George Kochman: Mapping his life anew!

 

George Kochman is retiring!!

In an exclusive interview with the grizzled
veteran of Forty (yes 40!!) years here at Farrell
(the school has been open for 44 years!),
our own Captain Web discussed the lifetime
of dedication to Monsignor Farrell that
the inimitable GK has demonstrated.
The following were GK's comments at that interview.





In 1965 there was one female faculty member (Ms. Edna Gorman, typing teacher), approximately twenty five lay faculty, nine Priests and eighteen Brothers. The freshman classes were graded by ability so that everyone knew that HR 301 was the top class and HR 315 was the lowest. Those who had detention had to stand! One ambitious teacher even gave detentions for jaywalking across New Dorp Lane!

To move traffic along, everyone had to stay to the right; which meant that if you were in Room 112 and had to go to Room 101, you had to go down to the end of the hall and then come back. There was no crossing the hall!! This lasted for two years! There were Up and Down staircases - the Gym staircase was down and the middle staircase was up. This also lasted for two years!

There was no soccer team , no lacrosse team, no track (built around 1966), no football field in 1965 (built around 1967, no T.V.'s, no computers and Italian was not taught as a foreign language.

Each class had as many as 42 students and the Track team practised at P.S. 50 or Great Kills Park. For Freshman Field Day the entire freshman class marched to Great Kills Park with their Homeroom and subject teachers. Manly haircuts were stressed!

Faculty had lunch in the Brothers' Residence (now the East Wing) and parties were held in what is now Mr. Cuffe's Office because it opened on to a balcony. The (present day) Art and computer rooms (Room 121) were Brothers' Loungeswhereas Room 120 was the Chapel for the Brothers.

There were many more Masses held at that time, including each First Friday. There was a yearly outing, when the entire school, somewhere approaching 1400 people, went to Rye Beach. The trips often coincided with similar outings from some of the Girls' High Schools from Staten Island. It is surprising that we did not lose more than we did!!

If you have a memory of Mr. Kochman to share please e-mail to CaptWeb@msgrfarrellhs.org

I remember being on the freshmen track team, it was the spring of 1978. Marty Walsh was the freshman coach, GK coached the varsity and j.v.. At that time, GK was selling running shoes out of the trunk of his car. I was in the market for some racing sneakers, so I go up to GK, tell him what I need. He sells me a pair of Nike Oregon Waffle racers. I wear them at track meets and some road races......In the fall I join the the j.v., running for G.K. Back at that time, there was a Farrell Homecoming 7 mile run that took place on Hylan blvd. I finish the run and GK looks at my racing shoes and says, "Where did you get that lousy running shoes"? The shoes he had sold me the previous season!!!! I had to tell him....... Frank McConville Class of '77:

All I have to say is Mr. Kochman saved my life. I may have never graduated from Msgr. Farrell if it wasn't for having his classes. He is my hero, the ultimate teacher, a GOD. Good Luck with the rest of your life enjoy it you deserve it. Long Live the TRIPOD. Gerard Polito Class Of 2003:

 

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