Channel 5 Profiles My Fifth-Grade Teacher

KSDK NewsChannel 5 in St. Louis had a profile last night about educators making a difference in children’s lives. They chose to highlight Sister Gail Trippett of Central Catholic St. Nicholas School, whom I remember fondly as my fifth-grade teacher at Immaculate in Richmond Heights. She was a young nun at the time, and she was a great teacher. It is great to see KSDK highlighting the incredible work that Catholic schools do in Missouri.

My primary educational memory of fifth grade was the Modern Woodmen of America speech competition, where every student in grades 5?8 competed in the same oratory contest. I came in second in the entire school, as a fifth grader, which my mother was very proud of. The next year, as a sixth grader, I came in second again, once again losing to an eighth grader. Then they cancelled the competition, just as I was about to begin a dynasty. But I’m not bitter.