'Back-to-back Stacks' teach at Saint Vincent de Paul

Intermountain Catholic

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Tyler Stack and his mother, Terry Stack, teach fourth and fifth grade, respectively, at Saint Vincent de Paul School. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — Terry Stack, a veteran at Saint Vincent de Paul School, joined the staff in welcoming her son, Tyler Stack, as the new fourth-grade teacher this year.

"It’s the Stack attack with back-to-back Stacks," said Tyler.

"Yes, and they better be prepared," joked his mother, who teaches fifth grade.

"My mother is my role model," said Tyler.

Principal Mark Longe is pleased with the Stack combination. "Mrs. Stack has been here for quite a long time and Tyler is a graduate of the school and a product of our community," he said, adding that the community helps to form children in the faith and into the system. "So, for a period of time, Tyler would come back and substitute and help us out."

Then, just before the beginning of the current school year, St. Vincent’s fourth-grade teacher resigned unexpectedly, Longe said. "I only had a week before school to replace her. Tyler had resigned from his public school position to take some time off and came in for an interview.

"The students and the other teachers love him, and they love Terry, too," said Longe. "To use a trite phrase, ‘the fruit doesn’t fall far from tree.’ Their personalities and their love of children are common. They have a great way of getting students excited about school and learning. It’s nice that Terry can mentor him and he can give her ideas on some of the newer things that are coming out of education as well. They share ideas and it has worked out very well."

Terry knew she wanted to be a teacher when she was in the third grade, she said.

"I loved my third-grade teacher," she said. "I was born and raised in Butte, Mont., and graduated from an all-girl Catholic school. I loved the nuns and knew I wanted to teach."

She graduated from Montana State University with a degree in elementary education. She and her husband then moved to California, where she taught middle school for 10 years.

In 1980, the family moved to Salt Lake City to care for Terry’s parents, she said.

"We were only going to be here short-term, but that was 31 years ago," she said. "We were founding members of Saint Thomas More Parish and started getting involved. I taught one year at [J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School] and then was hired at St. Vincent in 1990 to teach fifth grade."

Terry taught her son as a fifth-grader. "It was fun teaching him, but he was just a part of the class and didn’t get any special treatment," she said.

Tyler graduated from St. Vincent and then Judge Memorial Catholic High School in 2002. He went to Saint Edwards University in Austin, Texas, and received a degree in marketing and economics.

"But when I returned home from college I started substituting for the physical education teacher at St. Vincent and also spent a year working for Gatorade in the marketing department," Tyler said. "I decided I liked teaching a lot better and returned to the University of Utah for a master’s degree in education."

Tyler taught fourth grade for two years in the Granite School District, where he was part of a technology-based teaching program and received an educational technology endorsement. As a result he is in charge of the Twitter and Facebook accounts for St. Vincent and assists with the iPads in the school.

"I help Terry with technology and she helps me with discipline and work ethic," said Tyler.

"We share ideas and strategies," added Terry. "Fourth and fifth grades are similar."

"All of the students have different needs and everyone learns differently," said Tyler.

Teaching at St. Vincent has been like coming home for Tyler because he spent hours in the school while growing up, he said.

"Some of it waiting for my mother after school, doing homework and playing basketball," Tyler said. "There is a great staff here and a much closer-knit group of teachers than in a public school setting. There is a lot more sharing of ideas, and it’s great being able to teach religion and seeing the kids grow in their faith."