NAME:
Mrs. Mary Riisen
SCHOOL:
Saint Norbert School
CLASS:
Eighth Grade
SCHOOL PHONE:
610- 644- 1670
It is a privilege and an honor to teach the Eighth Grade class this year. I
feel as if I am going back to "my roots". Having taught 6th, 7th and 8th
grades previously for many years, I am looking forward to immersing in the
curriculum and stimulating our students to do their best. In these very
beginning days of instruction, I have reviewed the 7th/ 8th grade Terra Nova
scores. We can all be proud of these students; scores prove to me that they
are far exceeding our expectations. Teachers and students have done a
masterful job of maintaining the quality of education here at Saint Norbert.
I have taught 7th and 8th grades at Saint Thomas of Villanova in Villanova,
Our Mother of Good Counsel in Bryn Mawr, and Saint Alphonsus in Maple Glen. I
have taught 6th grade at Saint Edward School in Louisville, Kentucky. I have
been an instructor and director of the Villanova Children's Reading/Latin and
Greek Program at Villanova University. I have taught and directed the Junior
High Religious Education program at Saint Isaac Jogues Parish in Wayne. In
all I have taught children in the parochial schools for over 30 years.
My joy is in teaching children. I have four children of my own that have
graduated from Villanova University, University of Pittsburgh, Penn State
University and University of Delaware. My husband Arnie and I are very proud
of each of them. We have seven grandchildren, ranging in ages from fourteen
to one.
I have been on a mission for the last thirty years. In the light of all that
is happening in the world today, my mission is clear: bring the peace of
Christ into our world and into our classrooms. Recently, the 7th and 8th
grades have dedicated their year to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This
commitment has given us a framework for my teaching and students' learning.
In addition, my colleagues and I have brought much care, effort and structure
into this process of making our school come vibrantly alive with students as
lifelong learners. Together through the reaccreditation process, this faculty
has collaborated, collected data, reviewed our goals, established our agenda
and developed a five year strategic action plan. My mission is linked to that
of my colleagues. Together we work to empower our students to be Christ's
examples in this revolutionary age.