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"Love at First Meow
It's no secert that English teach Mr. Koch loves his cat, Bella Christine.
By AJ Gerardi
Staff Writer
It’s no secret that English teacher Mr. Koch loves his cat, Bella Christine; after all, he takes her for walks around his neighborhood on a leash.
Bella Christine is a black and white rescue cat who Mr. Koch adopted with his lady friend, Ms. Joy Paul.
“We wandered into [Pet Smart] and one of the cats was a friendly cat and wouldn’t hide away,” Mr. Koch recalled. “It jumped on our lap and that was it. Love at first meow.”
Mr. Koch loves his cat so much he decided earlier this school year to hand out nicely framed photos of Bella Christine to other teachers at Woodlynde, including Mrs. Anderson, Ms. DiNicola, Mrs. Hoynak, Ms. Hegarty, Mrs. Tallman, Mr. Laughead and Mr. Hoffman.
To make things even stranger, most of them admit to having never seen Bella Christine in real life.
“I came into my office one day,” Director of College Guidance Mr. Hoffman said. “I noticed that something was askew on my desk. When I found this picture of Bella Christine, who was one of the most famous cats in the free world, I knew it was put there for a purpose.”
Mr. Hoffman went on to add: “I think the picture represents the finest qualities of any sort of feline in the modern world. It represents the struggles Bella Christine has gone through, and overall the heart. And a malaise that goes along with being a cat of Mr. Gerry Koch.”
Mr. Hoffman wasn’t the only one who liked the photo, as Assistant Director of Admissions Mrs. Anderson is also a fan.
“I think it’s an amazing representation of what Mr. Koch stands for. Love for animals, and sharing his love with his fellow faculty members.”
“He’s a giver.”
When The Informer asked Mr. Koch why he handed out nicely framed photos of his cat to teachers all over the school, he replied, “Why not?”
However, there was at least one person who isn’t a fan of the picture.
“While Mr. Koch is an exemplary teacher and role model for our students, I have found him to be less than discerning in his selection of pets,” Woodlynde Business Manager Mrs. van Zijl said of Bella Christine.
“She has that man wrapped around her little paw. If she wants to go outside, he will personally walk her down the street on a custom-made leash. If she wants tuna for dinner, I wouldn’t be surprised if he immediately rushes off to Seafood USA for the catch of the day. Tummy rubs at all hours? Not a problem. He will drop everything to indulge her every whim."
Mrs. van Zijl went on to add: “While I don’t believe her demands have impacted his commitment to Woodlynde, the appearance of photos throughout the school has me concerned. I am not one of the chosen few who, because of their gracious natures (and interest in humoring Mr. Koch), now find themselves staring at her picture all day long.”
Despite the negativity about Bella Christine, Mr. Koch said, “I’ve had four people come up to me this week and tell me, ‘I look at that picture and I smile.’
“And that’s special.”
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Woodlynde School is a private, co-ed college prep day school located in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves intelligent, talented students with learning differences in grades K - 12. Woodlynde provides a comprehensive, evidence-based Kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school program in a challenging yet nurturing environment for students with average to above average cognitive abilities (IQ) who have language- or math-based learning differences (such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia), Executive Function Challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Auditory Processing Disorder. Even for those students without a diagnosed learning disability (LD), Woodlynde offers expert and caring teachers in small classroom settings that support academic success. Woodlynde School also offers a post-graduate (PG) program in partnership with Rosemont College as well as a regional Summer Camp for students who learn differently.
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