For this week’s House Highlight, we’re featuring Family Teachers! While Family Teachers are their technical names, many students refer to them as the mom or dad of their families!

First up is Mrs. Zelnis, mom of a Caritas family! She has been working hard this year to get everyone involved by working with her family captain and making sure no one is on their electronics. She is most excited for the House competitions and to see everyone in the Caritas unified. She loves her family and has truly taken on the role of “mom” in the house system.

“I love getting to know all of our new members and to see our veteran family members grow, mature and take on some leadership,” Mrs. Zelnis said.

In House Gratia, Mrs. Robbins is one of the “moms” that loves her family! She tries to get everyone involved by doing interactive activities. She also makes sure everyone is off their electronics which has really helped her family grow closer. She really wants her group of students to be like a true family. She loves how the upperclassmen have been so welcoming and to see relationships forming between them.

“I love seeing the relationships the students are forming across grade levels. A group of girls started a tradition of sharing what they did over the weekend every Monday. I love seeing those connections they are making that may not have been formed if they weren’t placed together in family time.  And I love that students are forming trusting relationships with me as well,” Ms. Robbins said.

Next up is Mr. Hennekes, a Family Teacher in House Virtus! He is really excited for the competitions to start because he is a super competitive person. Mr. Hennekes works to get his family involved with the help of his Family Captain, Harland Bross. He loves getting to know each student individually and what their interests are so they can feel more like a family.

“During family time I walk around, and if I see someone quiet that does not talk much, I go chat them up. This is what Jesus did on earth. He befriended and helped those that were not as strong or in power. That is what we should do is look for those that are not so involved or a bit by themselves and go help them feel comfortable and loved,” Mr. Hennekes said.

Mr. Wilson is next up in the Family Teacher spotlight! As a member of House Gaudium, Mr. Wilson has been working really hard to get his students involved. He makes sure they play a variety of games and activities. His biggest role is to make sure there is a plan for the week or a general idea of what each day is going to look like. He loves to see all the friendships forming in his family and hopes to influence those students.

“My favorite thing about family time is the overall vibe we’ve created. It’s a very positive, fun environment where everyone gets along great and feels like they belong,” Mr. Wilson said.

One of the Family Teachers in House Temperentia is Mr. Long and he is ready to help his students defend the house cup. He has been making sure everyone is enjoying each other’s company instead of being on electronics while in family time. He also likes how family time can be a little break in between classes and his family can forget about school for a short time. His main job is to supervise and make sure everyone is forming relationships.

“We push for everyone to set aside classes and look at each other as people rather than freshmen, sophomores, etc. We also try to address everyone by name as that is the first step to building a relationship,” Mr. Long said.

Last but not least is Mrs. Goedeke, Family Teacher from House Dignitas! Her job is very easy as her Family Captain does an amazing job at hyping up activities and getting everyone to participate. She has a lot of time to talk with the students in her family and get to know them well. She is excited to grow as a family this year and to bring out everyone’s competitive spirit.

“My favorite thing about family time is being able to get to know students of all grade levels. As a sophomore and junior teacher, I’m not able to spend as much time as I’d like with the seniors and freshmen. Luckily, family time gives me the chance to talk to students I don’t teach and build relationships outside the classroom,” Mrs. Goedeke said.

All of the “moms” and “dads” of each house do a great job mentoring their students and making connections with each one of them so they all feel welcome. They are a main part of how this year will flow in the house system and they are off to a good start.