A warm welcome back to each of you! Oh September… what a love / hate relationship we have! It is so nice to re-unite with colleagues, hear the stories of the summer, set up our classrooms, open the gym to our students and get back into a routine! Yet, how nice it is to take each day easy, sleep well with little worry and have cherished time with family and friends. Alas, here we are in one of the never-ending conundrums of the life of a teacher returning to work in September. On behalf of the Edmonton Catholic Teachers Local staff and Executive, we welcome you and wish you a peaceful start to your year. A very special welcome to our beginning teachers! Either new to the profession or new to our Local and District, you are home and we welcome you!
The School Opening Mass is a beautiful way to begin each year. Started forty years ago by the Local, this tradition, now shared by the District is a testament to the meaning of church and gathering as a Catholic community to begin our school year; a time for reflection, renewed commitment and community. Many thanks goes to the Local committee, led by Floriana Bruni-Bossio, for their work to orchestrate these masses.
This summer, time was spent well with some time for reflection on our work as Catholic Educators. I love this profession and feel so fortunate that I can work in a Catholic School and bring my faith to my classroom each day. This means choice in education – for students, parents and teachers. This is beautiful. I hope that you will work with me to advocate for this right and show that this gift of Catholic Education is one worth fighting for. Advocacy is a tough thing for some. As teachers, we spend our lives as “givers” of ourselves through coaching, teaching, counseling, volunteering and more. And, when it is time to say to others “see me, recognize me, value me, respect me and help me” it is often difficult to find the right words, tone, place and intention of these conversations. I challenge you to find the courage in the good work that you do, to let others know that the work that the work that we do as teachers, as Catholic teachers, matters. Again, teachers matter and Catholic education matters. YOU and YOUR work matter. Call or write your MLA, speak to members of the community and always show the good works of the profession – this is how this truth gets to be widely known.
The Edmonton Catholic Teachers Local works for you as teachers. With our motto of “empowering Catholic teachers” it is my hope that you will access the resources that we offer. Bursaries, grants, sub time for inter-visitation, professional development events, political action events and forums, scholarships and more! Make our website a regular stop for information and events, follow our social media sites and join us at our events. Stay in “the loop” with how we can help you do your good work each day. And, of course, reach out to us anytime.
Wishing you the best start to the best year of your career! Enjoy each other and be kind for, the greatest teacher of all and his disciples taught us this work through his life of legacy and in the message that he continues to share with us today.
With genuine kindness and admiration,
Sandra