have bonded over basketball in particular. I always love having conversations about a game that night or what I think we could do to improve. Overall over these years, she has been a huge supporter of me through expressing her excitement and showing up to many games, so I figured she was the best pick for me.”
Mrs. Laack’s thoughts: “I feel very honored that I have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my students. Math isn’t just about computations; it’s about problem-solving, critical thinking, and making connections with concepts and real-world applications. When a student goes out of their way to express their appreciation for you, it is very heartwarming. I’ve had Drew as a student for the past three years in College Credit Precalculus, Calculus 1 and Calculus 2. It has been wonderful to observe the development of his math skills over these courses as we dig deeper into math topics. I’ve also appreciated his in-depth reflections during our discussions of The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking book. I have also enjoyed watching Drew compete in his basketball and baseball games.”
Thomas Bobinski chose Mr. Greg Geiser.
Mr. Geiser’s thoughts: “I felt so honored and humbled when Thomas came to see me. He’s a really great person, and it was great to be recognized. It’s not an easy time of year, and it often feels like I’m not being the best teacher I can be, so it was great to have some moments of joy at being recognized for the impact I’ve made on someone. I may have teared up a bit. Thomas is in IB history which means we get to work together on a lot of challenging material and with a challenging workload over the course of 2 years. I get to know my students really well and vice versa. We go through fun times, hard times, times of being annoyed with each other, times of joy, etc. I’ve always felt very warmly towards Thomas, and I’ve seen a lot of growth in him as a student and as a person over the past few years. He is a kind, caring, and intelligent person. He and his crew bring a smile to my face almost every day. It’s a really fun group, and he’s a big part of that. I have never laughed as much or as hard as I do in that class. Again, I’m just honored to be selected and grateful for the moments of joy we have together. To find out the feeling is mutual from at least one student is fantastic.”
Dugan Webster chose Mrs. Deborah Gretzinger.
Mrs. Gretzinger’s thoughts: “I felt honored and humbled. Dugan is an incredible young man. He is kind and respectful. He carries himself with quiet maturity. He’s proud of his heritage and is always willing to share when I have curiosity questions. I admire his calm demeanor and patient willingness to help others. I am blessed to have walked with him on the journey, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.”
Sebastian Simpson chose Mrs. Andrea Gilson.
Mrs. Gilson’s thoughts: “I was honored, and I appreciated the effort he took with his letter. I have had Sebastian as a student in my Honors Junior English and Public Performance classes. He is always the first student to ask me how my day is (which is a rarity) and I was always impressed with his writing and speaking skills. He is a genuine, smart and creative individual.”
