Our Lady of Lourdes School honors teacher of 40 years

Intermountain Catholic

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Pat Phillipp

SALT LAKE CITY – Since 1974 Pat Phillipp has been teaching second grade in the same classroom at Our Lady of Lourdes School. More than 850 students have passed through her classroom, and she now is teaching some of her former students’ children.

Phillipp grew up on a farm in Idaho, the oldest of 12 children. After earning a degree in elementary education from Idaho State University, she taught one year at a Catholic school in Idaho Falls before moving to Salt Lake City.

"It was when I was in third grade when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I never changed my mind, and when I was teaching at Idaho Falls the principal mentioned to me that there was an opening in Salt Lake City, so I applied and got it," she said. "There is something about second-graders that is awesome. They are so sweet. You can work with them so easily; they are just great. It is a great age to teach."

One of the biggest changes through the years that Phillipp has seen is the technology but "I have been able to keep up with it," she said.

Some of her most treasured memories are of former students who come to her classroom and ask her if she remembers them.

"Of course I do," she said. "I tell them I remember everyone. It makes you feel proud that you have been able to be part of their lives for a small period of time and then see that they have grown to be such wonderful people."

Looking back over her career, Phillipp said she thinks perseverance and stability are important qualities because "I do very well with stability. When I first started teaching I learned so much. I should be the one paying the school; they have given me so much that I think I owe them."

Our Lady of Lourdes Principal Tina Bergquist disagrees with Phillipp on that point. "When you talk to her she is so humble about what she does. … I don’t know if she doesn’t realize how amazing she is," Bergquist said. "Awesome is a good adjective to describe her. She is a major asset to our school. She is definitely a master teacher."

Bergquist has seen Phillipp not only from the vantage point of a principal, but formerly as a fellow teacher and as the teacher of her two sons.

"I was a teacher and there were things that I struggled with; things that I wanted to learn how to do and to see her in action, and to see her integrate new things such as the technology, curriculum and all the new stuff that comes up all the time – she takes all that stuff and learns it so quickly and shares it with the students and pulls it all in. She really is phenomenal at what she does, and she is so humble," Bergquist said. "I was able to learn so much from her; I wanted to be like her."

The school is having a special celebration paying tribute for Phillipp’s 40 years of teaching. The celebration will be held on Thursday, May 15, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the school gymnasium.

"I would love everyone to come in; just come and say hello. Just come and give her a hug; just come in and smile at her and sign your name on the banner to let her know how much she meant," Bergquist said.

The school is accepting donations for the celebration; contact Cherri Wright at 801-364-5624 or 801-244-5544 or cwright@lourdesschool.org.