Congrats to 2022 Catholic School Metro Area Elementary Educator of the Year
Terri English, 1st Grade Teacher – St. Columbkille, Papillion
Through 30 years of teaching experience, Terri maintains an enthusiasm that rivals freshly-graduated teachers.
“Her classroom, like her personality, draws you in where you feel comfortable and safe – the ideal environment in which to learn,” said Loraine Bonham, para and parent at St Columbkille Catholic School.
Terri is also warmth and kindness personified.
Brandi Redburn, principal at St. Columbkille, felt this firsthand when she was interviewing for the principal position. Recalling how nervous she was, she remembers looking into Terri’s eyes during the team interview and feeling at ease because she “radiated patience, support, kindness and encouragement. We were complete strangers, but I felt all those things from her right from the start. That feeling I got that evening is exactly the feeling she brings to her classroom every single day as the 1st grade teacher at St. Columbkille.”
Fun tradition for former students
It’s no surprise that students come back to St. Columbkille to visit Terri and bring her up-to-date on their lives. She “is delighted by them, really loves them,” Brandi notes. In fact, for the past 10 years Terri and her teaching partner have hosted a Marble Party reunion for seniors, giving her former students the chance to come back to St. Columbkille, where their education started, to reminisce and connect before heading off to college.
“I absolutely LOVE to run into former students and hear all about their accomplishments,” she says.
Background
Terri is a proud product of Catholic education. She attended St. Thomas More Catholic School and was a member of the last graduating class of Paul VI High School. She earned a BS in elementary education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her three children, Patrick, Brigid and Peggy, all attended St. Columbkille.
Though she tutors and teaches summer school most summers, she still finds time to hit the links for a few rounds of golf, and also likes to read, bake, and spend time with family and friends during her free time.
***
Terri is part of a larger group of eight educators the Archdiocese of Omaha honors each year. The annual event helps us recognize and reward the impact of our local educators, celebrate Catholic education and raise important scholarship dollars for tuition assistance that helps make tuition accessible and affordable for many more families across our community.
Please join us in person for this year’s Archbishop’s Dinner for Education on September 22.