Jumpstart to Teaching 2026: Welcoming Our Newest CISVA Educators
Starting a new teaching position can be both exciting and a little overwhelming. That's why each year, CISVA's Jumpstart to Teaching event brings new educators together before the school year begins, helping them feel supported, connected, and ready for the journey ahead.
Jumpstart 2026 began with Mass, offering a meaningful opportunity to come together in prayer and reflection. It was a reminder that teaching in a CISVA school is about much more than a job. It's a shared vocation rooted in faith, community, and service.
Throughout the day, teachers participated in sessions led by CISVA consultants, exploring three important areas that support Catholic education: Evangelization and Catechesis, Learning Support, and Educational Services. These sessions provided practical tools, resources, and insights while helping new educators better understand the unique mission of CISVA schools.
But beyond the presentations and resources, some of the most valuable moments happened in conversations between colleagues. Teachers had the opportunity to meet others who are beginning similar journeys, share experiences, ask questions, and start building relationships that will support them throughout their careers.
At its heart, Jumpstart is about helping new teachers discover what many CISVA educators already know: you're joining more than a school. You're joining a community.
That sense of community was reflected in a story shared during the event, one that beautifully illustrates what makes CISVA special.
For more than 40 years, Rae-Anne Prinster has welcomed young learners into her kindergarten classroom at St. Patrick's School in Maple Ridge. This year, one of those former students returned to the very same school, not as a visitor or a parent, but as a fellow teacher.
Clara Marquez, now a first-year Grade 3 teacher, was once a student in Rae-Anne's kindergarten class.
Think about that for a moment.
A teacher who helped shape a child's first experience of school is now working alongside that same child, years later, as a colleague. What began in a kindergarten classroom has come full circle.
Stories like this remind us that Catholic education leaves a lasting impact. Schools are not simply places where students learn for a season. They are communities that help shape lives, nurture vocations, and create bonds that can last for decades.
For Clara, returning to St. Patrick's as a teacher is more than just starting a new job. It's returning to a community that helped form who she is today. And for Rae-Anne, it is a beautiful reminder of the lasting influence that educators have on the lives of their students.
Looking Ahead
As our newest teachers begin their first year in CISVA schools, we hope they carry with them the connections, encouragement, and sense of belonging that Jumpstart 2026 provided.
And if the story of Clara and Rae-Anne teaches us anything, it's that the relationships built within our schools can have an impact far beyond the classroom. Sometimes, they come full circle in the most remarkable ways.
Welcome to CISVA. We're so glad you're here.
