Interview with OLVS Former Student & Current Mom, Christina Gleeson

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Christina Gleeson via phone call on July 11th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

Thank you for taking time to share your (and your family’s) experience with Our Lady of Victory School (OLVS).  

Of course! I had a great experience as a student and am thankful to have the opportunity to have my kids be OLVS students. 

When did your family first become involved with Our Lady of Victory School, and what led to that decision? 

We decided before marrying that if God blessed us with children that we would homeschool with OLVS. My husband Terence and I have 13 children ranging from 20 years to 2 years old. 

All seven of my siblings attended OLVS as well. 

How has OLVS evolved since your family first joined the program? 

I thought the school got more college-leading as the years passed. When my daughter went through it the school was more demanding and the curriculum was updated. The primary subjects remained the same over the years, but the curriculum was updated. 

What aspects of OLVS have been most beneficial for your family across generations? 

The fact that we could study and teach at our own pace. With a large family there are times when life got busy and the teachers at OLVS were very understanding and patient. They worked with our family’s schedule. While we used to have to use slow mail to send in grades/assessments, now the school has set-up online drop-boxes to turn in this information. It is much easier for the family’s schedule. 

As time went on, the older children were able to start doing the work on their own and work quicker than our younger children who needed more of that direct instruction. 

Can you share a memorable experience or achievement from your own time as an OLVS student? 

I remember when I had to write a speech about something that interested me. My dad worked for the Government of Canada in the section known as Transport Canada, handling the real estate commercial development on airports. 

In my final speech for Grade 11 Public Speaking, I wrote a speech about how a chicken launcher was used for testing the capability of airplane windshields in flight. The railroad heard about the chicken launcher and asked to borrow it on their diesel engine windshields. When the railroad fired the chicken launcher at a speeding locomotive, the chicken went right through the windshield. The railroad immediately asked the airlines why this happened. After looking over procedures, the airlines came back with “use a thawed chicken!” 

I ended with punchline on to not use frozen chickens as they are not frozen in the sky. My siblings thought this story was funny! 

So would you say this experience helped you gain confidence in public speaking?  

Yes! I’m the second youngest in my family and I was quite nervous, but seeing my family listening and laughing at the story helped give me that confidence. I later went on to give a speech at my graduation. 

How has the transition been from being a student to now having your own children attend OLVS? 

I used to laugh when I started to instruct my kids. I told my husband, “I’m now the teacher with the answer key.” It was like a full circle moment when I was on the teaching side of things with OLVS. 

What are some unique challenges with homeschooling?  

As someone who is right-handed, I found it was hard teaching handwriting to a left-handed student. And four of my kids are left-handed. 

We also have four children who are autistic. We have had to learn to accommodate their needs and incorporate and use outpatient therapy to help them with their learning. Unfortunately, we may not be able to have them continue at OLVS due to needing an IEP to get the aid they need.

I always wanted to do homeschooling for my family but with our autistic children we came to the realization that what works best for their education may be different than our other children. 

What advice would you give to families considering OLVS for their children? 

It’s a great option for families. Remember to give your kids chances for extracurricular activities as your children may become more introverted otherwise. So those social opportunities are key.

My husband is Irish, and our children competed in Irish dancing (four kids currently doing this), ice-skating, voice lessons, and we have five children in piano. We have four children in jiu-jitsu now (two boys and two girls).    

We usually start our kids in these activities around the age of 3. 

How has the OLVS community impacted your family beyond just education? 

Back when I was in school, there used to be an annual yearbook about our likes and hobbies. We also started to have pen pals. I keep in contact with three of my pen pals on a consistent basis. My brother lives in a small town by Topeka and has 10 children who also go to OLVS. My brother and sister-in-law were the first OLVS graduates to marry each other. His kids and my kids write letters to each other like I did with my pen pals.  When you meet people at graduations, you form friendships that we have maintained over the years. 

How has OLVS strengthened your Catholic faith? 

Before, when you were little, it was all you ever knew. When we had our own children and taught them about the faith, it sunk in more for me and made more sense. My faith has been deepened. 

I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend Our Lady of Victory School as a child and for having my children have a similar educational experience.