Beginning Teachers September: Full Schedule

Welcome to the Beginning Teacher Conference SeriesWelcome to a year of learning, growth, and connection.
As beginning teachers in Edmonton Catholic Schools, you are called to a vocation that shapes hearts, minds, and futures. Rooted in joy and guided by faith, this conference series is designed to support you as you develop your professional practice, strengthen your confidence, and deepen your impact on student learning.
Throughout the year, we will journey together through three learning experiences:

September 10th, 2026: Called to Teach – Beginning with Purpose
Building strong foundations through planning, relationships, and classroom routines.

January 30th, 2027: Called to Respond – Seeing and Serving Every Learner
Developing responsive practices through assessment, inclusion, and student-centered learning.

April 24th, 2027: Called to Grow – Strengthening Your Voice, Vocation, and Impact
Reflecting on your growth, celebrating your accomplishments, and setting goals for the future.
Together, we are rooted in faith, called to serve, and committed to excellence in Catholic education. We are grateful that you are part of this community and look forward to learning alongside you throughout the year.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness..."
Galatians 5:22

10:00am MDT

Belonging Begins Here: Setting the Stage for EAL Learners

Saturday September 12, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Participants will enjoy a hands-on session exploring how to build relationships with EAL learners and how to set up classroom spaces that foster EAL independence. We believe ALL teachers are language teachers and will benefit from these UDL strategies to serve ALL learners!

Speakers

Jacqueline Werstiuk

Secondary EAL Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Jacquie Werstiuk has over 30 years teaching and consulting experience with ECSD and earned her Masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the UofA in 2014. For the past 8 years as an EAL Consultant, Jacquie has worked with ECSD high schools to program for and support... Read More →

Melissa Astle

EAL Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Melissa is an EAL consultant with Edmonton Catholic Schools. Her background includes teaching in both bilingual and second language programs in elementary and junior high setting. As a language lover and multilingual herself, she is committed to helping EAL learners find success in... Read More →

Saturday September 12, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
3A

K-12

11:15am MDT

Fostering Relationships of Faith and Community in and out of the Classroom

Saturday September 12, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT

This session explores practical and meaningful ways to foster strong relationships rooted in faith, both inside and beyond the classroom. Participants will reflect on the role of faith in building authentic connections with students, colleagues, and the wider school community. Through discussion and actionable strategies, teachers will learn how to create environments that nurture belonging, trust, and spiritual growth. Attendees will leave with ideas to strengthen community, deepen relationships, and extend the impact of faith-centered values into all aspects of school life.

Speakers

Vernon Brady

Consultant, Religious Services, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Vernon serves as the Secondary Religious Education Consultant for Edmonton Catholic Schools, bringing over 30 years of experience teaching junior and senior high Social Studies, Math, and Religion. Striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus, Vernon embodies his Catholic faith as... Read More →

Saturday September 12, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
3A

7-12

1:00pm MDT

Spark Thinking: Simple Moves, Big Impact

Saturday September 12, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT

Energize your classroom with practical thinking routines, activators, and instructional nudges that get students engaged and thinking deeply. This session offers quick, ready-to-use strategies to move learning beyond the surface. Aligned with Optimal Learning, explore how to balance joy and rigour to keep students both challenged and motivated. Strategies also support differentiation, providing flexible entry points and extensions so every learner can succeed and grow.

Speakers

Monica Posteraro

Secondary Science Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Monica is Edmonton Catholic School Division's Secondary Science Consultant with over 20 years of experience teaching junior and senior high math and science. Her multimodal teaching strategies boost student engagement, understanding and achievement; a catalyst for scientific curi... Read More →

Susie Sirman

Secondary Science Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Susie is one of Edmonton Catholic School Division's Secondary Science Consultant with extensive experience teaching all four disciplines of Science. She is passionate about getting kids excited about science and helping them to achieve success, particularly if they have struggled... Read More →

Saturday September 12, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
3A

7-12

2:15pm MDT

Cooperative Conundrums - Cooperative games

Saturday September 12, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT

Cooperative games provide students with opportunities to build communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership skills through engaging and active play. This session will explore a variety of easy-to-learn cooperative games that can be adapted across multiple grade levels and played in either gymnasium or classroom spaces. Be prepared to get moving promote inclusion and critical thinking.

Speakers

Brett Baron

Health & Phys Ed Consultant, Learning Services, ECSD

Brett is the Health & Physical Education Consultant. He loves all things baseball, hiking, and outdoors.

Saturday September 12, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
3A

4-12

Beginning Teachers September

10:00am MDT

Jacqueline Werstiuk

Melissa Astle

11:15am MDT

Vernon Brady

1:00pm MDT

Monica Posteraro

Susie Sirman

2:15pm MDT

Brett Baron

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