Enriching Education - Teacher Writes Original School Musicals to Offer Timely Life Lessons for Students, Families

When Bożena Konkiel moved from Poland to Brooklyn in 1999, the neighborhood of Greenpoint was predominantly known as “Little Poland.” But as the area has greatly changed over the past 25 years, Konkiel’s role as Music Director of St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy has inspired her to document those changes in an unusual format: original student musicals.

 

One of her recent shows, Apartments for Rent in Greenpoint, drew comic but poignant attention to how much the region has recently changed in terms of both population and price point.

 

“When I began teaching here 24 years ago, our student population was about 80% Polish heritage. Now maybe 20% are, and in some classes none at all,” says Konkiel. “Of course we still have Polish families in the area, but many of them can’t afford to send their children to Catholic school. Right now apartments in Greenpoint rent for $4000 to $5000, and few Polish families can afford their own homes here, unless they’ve owned it since before the prices went up.”

 

Inflation and gentrification aren’t the only cultural observations that Konkiel weaves into her spring shows, which she writes and directs entirely from scratch.

 

One recent production focused on the immense pressures that students and parents often feel to keep up with ever-growing expectations while feeling increasingly disconnected, apathetic, and burned out. 

 

“Ten years ago, as a math teacher, if I told my 6th grade honors students they’d get to learn polynomials, they’d be so excited to learn. But since COVID, things are different. Computers and social media have made it so that students don’t want to learn,” says Konkiel, who also serves as the school’s Math Honors teacher. “Also they’re tired, because they’re participating in so many different activities. Meanwhile, parents rush their kids from activity to activity, and then they sit in the stands and scroll on their phones. That was something we put in the show, because we see it so often.”

 

During her 24-year tenure at St. Stanislaus Kostka, Konkiel has produced two student musicals per year — one at Christmas and another in spring — for a total of more than 40 original shows. She also teaches her choir students how to sing in three languages: English, Polish, and Latin.

 

“New York City is a melting pot, and we should know each others’ culture,” says Konkiel. Her dedication to cultural preservation is paying off: Konkiel’s students have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall and Steinway Hall, and in 2023 Konkiel herself was honored by Polish President Andrzej Duda with the Silver Cross Medal for her efforts promoting Polish culture in the US.

 

As for the future, Konkiel has two words of advice: Slow down.

 

“We need less rushing and more family life, so children can learn the fundamentals of how to be kind and how to live life away from their screens,” says Konkiel. “We also need more dedication. Kids today are reluctant to only do one activity, but they end up being too tired to do anything well. I’d advise both kids and parents to slow down and focus on what they really want to get better at.”