It is a sight nearly every student at Holyoke High wants to see: Mr. Fernandes waiting for you as you enter the room. With a knowing smile, a witty quip, and a lot of interesting current events and/or historical facts at his disposal, you know you’re in for a great class while listening to this Holyoke High School substitute.

Anyone who has ever been lucky enough to sit in classroom with Mr. Ferndandes at the head knows that he still never disappoints at catching students attention. Telling the most controversial and jaw-dropping current events in the world, students say it is a “gift” when Mr. Fernandes is filling in for an absent teacher. This unique classroom teaching informs the students about interesting events occurring all-around us every day, while simultaneously being enjoyable for the students. Hanna Smith, a junior at the high school states, “He’s a great substitute teacher. I look forward to having him. He keeps the class engaged and interested.”

While many have known Mr. Fernandes as a substitute teacher for the past six years, some aren’t aware his legendary Holyoke Public Schools career has been going on for forty-one years! When he first started teaching, he was at Lawrence School before moving to William R. Peck Middle school upon it’s completion (at the time, Peck served students from grades 6-8). Mr. Fernandes actually started as an English teacher, but was soon transferred to the history department. After many years at Peck, Mr. Ferndandes moved up here to Holyoke High. Fernandes, recalling his first days at the high school, told The Herald he was assigned to HHS to teach Russian!

A Holyoke native and lifelong resident, Mr. Fernandes graduated from Holyoke High (in his own words) “a very long time ago,” and had a great experience with the teachers and students. In fact, his teachers were a “big influence” on him when he chose to pursue a teaching career.

In turn, Mr. Fernandes has gone to inspire his own students to become teachers. Nick Zyla, a teacher at Donahue School in Holyoke and member of the HHS Class of 2003, was fortunate enough to have Mr. Fernandes three times! “I had him in the seventh grade at Peck and then again in the ninth and twelfth grade at Holyoke High,” Mr. Zyla recalls. “The ‘Current Events’ and ‘Today in History’ he incorporated into his class made it fun and engaging. I learned so much!”

In addition to Mr. Zyla, his colleague at Donahue School Melissa Duquette (and another graduate of the HHS Class of 2003) remembers “loving his current events!” Our own Herald advisor Mr. Courchesne (himself a graduate of – you guessed it, 2003) jokingly states, “I don’t remember a lot of about the seventh grade – but I remember Mr. Fernandes’ class. I still recall vividly him reciting the hilarious ‘Casey at Bat’ poem.”

His former students’ comments show that he is most known for his “Current Events” – a collection of current and interesting news topics mixed with a little tidbits about famous events on this day in history. If you think this is just something he uses to pass the time as a substitute, think again.

“I’ve always done it,” he told The Herald. “When I taught full-time it would just be the final five to ten minutes of class, now it’s the whole period.” His favorite time of the day is “his preparation” – before seven a.m. on school days you can find him on the third floor in the computer lab researching for more events to tell his students and fill up his multiple notepads. Mr. Fernandes loves the news because “there is something new everyday.”

Beyond the current events, Mr. Fernandes is famous for his wit and dry sense of humor. “When I first met him, I didn’t realize how funny he was,” recalled Holyoke High Guidance Councilor Nicole Horton.  “What I mean by that is that he has such a ‘poker face’ I couldn’t tell if he was serious or if he was joking…It’s pretty amusing to sit back and watch his dry sense of humor unfold, and watch others try to size him up trying to determine if he is kidding or not.” Mrs. Horton also adds that she considers Mr. Fernandes more than a substitute teacher…he is a teacher who has forgotten he is retired.

Which is not to say he doesn’t have his hobbies outside of the school. Mr. Fernandes enjoys shopping to add to his already expansive tie collection. Mr. Fernandes says he used to be an avid golfer, but had to stop because he “couldn’t get the ball past the windmill.” On a more serious note, he has three children (two boys and one girl) who are fully grown and all Holyoke High School alumni. He enjoy spending time with his children and two grandchildren.

All of us here at The Herald salute this long-time HPS teacher and hope he sticks around for many years to come so that new generations of Holyokers can experience the joy that Mr. Fernandes brings to the classroom. We leave with some words from the man himself:

“I’m still looking for some volunteers to mow my lawn in the spring.”

Your move, HHS student body. Your move.