Shanti Ernest Dean of Students Cornelia Connelly School Anaheim, California Math Teacher 13 years at Cornelia Connelly School When did you first know you wanted to be an educator, and why? I first thought about becoming an educator when I was in college, back in India. I had enjoyed working with children at our church when I taught in Sunday school and Vacation Bible School and that helped me decide that teaching was a career I would like to pursue. After receiving my teaching credential in Bangalore, India, I taught math in an all-girl Christian school for 10 years, and then I emigrated from India to the United States with my family in 1996. What do you enjoy most about your role at Connelly? I enjoy the interaction with the students and the opportunities to help them as they work through their high school years. I see every situation as a learning experience and I guide the students to make responsible choices. The girls have a very refreshing enthusiasm for life and for what they do, and I enjoy that the most. I have opportunities to talk to them about their co-curricular activities and this helps me affirm them for the things they accomplish. When I meet with a student for a disciplinary issue, I help her understand that I have nothing against her and that I just need her to understand that the poor choice she made has consequences, because it negatively affects other people and the learning environment. In the classroom, I enjoy helping the students gain confidence in their ability to do math. It is a very rewarding experience when I see a student who has been working hard get an A on a quiz in my geometry class, and she says that it is the first A she has ever received in a math class. At Connelly, we know small is a BIG deal. Our small school offers a family environment by design and a very supportive community. How do you view your role in that quest? I think our school uses a very unique support system. It is a system based on the mission and philosophy of Connelly and Goals for Schools of the Holy Child Jesus. We have advisors who meet with their students 3 to 4 times a week. This is a very informal non-academic setting, so it gives the advisors and the students the opportunity to interact and get to know each other, and also share any needs or concerns. Our counseling department and peer mediation program is instrumental in helping our students address any social issues they may face. In my role as Dean of Students, I am guided by the words of Cornelia Connelly. She wanted her schools to be like a home where the children are trusted, loved and are happy. The students know that I care about them and that I am fair in dealing with violations of school policies. When there is a concern, I meet with the student and give her the opportunity to tell me about the situation. I help the students understand that every situation they face in school is a learning experience and that they are given consequences to help them make better choices. How do you personally strive to help Connelly students discover their passions and discover their best selves? In the classroom, I reiterate to the girls that they must try to get over their inhibitions and believe in themselves. Students who have had bad experiences in their previous math classes tend to lose confidence in their ability to succeed in math. I work with them closely and help them gain confidence. They realize that they are capable of doing much more than they thought possible. Just giving them the one-on-one attention goes a long way in achieving this goal. During student council elections I have encouraged girls to run for an office by talking to them about the leadership qualities I have seen in them and why I think they would be suited for the office. Connelly provides many leadership opportunities and I encourage the students to participate. What has working at Connelly allowed you to discover about yourself? Working at Connelly has helped me discover that I can make a difference in the lives of my students. Being at Connelly gives me a renewed passion for education, and, as a result, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Education at Chapman University. When I started teaching at Connelly, I never imagined that I would be Activities Director or Dean of Students, and the only reason I was able to take on the new roles is because in keeping with the Holy Child philosophy, Sr. Francine Gunther believed in me and gave me the confidence and support that I needed in those roles. This has taught me not to be afraid to try new things and that I should encourage my students to do the same. How has Connelly’s philosophy influenced your approach to teaching? Connelly’s philosophy has greatly influenced my approach to teaching and interacting with my students. Our philosophy is based on trust, reverence, and respect. I find myself being guided by those principles whether I am in the classroom teaching or in my office disciplining a student. Our philosophy guides what we do at our retreats and plays a large part in helping our girls become the self-confident women that we want them to be. Tell us more about this past summer – traveling to England and Ireland as a chaperone to the Advanced Women’s Ensemble (Connelly’s choir) the Advanced Handbell Ensemble and chaperoning two student leaders to Camp Cornelia in the City in New York. (How were YOU enriched by these experiences?) The trip to England and Ireland and Camp Cornelia in New York City were special because of the connections I made with the other Holy Child schools. They helped me see the big picture of Holy Child education. I felt a connection with the Holy Child Network in a way that I have never felt before in my 13 years of being at Connelly. Being in the chapel where Cornelia Connelly was buried and walking the grounds of St. Leonards-Mayfield School was the highlight of the England/Ireland trip, and it has given me a better understanding of Cornelia’s vision for her schools. Camp Cornelia at the Cornelia Connelly Center in New York City helped me connect with students and teachers from The Holy Child Network in a very meaningful way. Going through all the activities of the camp and being together for a week helped me see how Cornelia’s philosophy of education is being carried out in our schools. Even though our schools do some things differently, we have the same spirit of warmth, caring, and respect. This was very evident throughout the camp. At Camp Cornelia it was amazing to see the student counselors run the sessions for the fifth graders and the wonderful way in which they connected with the campers. The counselors made the campers feel accepted and respected. Through their activities, they helped them build a level of confidence that I didn’t think would be possible. By the end of the week they had the quietest girl participate in the talent show by singing a solo, and every girl in the camp shared her “I am” poem in which she talked about herself and her aspirations for the future. The counselors themselves worked tremendously well as a team and the confidence and poise that we talk about in our program goals was very evident in the way they conducted themselves.