Addressing her fourth graders in their classroom at Holy Cross School in Garrett Park, Maryland, on a recent morning, teacher Patty Holt had an unusual request: “Please put your pom-poms in your backpacks.”
Moments earlier, Holt had walked into a surprise assembly in the school auditorium, and learned on April 17 that she is one of 10 Golden Apple Award-winning teachers for 2024 in The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. She cupped her hands over her face in surprise as students let out a spontaneous yell and waved golden-colored pom-poms. A large banner behind the stage revealed her Golden Apple status, and the smiling teacher was handed a golden tiara to wear, while students chanted, “Mrs. Holt, Mrs. Holt!”
Beforehand, Lisa Maio Kane, the principal of Holy Cross School, addressed the students and teachers who quietly awaited Holt’s arrival, saying, “We all know Mrs. Holt practices her faith every day and shares it with her students.” Noting that some of her former fourth graders are now in college, the principal said, “She prepared them for a faith-filled life.”
The Golden Apple teachers, who will be honored at a May 16 dinner, will each receive a golden apple and a monetary award of $5,000 from the Donahue Family Foundation, which sponsors the annual award for teaching excellence and dedication to Catholic education.
The award-winning teacher was joined at the surprise assembly by her husband, Dan Holt. The Holts are parishioners at the Shrine of St. Jude in Rockville, Maryland, and they have two adult children, Shannon and Ryan. After the ceremony, students enjoyed special golden apple cupcakes.
Patty Holt returned to her classroom afterward to resume teaching her students. Above the whiteboard was a display with the words, “Lord give success to the work of our hands,” from Psalm 90.
In a reflection on her work as a Catholic educator, Holt wrote, “My goal is to bring the love of Jesus to everyone I meet.” She added, “God has blessed me with a deep well of patience and empathy, kindness and compassion.”
Holt began her teaching career as a math assistant in Howard County Public Schools and as a teacher’s aide at a nursery school. Her work in Catholic education began during the 2005-06 school year, when she served as a pre-kindergarten aide at Holy Cross School. After that, she was a first grade aide at Holy Redeemer School in Kensington, and from 2007-10 she taught pre-kindergarten students at St. Jude Regional Catholic School in Rockville. Holt returned to Holy Cross School in 2010, and has taught the fourth grade there since then.
The veteran teacher is herself a product of Catholic education, having graduated from St. Pius X Regional School in Bowie and Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, and she earned a teaching certificate from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore.
“When I thought about teaching, I never thought about teaching in public school,” Holt said in an interview. She said her teachers at St. Pius X and Elizabeth Seton helped her education in the Catholic faith, building on what her parents taught her. “It was a solid education at both schools, I was ready for high school and college,” she said.
Holt, who volunteers at the food pantry at the Shrine of St. Jude and serves as a Eucharistic minister at her parish, is known for praying the rosary with her Holy Cross fourth graders at the school’s Mary garden, and also taking her class to Holy Cross Church for weekly Eucharistic Adoration.
“I just want them to always know they can turn to Mary and Jesus throughout their lives,” she said.
Holy Cross’s principal Lisa Kane praised Holt as a skilled educator who updates her classes with new learning methods and technologies while encouraging students to deepen their faith. “She prepares students to be lifelong learners and practicing Catholics,” she said.
Father Stephen Wyble, the administrator of Holy Cross Parish and School, also praised Holt, saying, “Her love for Jesus Christ and the Eucharist overflows into her love for students. She’s a disciple of Jesus Christ, and so she loves as He loves and shows that with her students.”
In a letter nominating her for the Golden Apple Award, the priest noted, “My brother was a student of Mrs. Holt’s some 12 years ago at Holy Cross and still speaks very highly of her.”
Holt, who was personally consecrated to St. Joseph in 2020, said she admires that saint’s humility. “I really turned to him to watch over myself and our family, to protect us,” she said of St. Joseph, known for protecting and watching over Mary and Jesus.
That spring, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused teachers to pivot to online learning for students. During that time, Holt – who is known as a mentor to new teachers at Holy Cross – worked closely with the school’s fifth grade teacher, Brennan Striegel, who had just begun teaching that school year after graduating from the University of Dayton.
“Getting to work with her has been the biggest blessing. She has been so supportive and encouraging,” Striegel said in an interview. “She did an incredible job taking me under her wing, showing me the ropes as a teacher, especially under such unusual, uncertain circumstances. We would call each other making a game plan, day by day, week by week.”
Striegel added, “Her wisdom and knowledge as a teacher is just so inspiring to me. Her strong faith sets such a great example for the whole community.”
In her interview, Holt said she especially enjoys how fourth graders love to learn. She has them do special projects on Maryland history.
Her heart goes out to students who struggle with learning, because she once did.
In her reflection on being a Catholic school teacher, Holt wrote, “As a student who struggled to learn concepts with just one or two lessons, I empathize with my students, especially those with learning differences.”
She added, “I work with students as much as they require, and seek the advice of my colleagues for suggestions on what teaching practices to use to reach all types of learners. I take the time and effort to instruct all of the students whose parents trust me with their child’s learning. My educational classes and experience have taught me that each child will learn and grow at their own pace.”
The fourth grade teacher in her interview remembered how one of her teachers at Elizabeth Seton High School was very patient with her as she struggled with algebra.
“I try to model that patience and kindness with my students,” said Holt, who added that years later, she reconnected with that teacher, and told her, “You are my model for patience.”
