Resurrection Prayer Service
Every class at St. Paul has the opportunity to sign up as leaders of a prayer service. My grade 4 class and I were able to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord with our school community and members of our Catholic faith community. As a class we decided on the symbol of a butterfly to recognize Jesus' Resurrection. Each student and staff member in our school made a butterfly which we attached to canvas that hung in our gym for the prayer service and later in the school itself as a reminder of Jesus' love for us.
Student/Staff Retreat Committee
During my time at St. Paul I have been part of the planning committees for the Staff Retreat, Student Retreat, and Christmas Showcase. It is a great way to come together and celebrate as a Catholic faith community. Having the opportunity to collaborate with staff members on various projects was a great way to bring faith to our students and school community in a meaningful way. Seeing staff and students participate was a great reminder that we all value different opportunities to grow in our faith.
Peer Mentorship Program
During my first year of teaching I had the opportunity to be part of the Peer Mentorship Program (2013/14). It gave me the chance to collaborate, learn, and even visit other teachers in their classrooms. I feel so blessed that I was able to participate in the program, especially as I was a bit hesitant as I was so new to teaching and the Holy Spirit School Division. After discussing joining the program with my associate principal she encouraged me to join the program, reminding me that everyone has something to learn from one another, no matter what their teaching experience. I am so grateful I was able to participate in this program as I learned a lot about being a Catholic educator from teachers with a variety of skill sets and ideas.
Faith Mentorship Program
I had the opportunity to be part of the five Faith Formation sessions with other new teachers in the Holy Spirit School Division. It gave me the chance to collaborate, learn more about the teaching profession, and a chance to grow and develop my faith. The program focused on the expectations associated with becoming a Catholic teacher, supported our faith journey, and created an understanding of our Catholic culture in our school and communities. There were many wonderful facilitators and guest speakers during out time together and questions were welcomed and encouraged. There was also time dedicated to working on our Faith Portfolios and being able to share ideas and collaborate was very beneficial. I am so grateful I was able to participate in this program as I learned a lot about being a Catholic educator from a variety of experienced and new teachers. It was also a great opportunity to form meaningful relationships with other teachers in the division.
Sharing with my Personal Learning Network
I have used Twitter to share the ways we celebrate our faith in the classroom and school community.