Bay Ridge
Top teacher
Standing O salutes Janet Batista, an eighth-grade mathematics teacher at St. Anselm’s Catholic Academy in Bay Ridge, who received an award earlier this month for her commitment to her students.
Batista was honored with an Ignatian Educator Award at an April 10 ceremony at Xavier High School on the distant isle of Manhattan after her former student, Bryan McPadden — a current Xavier freshman — penned an essay about the spiritual and academic impact that Batista had on him in her class last year. McPadden wrote about how Batista emphasized faith in her classroom by leading her students in prayer three times per day, and encouraged McPadden’s interest in math until it became one of his favorite subjects.
McPadden’s essay was one of 26 — out of more than 260 that students submitted — that resulted in teacher awards at the 10th annual ceremony, which recognized elementary and middle school teachers who had impacts on current Xavier students.
The award honors the founder of the Jesuit order, St. Ignatius Loyola, who emphasized the importance of education to followers of the faith. Standing O congratulates both Batista and McPadden on their achievement. — Julianne McShane