Members of the board of education for the Light of Christ Catholic School Division will be spending time in the classroom next week, Education Week, as they present copies of the book I Love My Catholic School to their youngest students.
The children’s book I Love My Catholic School is an introduction to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten in a Catholic school setting.
"The book came across our desks this summer," said Superintendent of Human Resources and School Operation Kelvin Colliar Tuesday. The board decided purchasing copies of I Love My Catholic School would be an investment in the connection between school, students and parents, he indicated.
The Light of Christ Catholic Schools board is an active board, said Colliar, and likes to be close to the classroom as a way to stay in touch with its most important stakeholders, students and parents.
Each school that has a pre-kindergarten and kindergarten program will be visited. Most of the visits will take place Friday morning, Oct. 23. Each book has been personalized with a message from Light of Christ Catholic Schools.
Written by chair of the board of education for the St. Clair Catholic District School Board in Ontario, Carol Bryden, and retired teacher Dianne Lloyd, it is illustrated by artist Jeremy Bruneel. St. Clair Catholic District School Board announced the publication of the book, available through Maracle Press, in November of last year, describing it as being "built on Catholic education’s foundational triad of home, school and parish and focuses on themes common to the Catholic mission – love, inclusive education, stewardship and social justice."
The book, which is accompanied by a growth chart, also recognizes parents as the first educators of their children. The final pages of the book offer an activity guide for parents to help them open up discussions with their children who are entering school for the first time.
Light of Christ Catholic Schools Religious Education Co-ordinator Marie Graw sees the activity guide as a learning tool as well as a way for parents to be involved in their children’s first years at school. It suggests questions to ask to encourage their children to talk about their school life in a way that makes day-to-day conversations a way for their children to learn.
“I was impressed with the questions,” said Graw.
She also said, because pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs can sometimes be more about where a student lives, the books aren’t heavy on theology – they are more about how to be kind and respectful, concepts appropriate for all children.
I Love My Catholic School is the second offering by the authors and the artist. In 2008 they produced Yellow Bear Goes to Catholic School, which was purchased by many Catholic boards in Ontario. Royalties from the books help fund the St. Clair Catholic District School Board's student retention initiatives.
