Just before the new school year begins, educators from around the diocese took a break from preparing their classrooms to gather with their peers Aug. 19 at St. Mary Parish in Alexandria for a day of networking and development.
The day, organized by the Diocese of St. Cloud and sponsored by the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, was intended to be a day of empowerment, leaving attendees equipped with tools and inspiration to share stories of hope and resilience within their communities.
Jason Smith, principal of St. Henry’s Area School in Perham, saw the importance of the day and attended with members of his staff.
“It’s an exciting time of the year,” he said. “I know all the teachers are trying to get their rooms ready, but it’s good for us to have these kind of days — to take a breath and realize there’s a bigger picture.”
Ronald Fussell, associate professor, associate chair of education and director of Catholic School Leadership at Creighton University, led the day.
“In a Catholic School environment, a kid can learn and grow and develop into the human being they were intended to be,” Fussell said in his presentation. “We are planting seeds of faith that might take years to blossom and to be fruitful and we need to persevere and not be discouraged.”
Fussell invited participants to reflect upon how they have witnessed the impact of Catholic education in students and their families, their school and their community and to share it with another participant.
“People were listening to each other,” Fussell said. “The person sharing their story was animated, alive and passionate about sharing that experience. The person receiving the story was fully engaged. People respond to stories.”
Sharing stories with one another helped participants build personal and professional connections.
“This is reminder of why I teach at a Catholic school versus a public school,” said Serrina Lemna, third grade teacher at St. Mary’s School in Breckenridge. “I was at a public school for 19 years. I decided something had to change. Otherwise, I wasn’t going to be an educator anymore. I found this position at St. Mary’s, and it was a moment where I felt it was a chance to do something bigger than myself.”
Smith said there’s a common thread as to why teachers choose to teach at Catholic schools.
“Typically, it is the mission,” he said. “Over the entrance to our school it says, ‘Enter to learn Christ,’ and at the exit it says, ‘Leave to serve Christ.’ That is modeled by what our teachers do and say at school.”
Fussell recognized the vibrancy of the work being done locally.
“Catholic schools in the Diocese of St. Cloud have a bright future,” Fussell said. “I say this as a fact with absolute certainty. What is required is a school that exudes joy, tells a joyful story, has a faculty and staff that teaches and leads with vision and keeps Christ at the center.”