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Meet Our Fifth-Grade Teachers: Sharing a Love of Learning With Our St. Peter Students
Sometimes, things truly do come full circle in Catholic education. For our fifth-grade teachers here at St. Peter School, their own experiences in Catholic schools lead them to want to share that gift with the next generation.
Mrs. Michelle Haskins has served our St. Peter School community as a teacher for the past 22 years. Having benefitted from Catholic education as a child, Mrs. Haskins loves the opportunity to incorporate the faith into daily life in her classroom, and she even finds her own faith growing deeper as she shares it with her students.
“Working at a Catholic school allows you to put your faith into your lessons, no matter what subject you are teaching,” Mrs. Haskins says. “I like being able to pray with my students throughout the day — and going to Mass as a class is always a highlight of the week.
“My faith has grown at St. Peter over the years by being able to talk about religion every day with my students, hearing their perspective on things, and participating with the staff in several opportunities to grow in our faith together,” she adds.
Mrs. Haskins enjoys helping her students to become independent thinkers who understand the value of good work and taking responsibility for their studies.
“Fifth-graders get excited about new ideas and are full of energy,” she says. “They are also becoming great leaders and problem solvers.”
She hopes that, in addition to gaining knowledge, her students will leave her class with an understanding of stewardship and their call to use their talents to serve those around them.
“St. Peter School is unique because the students discover that their greatest potential is just not reflected in high test scores, but also of their God-given gifts and service to others,” Mrs. Haskins says.
Mrs. Maggie Erd has been a teacher at St. Peter’s for the past 10 years, but her history with our school goes back much further, to when she was a student here.
“There’s a memory out there between my mom and my fifthgrade teacher. I told her I was going to take her job someday,” says Mrs. Erd, with a smile. “That’s where the dream began!
“It’s coming home again — the halls feel like home,” she adds. “Some of my old teachers still work here. This is a very special school and a very special place.”
One of Mrs. Erd’s favorite things about St. Peter’s is that, despite being on the larger side of Catholic schools, it still has the warmth of a small community.
“It becomes a family — it’s an extension of your family,” she says.
And in her classroom, Mrs. Erd isn’t the only one sharing lessons — she often finds her students helping her learn and grow, as well.
“My students have taught me to enjoy every day, and that as much as I love to be in control, ultimately, I’m not in control,” she says. “They also teach me the power of prayer. I am always amazed when we come together and we pray and we have a common cause — feeling that connection, I always find that very powerful.”
Mrs. Erd hopes that the time spent in her classroom will foster a love of learning in her students for years to come. She works hard to recognize different students’ learning styles and find ways to foster their growth, based on their strengths.
“Everybody learns differently,” Mrs. Erd says. “I hope my students bring with them the idea that learning is fun. It’s something they have to do their whole lives, so I hope they remember fifth grade being a fun year and a year where they got to learn and share.”
Thank you, Mrs. Haskins and Mrs. Erd, for your service to our students and school family. We look forward to continuing our learning adventures together!
Mrs. Michelle Haskins (pictured with her family) has served our St. Peter School community as a teacher for the past 22x years. Mrs. Haskins loves the opportunity to incorporate the faith into daily life in her own classroom, and she even finds her own faith growing deeper as she shares it with her students.
Mrs. Maggie Erd (pictured with her family) has been a teacher at St. Peter’s for the past 10 years, but her history with our school goes back much further, to when she was a student here. She hopes that the time spent in her classroom will foster a love of learning in her students for years to come.
