I see at Bishop Maginn that when all is said and done, love is the most powerful teaching tool there is. There is a lot of love between the students and teachers at Bishop Maginn, you can feel it the minute you walk into the school.

The students I see feel safe, and teachers like Sue Silverstein are not afraid to show love and the students are not reluctant to give love back. In Mrs. Silverstein’s somewhat magical art class, the students plead with her to look at their work, and she says she loves teaching in a private school because she can hug a student once in awhile.

I know public school teachers are no longer allowed to do that, and they are the first ones to say that is a shame. Sometimes I think the worse elements of our world seem to set the tone for everyone.

Sue and Blue, the young artist are very close. I can see how much Blue depends on the school and on Sue to be a safe and encouraging teacher, and a safe and nourishing place.

Blue, a Japanese refugee, does not have a simple or easy life, but Sue has encouraged her gifts as an artist and looks eagerly over her should when she draws – Blue is always drawing – to offer support and that most precious of gifts, encouragement.

When I told Blue we had sold her first painting, Sue looked at her and said “I hope you are proud of yourself, Blue. Jon is right when he says you are a professional artist now.”

“Wow,” said Blue, “just wow.”