MAYS LANDING – Fifth-grade teacher Regina Friebis is excited to establish roots in Resurrection Catholic School, Cherry Hill.
The wife of an Army colonel, the roving military life has led to her teaching in places such as Utah, Virginia and Pennsylvania for the past 10 years – seven of which were in Catholic school.
Now, with her husband hoping to retire in two years, Friebis is ready to settle into a place that “feels like home.”
“Authentic relationships are created among teachers, students and God” in Catholic schools, she says.
Friebis was one of 42 new primary and secondary Catholic school teachers who gathered Aug. 25 in Saint Vincent de Paul Regional School for orientation ahead of the new academic year.
The all-day program, held by the diocesan Catholic Schools Office, included meeting the Diocese’s staff, and discussions on professional conduct, discipline, academics, nurturing a safe environment and fostering Catholic Identity in classrooms.
Speaking on “The Catholic Identity of Our Mission,” Dr. Bill Watson, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, emphasized that Catholic education is, “first and foremost … about the mission of the Gospel … building up the Kingdom of God.”
Catholic educators are “the keepers of the memory of the Church [who] initiate others into the Christian life,” serving as a witness to students, parents, staff and faculty in the school halls, he said.
Teachers, he acknowledged, “might be the only face of Jesus [they meet]. Live by your example, meet people where they are.”
Watson also urged the Diocese’s newest teachers to nurture their own relationship to Christ in prayer, study and engaging in the Sacraments. Through this, “[we] can be the presence of Christ and His Body to each and every person we encounter.”
“We’re planting seeds” of faith in students, he continued, and even though teachers might not see the fruits of their labors, “We have confidence that we’re doing what God has called us to do.”
Danielle Lelaj says she feels as if she’s answering that call. This will be her first year teaching in a Catholic school; she worked in Cherry Hill’s public schools as a substitute teacher for the past two years.
“I’m excited to see the kids,” says Lelaj, who will be teaching fourth grade at Resurrection Catholic School.
Anticipating her own classroom, she says, “I’m nervous and excited at the same time.”
Added Friebis, “[I am] excited to see the smiles and giggles of the children” – even if they are behind masks – after last year’s school cycle spent virtually in Alexandria, Va.
Rafael Blotta, who will be teaching sixth-grade in Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School, Atlantic City, says he, too, is pleased for in-person education and ready to create the “a-ha” moments for his students.
“The presence in the classroom is profound; there’s something very exciting about being in a classroom – you make an impact that’s not possible through computers,” he said.
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