December 2021 | Presidents Message
Each day as Catholic Educators, we are asked to bring the Gospel to our students in a way that illuminates the desire to know and love Jesus in all that we do and experience. More importantly, the Pope asks us to live out the Gospel showing Jesus’ way and presence in our actions and words. To put it plainly, things are a little “crazy” these days in our beautiful world. It is a time where people are wanting to have their voices heard, their personhood acknowledged, and their rights upheld. It is a time when our students are looking to us, as teachers, for leadership in the way of demonstrating strength and resilience of character and of identity. All the while, we ourselves are in the middle of a time of standing up for ourselves as teachers. During this time of advocacy, we have a role to use our passion for our incredibly important role as an educator to do the right thing. To speak clarity where there is confusion, to sow seeds of knowledge where there is learning that must happen and to rise up with unprecedented strength when we see wrong doings that will ultimately harm our work as educators and, our schools along with the children in them. If we stand by as these changes and forces that are working to limit our work continue with their craft, the outcome could be dire. Now is the time to stand up, speak out and share all of the reasons that sufficiently funded Public Education in Catholic, Francophone and Public schools where ALL students are welcome is one of the most important pillars of this great province.
During this advent season and as we move into the glory of Christmas, find the peace in your mind that will allow you to bring your best to the new calendar year. Our students along with our loved ones, deserve us at our absolute best. This said, do spare a moment or two to take action for the betterment of Publicly Funded Education. We cannot stand by and watch this falter. As the message from our Pope reads, we must live the Gospel each day and with this, we must NOT allow the wrong doing of those who may not know what they do work to deconstruct what we cherish so dearly.
On behalf of the Edmonton Catholic Teachers Local 54 of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, I wish you a safe December and a blessed Christmas with a joyous welcome to the new year. May God hold you in the palm of his hand and in his heart now and always.
Peace to you,
Sandra