HADDONFIELD – Preparing for the arrival of her eighth-grade social studies students, Kaye Herman sat recently at her teacher’s desk and recalled her kindergarten classroom more than 60 years ago at the same school – Christ the King Regional – albeit a different building.
“My first year was held in the basement of the church, before it became the lower level for extra Masses, before it became Morgan Hall,” she explained.
Her next seven years as a student of Christ the King included “strong discipline … bus lines, lunch lines, the Franciscan Sisters of Allegheny teachers, milk tickets, eraser fights, memorizing times tables, First Friday Masses, chapel veils, (or a tissue if you did not have one), meatless Fridays, our sacraments and our annual May Crowning,” she continued.
The school fostered her love of reading, which still stands strong today. “It was where the sisters taught me about the beauty of God’s creation and our role in service to others.”
With these memories and grateful affection for her Catholic school education, it is no wonder, then, that Herman returned to the school to teach after graduating college. For the past 47 years, she has guided young students on their path to success.
For her fervent and lifelong dedication to the school community, Herman will be honored later this month as the “Knight of the Night” at Christ the King’s 12th annual Kings Ball, the premiere fundraiser for the school, at Lucien’s Manor in Berlin.
“Kaye’s a living legacy here; she embodies the best of who we are,” noted Anne Hartman, Christ the King’s principal. “She’s put her life into promoting, protecting and providing for the school.”
From student to teacher
Born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Herman and her family moved to Haddonfield before her first birthday. When it came time for school, there was only one option, she said. “A strong Catholic education was very important to my parents, so my life at Christ the King School began.”
After graduation in 1967, she went to nearby Paul VI High School, and later Rutgers University in Camden, majoring in French and elementary education.
It was a conversation between her father and Msgr. Charles Barth, then-parish pastor of the school, that led to her return. “Parishioners often made their contributions to the parish through service, and my family was no different,” Herman explained.
“My dad was a pipefitter and a plumber by trade, working at that time at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. After one of his usual trips to the school to work on the heater, he discovered from Msgr. Barth that the school was moving toward foreign language classes and needed a French teacher, so my dad offered my services.”
For the next two years, starting in 1977, she was a part-time teacher, making her way to the school for afternoon classes after a busy morning working at a dry-cleaning business.
In 1979, the school needed a full-time seventh-grade homeroom teacher, and Herman fit the bill, continuing to teach French in the afternoons while adding social studies into the fold – her favorite subject, “the mainstay and love of my teaching career” – that she happily still teaches today.
Along the way, she has also taught literature, English and religion. In 1993, she became the school’s assistant principal, a position she still holds.
Years of growth
Over the decades, Herman has seen the departures and arrivals of bishops, priests, school principals and superintendents and, of course, students. One of the biggest changes, however: the advent of groundbreaking technology in the 1990s.
“I was a bit fearful of the computer at first,” she admitted, but learned to embrace the new frontier after being put in charge of leading Christ the King Regional School’s computer and internet upgrades.
“I worked diligently for the acceptance of online textbooks and testing. I worked on diocesan committees to bring Student Information Systems to diocesan schools. I helped with the design of the school website,” she said.
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she introduced Google Classroom to the school; its concentration on web-based communication between students and teachers became much-needed as digital learning became more prevalent.
More broadly, she has helped to shape the Diocese of Camden’s Social Studies Curriculum across the school, and was instrumental in its last two revisions.
After five decades, it’s clear for Herman that “Christ the King is home. I couldn’t work with a better group of people.” She also knows, “My first responsibility has always been to my students [who] are wonderful and give their all.”
She said that at times, she has been encouraged to move into a more administrative position, but “always said no almost immediately, as I still enjoyed teaching.”
‘She wants us to thrive’
As her eighth-grade social studies students find their seats, Herman says her goal throughout her tenure has always remained the same: to create effective citizens who know the faith, do the right thing and are ready for high school.
“I want them to be prepared, to fight off the devil, to bring peace and justice to the world,” Herman continued, just as her 14 students in maroon sweaters and skirts took their seats for the next lesson.
Before class could begin, students were eager to lavish praise on their instructor.
“She’s the most selfless teacher, devoted to us,” said David Bowen. “She puts everyone above herself.”
A seat in front of him, Caroline Bell added, “She has helped me create my own outlines and study guides for tests and quizzes. She always makes sure we understand the material.”
“She’s a great role mode,” said Max Grimmie. “She helps us prepare for the future; she wants to see us thrive.”
Christ the King Regional School’s 12th annual King’s Ball will be held on March 22 at Lucien’s Manor, Berlin. For more information on how to attend, visit ckrspta.com/king-s-ball.
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