Stephanie Passero

When Ms. Stephanie Passero encountered Oakcrest for the first time, she discovered something within the curriculum that was very near and dear to her heart. “Unfamiliar with the school, I looked up the books on the curriculum and found that all of my favorite books - which I consider essential for education of the mind, soul, and imagination - are on the curriculum at Oakcrest,” she said. 

As she completes her sixth year teaching a wide range of English courses at Oakcrest, from sixth grade grammar and literature, to 9th grade ancient literature and 10th grade British literature, Ms. Passero says, “no matter which age or level I teach, I am always working with formative imaginative literature, which is my dream job.” 

One of the beauties of the literature that the students read, Ms. Passero says, is the ability to read the books again with a different perspective later in life. 

“My hope is that all of my students read the works we assign here again in five or ten years,” she says. “Reading Anne of Green Gables at twelve and then again at eighteen will make for a completely new experience. More than mere nostalgia, after an education of reading good and great works, a young woman in her late teens and early twenties can appreciate style and nuance far more than when she was younger. Equally, while eighth graders are intelligent enough to read a complex book like Jane Eyre, they have a renewed experience if they read it again with emotional maturity at twenty-four.”

From the unique curriculum to the whole Oakcrest experience, Ms. Passero says that she believes that the Oakcrest girl “has a strong sense of freedom and openness to others.” 

“(An Oakie) understands that freedom is not merely saying or doing whatever she wishes, but uniting and informing her thoughts with the Christian understanding of virtue,” Ms. Passero explains. “She understands the importance of the great thinkers of the past, and is willing to consider that foundation before reaching her own conclusions. The Oakcrest girl has a high standard that she is brave enough to strive for, even if the task is arduous. I am not sure my students realize their courage when approaching their class discussions. They may participate in passionate ways, but they are grounded in the text we are reading. They listen to each other with compassion, openness, and gratitude. Not one class ends without my students thanking me as they leave the room. Their generosity of spirit is second nature to them.”

One special Oakcrest tradition that Ms. Passero leads is the 6th grade Anne of Green Gables Tea Party, using the book as inspiration for many of the sweet treats and lessons taught throughout the program.  “By hosting this tea, the students enter into Anne’s world in a tangible way and interact with the book personally,” she said. “Reading about the ‘breaker of horses’ in The Illiad engages a reader with hands-on knowledge of horses far more than one who has only seen horses on television. When a sixth grader hosts an adult at her table for our tea party, she understands how something simple like holding a conversation and remembering social mores and manners can be intimidating for the character Anne from our novel. On a practical level, the girls realize that teapots can be quite heavy!”

Ms. Passero served as the 10th grade class dean for several years before becoming the 6th grade class dean this school year. “In 10th grade, I work to remind the girls of their own passion and wonder as they fall into routine and are tempted to think of each day as some unremarkable repetition of the same thing,” she says. “Tenth grade is the year of beauty, and I delight in seeing those girls rediscover the wonder they felt at eleven years old as they are called to purposefully look for beauty in the everyday life of a 16-year-old high school student.

“For sixth graders, everything is new: new school, new friends, new teachers. Containing and directing this excitement is the challenge with our new Oakies, but seeing their relationships develop as they set down their roots here at Oakcrest moves my heart as a dean. The girls transition from needing guidance to giving it, as they take care of each other in organizational/logistical ways (for instance, reminding each other of their daily schedule, what to pack for class and when it begins) and more compassionate and generous ways (a student offering congratulations to someone who perhaps earned a part in the school play when they themselves did not make the cut).”

One particularly precious moment that Ms. Passero witnessed this year was when the sixth grade class was visiting a senior citizen facility for a service day field trip. She watched a student notice a gentleman sitting alone and the student turned to Ms. Passero, saying “I think that man looks lonely. I’m going to go talk to him. I couldn’t help but compare this generous moment with this girl’s first shy day at school where she seemed afraid to talk to anyone,” Mrs. Passero explains. 

Outside the classroom, Ms. Passero runs the Oakcrest chapter of the National English Honor Society while managing the group’s work in producing the school’s literary magazine, Vestigia Dei. With the annual publication of poetry and short stories written by students, the club members and honor society members work throughout the year to produce the magazine. 

“We read blind submissions of poetry and short stories from all grades, and I am quite proud of the fair and generous spirit with which they read and discuss the submissions,” Ms. Passero said. “Often, the girls will submit work of their own and bravely allow fellow staff members to discuss their work in front of them. The girls are always gentle but fair when discussing works, grounded in the basic question of the “imprint of God” (the source of our magazine’s title) and the meaning of being human which underscores works written with purpose.” 

When asked if there was a book outside of the Oakcrest curriculum that every young woman should read, Ms. Passero replied, “The challenge in giving a suggestion lies with what book may move one young woman may bore another. The Holy Spirit often influences us in different ways, but personally, when I was younger and just entering college, I found St. Teresa of Avila’s The Interior Castle different from any book I had ever read before. I credit reading that book (and rereading it many times since) with my essential formation when I was a young person coming into adulthood.”

Ms. Passero said she receives a sense of purpose and meaning to each day from “the blessed feeling of being free enough to teach the liberal arts. I’ve been asked before by non-teacher friends of mine if I ever tire of teaching the same books each year. The short answer is no—reading imaginative literature beyond plot alone with the question of what makes us human and discussing this aspect with new people each year enriches the works and fulfills me personally. Interacting with these works and with new students each year transforms my own experience and spoils me with a rich feeling of discovery. No year is the same because no student is the same. I have been teaching for over ten years, and yet each year feels new. Though school, deadlines, and teenage emotions can be trying for teachers as well as students, I can say with an emphatic insistence that it is never boring!”