The Father LaRiviere Society embarked on three goals for 2019…
1. Create a Statue of Father LaRiviere and place it in a grotto space with recognition of donors and reflections on Father LaRiviere’s unique lifelong contributions to his students.
2. Begin a LaRiviere Scholarship Program that will name students as “LaRiviere Scholars” based on a student’s character and integrity.
3. Initiate an annual award that recognizes an outstanding teacher who emulates teaching excellence and lasting impact on students.
The first winner of the LaRiviere Society's new "Excellence in Teaching Award" is Ms. Patricia Schneider, seen here at the Aquinas HS Awards Ceremony on May 22, 2019. She has taught at Aquinas for many years, and will be retiring this year.
Ms. Schneider, who has taught mathematics, is noted for her high energy and concern for EVERY STUDENT. From her students:
“It’s impossible to fail her class…she won’t let you!”
“She will come in on break and vacations to help us prepare for College Placement exams…”
Ms. Schneider, reflecting on her career with AHS…
WHY MATH AS YOUR CAREER?
“…I got into Math somewhat by accident. I was going to get an engineering degree at Humboldt State when my Mom and Dad’s health started to deteriorate. My studies lead me to a faster way out of college by turning to a teaching credential in Mathematics, in order to finish sooner and return home to care for my parents.”
HOW IS TEACHING MATH CHALLENGING TODAY?
“…Math is a unique subject to teach. Unlike other subjects, Math continually builds on the previous lessons. I have had the pleasure to teaching both Advanced Placement and entry level students. There definitely is a common denominator – All students like to be acknowledged for what they know. As for the non-STEM students…those that are willing to work hard, do very well.”
INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF TEACHING
“My interests are many. I love to read animal stories. I can also enjoy Science Fiction, but it should be an easy light read (entertaining). Among my hobbies, I enjoy horse back riding with my sister. I love to garden – put me outdoors and I’m happy! I like visiting old people – they are interesting and have great stories to share.”
WHY IS TEACHING IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL UNIQUE?
Teaching in a Catholic school has its perks. I love that I can have an integral relationship with God that I can also share with my students. One of the things I have always done – I include a prayer board in my classroom where students are free to post their own intentions. Each time we pray collectively we include all intentions posted on our board. Teaching at Aquinas High School is different than other high school because Aquinas High School is proud of its Catholic heritage and encourages Catholicism in the classroom. I am allowed and encouraged to respond to faith questions from the students and we can therefore have God-centered conversations and don’t have to worry about it. I can reflect my values and my faith in my teaching. I have used faith stories in my Math word problems and students have looked forward to what I might present on their quizzes and tests. They have even asked…”What faith story question do you have on our test this time, Ms. Schneider?”
LOOKING BACK AT YOUR AQUINAS CAREER…SPECIAL MOMENTS?
My greatest memories of my tenure at Aquinas are – the students’ response to my presentations, their excitement at their growth in understanding a math concept, their willingness to come to tutoring when the concept has been difficult, and of course, the “lightbulb” moments and smiling faces when they realize. “I got this!”
RETIREMENT PLANS ?
My plans for retirement aren’t that many. I want to rest! I want to garden, growing some of my own vegetables. I want to clean my house and…Did I mention that I want to REST?