During trips to France and Quebec, Madame Novak gave students the opportunity to experience the language and culture firsthand. “Those moments are what I will miss most about teaching,” said Novak.

After working at Greenhills school for over 26 years, beloved French Teacher, Madame Novak is retiring. While students and colleagues will miss her dearly she is excited about the new freedom that comes with retirement.

“I remember my first year, I could not even imagine I would last that long, because it was so frightening,” said Catherine Novak.

Although Novak has spent over two decades in the classroom, teaching  has not always been a part of the plan. Before she came to Greenhills, Novak worked as a journalist in France before coming to the U.S. to potentially become a French teacher.

“They were looking for a French teacher, I interviewed, and I was selected among the others,” said Novak

Some of Novak’s most meaningful experiences as a teacher have happened outside of Greenhills’ classrooms, where she has been able to see students apply what they’ve learned in real world settings.

“Now, the great moments were, of course, going to France and to Quebec with students because it’s often students that are really dedicated to the language,” said Novak.

Novak said those trips often allowed her to see students connect more deeply with both the language and culture, creating moments she says she will miss most in retirement.

“It’s great to see their reactions that are either expected or not. Last year, I remember when Maddie Morgan said, ‘Oh, Madame, I love it.’ She was in France, of course, but I love the culture of cafes in France. Little moments like that, when you know that you gave them something because of the language you teach. Those moments are what I will miss most about teaching,” said Novak.

While Novak originally planned to retire next year, she said a combination of personal factors led her to make the decision earlier than expected.

“Actually, I was planning to retire next year. That was the decision because of health and potentially going back to France, although part of my family is here, especially my daughter,” said Novak. “I wanted to have a year to explore different possibilities and things, and since putting two and two together and looking at my finances, I could do it. I decided to do it this year,” said Novak.

As she prepares to leave Greenhills, Novak said she hopes students remember the discipline and learning habits she worked to instill in them beyond just learning French.

“French is just a medium, I’m also an educator, meaning I’m here to plant the seed of how to study, how to learn. My goal is to make you realize how you have to study a language,” said Novak.

 While Novak said retiring will be an adjustment, she looks forward to exploring new opportunities and staying active in this next chapter of her life.

“In retirement I first want to try to decompress, finding other ways to stay active, you need to exercise, you need to make your brain work. You need to have interactions with people, I need to find other things to do, which would probably be volunteering and things like that,” said Novak.

Even after students leave her classroom, Novak said many continue to stay in touch, allowing her to see the long-term impact of her teaching.

“I’ve had lots of former students stay in touch, especially those who go to France to teach English. I see them sometimes over there, and it’s really special,” said Novak. “There was a student who wasn’t a strong French student at first, and now she’s completely fluent after spending two years in France. I was amazed by the level she reached. Seeing that kind of transformation, that’s what I’ll remember most.”

One of Madame Novak’s close colleagues, Mark Randolph, reflected on the lasting impact she has had on both students and faculty, describing her as a steady and motivating presence whose influence extended well beyond her own classroom. 

“I would say that Madame Novak has been an animating spirit in everything she did whether it was preparing for class, teaching class, leading trips, or talking with students in the hallway,” said Randolph. “She was always focused on trying to help students be their best possible selves. I felt like Novak helped me be my best self.”

Randolph said that while Novak’s energy and enthusiasm were visible to anyone who interacted with her, what truly set her apart was the consistency of her standards and the seriousness with which she approached her work every day, regardless of circumstance.

“I mean, the first thing that I would focus on is that she was rigorous in her pursuit of quality,” he said. “It’s a word that you can’t really measure, but you know it when you see it. It’s what raises up the exceptional from the ordinary, and she had an exceptional feel and desire to achieve and push everyone toward that,” said Randolph.

He explained that this expectation of quality was not limited to lesson planning or classroom instruction, but carried into every space Novak occupied at the school. 

“I can remember any number of times Madame Novak asked people to explain their position in meetings,” Randolph said. “Everyone wanted to ask those questions, but few were willing to put themselves out there the way she did. That kind of courage is what every institution needs.”

Even as he spoke about her seriousness, Randolph also emphasized that Novak’s personality makes her a memorable and beloved figure among colleagues. 

“I am both incredibly jealous of her and I have mad respect for her,” he said. “She has an amazing sense of style, she’s chic. Madame Novak rocks it.”

As Novak prepares to retire after more than two decades at Greenhills, Randolph said her departure will be felt not only in the French department, but across the entire school community. 

“The fact that she never tired of traveling with students, that she always brought her A game in the classroom,” he said. “We’re going to miss that consistency and quality she brought to the school every day.

Along with many other students Leah Stephany’26 shared that Madame Novak’s class was always fun, despite how challenging it was, she is truly dedicated to creating a positive experience for students in the classroom. 

“She was the first French teacher I’ve ever had who really insisted that we only speak French in the class.  I have hardly ever had a conversation with her in English.  and it was a little bit intimidating at first, but it really forced us to learn the language,”said Stephany. 

As well as Madame Novak, one of Stephany’s most memorable moments was on the french trip when Novak surprised students with her sense of humor.

“We were in France, and she was trying to explain to us the word for, bull, and we weren’t getting it so, on the streets of France, she put her fingers up and acted out being a bull. And it’s really funny,”said Stephany.  

Stephany shared that despite how funny or stern Novak may be she really loves teaching and her class is one she will never forget. 

“She’s so passionate, and she cares really deeply about her students. So I’m gonna really miss her  dedication to teaching,” said Stephany.