ALL IN THE FAMILY

Entering my 8th year as a teacher at St. Joan of Arc, I am not only blessed to see our young readers and exceptional writers grow, I also have the pleasure of working with some pretty terrific people as well. Living every man's dream, I'm joined by my mother-in-law Jeanne Conner (the "peaceful" one on the left) this year, who is working with her sister, Ms. Peggy, on the Pre-K floor.

In addition to these two knuckleheads, St. Joan of Arc has many more who comprise the family I get to work with everyday. From Patsy, Burnside, and Eileen in the office, to Carolyn and Sarah who work with our after-school children, to my compadres in the middle school--Eric, Beth, Sherri, Julia, and Mary Anne--and many more. But, my favorite people are, of course, my students.

I work with the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in a host of ways, but in the most generic sense, I'm the middle school English teacher. We spend most of the time in my classes exploring literature and writing, with a dash of vocabulary sprinkled in to boot.



As the eighth grade homeroom teacher, I also spend extra time doing special projects like discovering local business opportunities with the eighth graders in conjunction with corporations like Eli Lilly, Ice-Miller, the Indianapolis Convention and Tourism Board, and Kite Realty among others.

I am also the liason for students' experiences with Catholic higher education, including excursions to our North Deanery high school, Bishop Chatard, Marian College, and this year, St. Mary of the Woods.

Lastly, I am blessed to be part of the 8th grade retreat, a two day spiritual exercise at Rancho Framasa in scenic Brown County. We hike, pray, do high ropes (as seen below), canoe, team build, and learn about God's presence in the everyday simplicity of nature. In more ways than one, truly a "trip" every year.

I look forward to the journey ahead!

---Mr. Michael Heneghan