We are moving into the second half of the school year and we want to continue sharing our amazing faculty and staff. This week we are highlighting Ms. Jessica Contreras, who has taught in a couple of grades here at St. Viator. Ms. Contreras started this school year, her first with St. Viator, covering Kindergarten for one teacher’s maternity leave. She shifted to a different grade in December, and this January is working as the maternity substitute for the 4th and 5th grades. In particular, she is handling the 4th grade ELA, Reading, and Spelling classes. For this post, Ms. Contreras answered twenty questions so we could get to know her beyond her ability to teach different grade levels. Introducing, Ms. Jessica Contreras!
Ms. Contreras graduated from the University of St. Francis. She has been teaching for the past 11 years, and as mentioned above, this is her first year with St. Viator Elementary School. Reflecting on her years as a teacher she shared that her favorite part of being a teacher is, “building student relationships and watching students grow.” Ms. Contreras is proud to be a teacher, and celebrates her time in the classroom.
Ms. Contreras also shared some of her favorite “stuff”. Her favorite color? Purple. That favorite drink that gets her going in the morning? Iced tea. Her favorite holiday? Christmas. We suspect that may be because her birthday is December 19th! Favorite food? Chicken. While she didn’t share any hidden talents, she did tell us that her hobbies include spending time with her family and friends, and reading.
Speaking of her family, Ms. Contreras holds her parents as her heroes. She also has a rescue dog waiting for her at home. “Zara” is a 5 year-old miniature Doberman Pinscher mix. About those books, Ms. Contreras named The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry as her favorite read. She couldn’t pick one favorite author, though, clearly stating that there are “too many to name =)”!
When asked what she likes about teaching at St. Viator, Ms. Contreras answered, “The community is very welcoming and the students are great!” According to one student, Ms. Contreras’ transition into their classroom is going fine, with no issues. The student also added that she really likes Ms. Contreras! We also asked Ms. Contreras to name one thing that she wished the parents of her students knew. She stated that “every student who passes through my classroom will be appreciated for who they are.” When asked for her opinion on the most helpful thing parents can do for her class(es) this year, Ms. Contreras answered, “be supportive and involved in their child’s education.” The last question asked what profession Ms. Contreras would choose if she was not a teacher. She answered that she would still be working with children in some capacity.
Now that we all know Ms. Jessica Contreras better, join us in welcoming her to St. Viator Elementary School! Be sure to say hello to her if you see her around the school grounds, even from a distance. We look forward to moving into 2021 with Ms. Contreras on our St. Viator teaching staff!
Keep checking back with us as we continue to highlight our newest teachers. If you are interested in learning more about St. Viator Elementary School, please visit our website at https://www.stviatorchicago.org/. St. Viator Elementary School is currently accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. Please contact us at 773-545-2173 or email mtiritilli@stviatorchicago.org for more information, to request an application, or to schedule a private tour.