2009-2010 School Year LET'S REMEMBER...ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE!  I am so excited to teach religion for the fourth year at Visitation of Our Lady School. Helping families train up children in our beautiful Catholic faith is a true calling from God; I take my responsibility very, very seriously! I am a graduate of Visitation of Our Lady, Immaculata High School, and Loyola University. I worked on teacher certification at Our Lady of Holy Cross College. I began my teaching career 18 years ago, in the Jefferson Parish Public School System as a special education teacher. I then taught second grade for three years at a private, Christian school. From there, I taught middle and high school reading, english, speech, history, and bible, in private schools. I also worked as a disciplinarian and assistant principal in that setting. In addition to teaching religion, I also coordinate and teach adult bible classes for Visitation of Our Lady Church. I have always been a devout Christian, actively working in the ministry in many ways. I am very passionate about Jesus and His Church. Several years ago, I experienced a great renewal in my Catholic faith. I began to seriously study the faith; enrolling in classes, counseling with great and faithful priests, and reading enormous amounts of information about the early Church. Our Lord and Lady had me on a journey to rediscover the "truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" found in our Catholic Church. Jesus gave me a deep hunger for receiving Him in the Eucharist, and a new appreciation for the sacraments. I never imagined that this faith journey would lead me back to my alma mater--V.O.L.! I enjoy singing, reading, and watching lots of great movies. I also play guitar, piano, and clarinet. I'm not the best musician, but I hope to bring my guitar to school this year to encourage my students to sing and worship God more freely. I am an only child, and a very quiet person; I think my students tend to be calm in my class because they sometimes copy my demeanor. I can honestly say that in 18 years of teaching, I have never yelled at a student; I simply state what I expect, and follow through. I show all my students lots of respect, and I want them to do the same for me. What are my main goals this year? I want my students to "fall in love" with Jesus and the Blessed Mother, to learn how to lovingly explain and defend the Catholic faith, to understand how precious the Mass is, and to reach their highest potential. Parents, I am counting on you to take the lead, for your home really is the "domestic Church." In my classes, I encourage the children to express themselves with drama, art, and music. Participation in the Mass is very important, as well. I try hard to make my classes interesting, fun, and also challenging. Thank you for reading about me, and I look forward to meeting all of you soon. Please know that I care about you and your child. For Jesus and Mary, Carla Sumner |
About Ms. Sumner |