Educator 'retires' to teach at St. Joseph

OGDEN — Margaret Rostkowsi, award-winning novelist and career educator, recently retired from 37 years in public education, and now works as an instructor at St. Joseph Catholic High School.

After nearly four decades as an educator, Rostkowski was ready for a change. Although she remains passionate about teaching, she wanted more time to spend with her family – particularly her grandchildren. Cutting back on her responsibilities at Ogden High School seemed unlikely to her. "It’s hard to stay and do less," she says.

When Jay Hart (her friend, colleague and a teacher at St. Joseph Catholic High School) told her about the possibility of a part-time position at the diocesan high school, she decided it was time to make a change. Even so, teaching relatively small classes of sophomores and seniors, she has found plenty to keep her busy.

Her most significant project is the revival of the St. Joseph literary magazine Realms of Gold. The magazine has been a hit-and-miss proposition in recent years, with the most recent issue having been produced in 1997.

Building on her experience with Ogden High’s Literary Harvest, she hopes to create a vibrant, engaging, student-run magazine at St. Joseph. "Students can do wonderful things when they know what they’re doing and are given some freedom."

She finds many of the students at St. Joseph to be similar to her students at Ogden High. "The seniors are much the same," she says, "I teach the same material and use the same techniques." She does admit to being somewhat bemused by the school uniforms because the students at the public school had a wider variety of ways to express their individuality through dress and hairstyles. Another difference is the daily infusion of religion into school life.

Initially Rostkowski was startled by the prayers during eighth period, but now finds them "a welcome and meaningful pause" during the day. She is no stranger to religious discussions in class throughout her career. At Ogden High she could talk about religion in "the right way" within the context of literature. In both schools she has enjoyed teaching "The Odyssey," which has a great deal to say about faith.

Because her father was the first pathologist at St. Benedict’s Hospital, Rostkowski grew up around Catholic institutions and religious people. She has fond memories of visiting her father at the hospital and being taken by nuns to the cafeteria for treats. She also remembers the statues of saints that decorated the halls and finds similar statues a pleasant part of the atmosphere at St. Joseph. "I feel like I’m back at the hospital," she says.

As a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and an active participant in services at the Presbyterian Church in Ogden, she has enjoyed the acceptance she’s found at St. Joseph. She has also enjoyed having the opportunity to hear homilies delivered by John Wester, Utah’s new Bishop. "What he said resonated with my beliefs."

With three published young adult novels to her credit and a string of awards which includes the Golden Kite, the Children’s Book Award from the International Reading Association and the Jefferson Cup from the Virginia Library Association, Rostkowski is able to tell her students about the "real world" of writing and publishing.

She says students are generally under-impressed with her publication credits. "Their teachers are just their teachers," she says with good humor. "Being published is like being a prophet in your own country."

The school is very pleased to have Rostkowski on the faculty. "Margaret has joined our community wholeheartedly. She is making connections – connections between literature and students, students and herself, students and each other, our school’s experience, and her range of experience. Her contributions to an already strong English department solidify our students’ education in the uses of language," says Principal Norman Allred.

As she considers the school year ahead of her, Rostkowski hopes to share her passion for English with her students and to fill her classroom with "Good talk, good reading, and good writing."