It’s that time of the year! Students in grade 2 anticipate the development of their cursive writing skills. Finally, the day has arrived and the cursive writing packages are handed out and the learning begins. Students embrace the curves and loops with steadiness and care. As we learn one letter, and another, and another; the loops become words and a series of words become sentences.  

In the days of a computer keyboard, is the teaching of cursive writing still relevant? This educator with a background  in exceptional learners has witnessed the benefits. Students who struggle to stay on the line of their paper often find it easier to track their cursive writing on the line.  The joining of letters supports better spelling practices for many students. As the letters to make a word are joined together, students visually process the connections between letters to spell words. With practice, cursive writing speeds up note taking and  neater penmanship practices in general. My grade 2 students would say that cursive writing definitely has its place in our classroom!

@KCS since 2015

Bachelor of Human Kinetics (Trinity Western University), Bachelor of Education (Queen’s University)

I love being able to openly discuss my faith and faith perspectives throughout the day at KCS. It is a wonderful blessing to integrate this vital component to all learning. I also enjoy making connections with each student that I teach. I get great enjoyment from the students and their varied personalities and interests.

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@KCS since 1999

Bachelor of Arts (University of Prince Edward Island), Bachelor of Education (University of Prince Edward Island)

I am reminded of the individuality of my students each day. Rather than fit comfortably into boxes, they constantly surprise me with their unique ideas. I believe each one has been created by God for a special purpose, and that it is my calling as a teacher to help them discover, develop, and celebrate their own special qualities. In our classroom, my goal is to create an environment of wonder and appreciation for God’s amazing creation, and I encourage my students to face challenges with curiosity and develop an attitude of determination. I have a particular passion for visual arts, and it is a privilege to work in an environment where I can guide the development of my students’ artistic abilities.

I teach visual arts classes each week, but also incorporate the elements and principles of art into all areas of our curriculum. Another area of focus for me is the development of reading skills. I believe that the ability to read fluently, for both pleasure and information, is one of God’s greatest gifts, and one of my yearly goals is to create young readers who can comprehend figurative and abstract ideas, read critically, and extract information from written language.

My students are given opportunities daily to work with each other on projects. Throughout the school year, they develop interpersonal and group skills, becoming more skillful in communicating, providing leadership, and managing conflict. It is always such a pleasure to watch them share and learn from each other.

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@KCS since 2014

Bachelor of Arts (Redeemer University), Bachelor of Education (Queen’s University)

My desire for each of the students I teach is that I will be a part of their journey of understanding who they are in Christ, and who God made them to be for His kingdom. I desire for God’s Word to be active in their hearts and lives. I am so thankful for the open hearts and minds that the students share with me, and am deeply blessed by the community of parents, students, staff, and supporters.

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@KCS since 2016

Bachelor of Arts (Queen’s University)

Educators lay the foundation and inspire growth in a child’s journey of learning. I strive to see each student as an individual, created by God, with specific gifts, unique personalities and strengths to glorify their Heavenly Father. It is my role as a teacher to see the heart of each student, and honour our Creator by observing, connecting and teaching uniquely to a student’s strengths and passions which in turn grows weaknesses into areas of student success.

As teachers we have a beautiful front row seat to be involved in the daily walk of a child as he or she is challenged on the daily academic, emotional and spiritual journey of learning. I measure success when I observe student growth in all three areas. Better yet, the blessing comes when a student realizes that what he or she just weeks or months before believed would never be achieved was achieved today. The growing never ends. Every day a student inspires the teacher.

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@KCS since 1998

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Redeemer University), Bachelor of Christian Education (Redeemer University)

My role as an educator is to instill excitement for learning in young children’s lives and to build a strong academic foundation. I stress the importance of always doing your best and I challenge students to always strive to further their God given talents and abilities. In our class we work together as a team.

We encourage one another and build each other up. That is our calling from God. My prayer is that my students will take this message with them as they grow and become disciples for Christ.

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