Ploe’s mattress is on the way. It was wonderful to meet with him – I admire his courage and decency –  and see all the new students and teachers at Bishop Maginn as it begins a school year.

It was a very welcome sight to see the halls of Bishop Maginn High School jammed with chattering students this morning; I’ve never seen Sue Silverstein happier. Bishop Maginn came through the worst of the pandemic with flying colors, and people noticed.

The freshmen class is almost double the size of last year. Instead of worrying if he could keep all of his teachers, Principal Mike Tolan is scrambling to hire more. Refugee and inner-city parents were paying attention last year. The school stayed open to those who wanted them to and got every child through the crisis safely. Every senior who wanted to go to college is in college now.

Families said they want a safe and compassionate school that protects their children from the pandemic,  teaches them fluent  English, keeps them safe, supports them, gets them into college. There are no bullies at Bishop Maginn, no taunts, no fights or beatings.

As difficult as the last couple of years have been, the pandemic has helped turn Bishop Maginn around as the city and the school begins to prepare for hundreds of Afghan immigrants and their children. For the first time in a while, the school is moving to handle bigger classes, hire younger teachers.

This summer, we helped with two Wish Lists, one for pandemic safety equipment and another for art supplies. The cabinets are full, the kids painting away.

Every student in the room – the class has 30 students – asked me to thank the Army Of Good for the cabinets filled with art supplies; Sue says they have great materials to work with, and kids who were never interested in art are lining up to take the class.

I went to Albany to see the school start face-to-face again and meet the new students and teachers.

I’ve never seen students so happy to be in school.

I met with Ploe for about a half-hour. The teachers noticed a week ago that he is suffering from severe black pain, and they found out he and his brother Hay Htoo (both spent most of their lives in Thai refugee camps after they fled the Karen massacres in Myanmar.

Their family is Karen; they are devout Christians. The military has been gunning them down and killing them again and again.

Floe is going to see an orthopedist, the school has found the family a queen-sized bed for the brothers to sleep in, and I bought a mattress, pillows, sheets, and pillowcases; today,  they are on the way to Ploe’s family in Albany. We’ll keep an eye on his medical care.

I also learned that his digital camera was used for art class students during the pandemic broke and no longer worked. Ploe loves photography; I’m getting him a new camera.

He came to Bishop Maginn two years ago after being bullied and taunted. Even though the family couldn’t pay anything towards his tuition, the school took him anyway, and the Army of Good raised enough tuition money to get him through to graduation.

He is a different person than the one I met last year.

He loves country music, perhaps the only one in the school who does; he has a dozen good friends, a girlfriend in Utica, N.Y. he met at a Karen festival and talks to nightly on Zoom; he plans to go to community college in two years, he wants to be a mechanic with his own shop. He is an excellent student, says Sue Silverstein; he is outgoing and popular.

He was confident, articulate, and courteous during our talk. The last time I saw him, he was shy, and way we could barely speak.

I did notice him winging as we walked together down the halls; he clearly was uncomfortable and in some pain. He and his family follow the Myanmar tragedy, but he says he has to leave it behind, it took enough of his life, and it is unbearable to hear the stories of killing and torture.

Despite the awful news from Myanmar, there is a lot of excitement in the school.

There are new refugee kids all over the place, a tremendous sense of enthusiasm and excitement in the and additional excitement over the Afghan students expected to come to the school. These kids are eager to meet them and help them.

I had a great feeling visiting the school today. I’m grateful that we can get Ploe a comfortable bed, delighted to see the morale of the faculty soar, and amazed to see how happy the students are to be back in school with their friends.

Masks are mandated here, and no one has complained, and the school still faces a world of challenges and difficulties. Everyone at the school keeps telling me how much we had to do with surviving and even blossoming. Mike’s biggest problem at the moment is getting enough teachers and making room for the newcomers.

But Sue and Principal Mike Tolan were as upbeat as I’ve ever seen them. They went through so much and worked so hard, and I hope and pray for a great year for them and the school. I confess to loving that place. Sue fights every day for every child. That’s why Ploe is getting his mattress and bed.

I can’t tell you how proud I am of what we’ve done here. I really missed my regular visits. Next week, I’m going back to interview a new English Teacher I met today. She is dynamic and charismatic. Teaching English in that school where so many people are just learning it is a special challenge. She loves it.

But I know better than to relax or get cocky. I’ve got some more books to order, more masks to buy, and soon, shoes and sweaters for the winter. The refugee kids will need them, the Afghan kids too.