Growing up in a close-knit family in Bethel Park, Mr. Michael “Moose” Malinowsky was born to teach. He’s the youngest of three, with a brother thirteen years older than him, and a sister two years older than him. To this day, Mr. Malinowsky and his family still celebrate Christmas Eve at his mom’s house. Going to school in the Bethel Park School District, Mr. Malinowsky was very active growing up. When he was four, he began playing baseball, at age six he began playing football, and in middle school he took up basketball. In high school, he continued to stay active. His freshman year, he played football, and from his sophomore to senior year, he played basketball for St. Thomas More Church in Bethel Park, which was a part of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball league. He also played baseball each summer.
When it comes to academics, Social Studies was always Mr. Malinowsky’s favorite subject. “Whether it was having the teachers I had, or generally doing well in my history classes, throughout my years as a student, I always gravitated toward anything history-related. I think learning about it gives us a better understanding of why our society is the way it is,” he reflected. His most impactful teachers were his Social Studies teachers, and two of them happened to be his baseball coaches!
After high school, Mr. Malinowsky decided to further his education at Duquesne University, which he describes as “a city within a city.” Lucky for him, all of his friends also attended Duquesne. He remembers his second semester of freshman year, doing field work and participating in Junior Achievement. His other years, he was put in field placements and went to different schools to learn from different teachers. Mr. Malinowsky even met his future wife, a Speech Pathologist major, during his time at Duquesne University. He played baseball, and she played lacrosse, and now after almost six years together, they are engaged!
Mr. Malinowsky earned his teaching certification in February of 2020 – right before the entire world shut down due to Covid-19. He worked as a substitute teacher at Bethel Park High School for just three days before the coronavirus hit. In the fall of 2020, he worked as a building substitute at Upper St. Clair High School for one year. Then during the 2021-22 school year, he worked at USC teaching a class called “Shaping the Modern World,” where he taught about Modern-day history and Russian history. Last year, he decided to try out teaching in the USC middle school, before interviewing here at OLSH in September of 2022 and accepting the job!
Mr. Malinowsky couldn’t be happier to be at OLSH, where he teaches Modern American History for sophomores, and World History for juniors. So far, Mr. Malinowsky’s experience at OLSH has been great – but also a huge change for him. “It took me a minute to transition from being at a large school, to a school where the entire school’s population is equal to one class at a public school,” he shared. Despite this, Mr. Malinowsky was quick to learn. “I’m thankful that I’ve been able to rely on my fellow teachers.”
Students participate in many fun projects in Mr. Malinowsky’s classes – from creating an “iPhone from the Past,” to designing an amusement park representing important staples of the 1920s. This is only the beginning of many fun projects to come in his classroom. While Mr. Malinowsky is currently involved in the Student vs. Faculty Basketball and Volleyball games, Model UN, and the basketball activity period here at OLSH, he is excited to get involved in more activities.
Mr. Malinowsky may have only been at OLSH for a short period of time, but he already feels at home here and makes an impact on his students everyday. “History allows different groups of people to not only celebrate common successes but also to empathize with the struggles of others,” he said. “I feel fortunate to be able to educate and discuss topics with my own students that interested me when I was in their shoes.”
