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Faith & Pastoral Care

The Northeastern Catholic District School Board is pleased to offer the services of our Pastoral Care Worker, Michael Buhler, to our students and staff as part of our effort to enhance and enrich our Catholicity. Mr. Buhler continues to be active in all of our school communities, visiting classrooms and working with our teaching and non-teaching staff members. In collaboration with our teaching staff, he enhances and supports the Catholic values, policies and goals of the Board.

Mr. Buhler works with liturgical committees and supports the faith journey of students through relationship building, counseling, opportunities for faith development and retreats. He offers support to teachers in infusing Catholic teaching into all subject areas. He also serves teachers and other staff in adult faith formation. He raises social justice issues with students and staff and provides relevant information as to how we might respond as Catholics to global issues.

As a spiritual guide, he provides insight and gospel teachings while promoting and modeling the mission statement of the Board to "...guide our students on a journey of discovery that celebrates life."

Mr. Buhler can be reached by email at buhlerm@ncdsb.on.ca.

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Reflections

I Saw A Child

2010-01-23

Greetings, everyone. The writing below was submitted to me from a staff
member in our board. If ever someone else would like to do the same,
please feel free to do so. Submissions can be printed anonymously. This
piece is special to me because it is a reminder of who we are called to
serve in our education system. It also re-inforces a rule of Saint
Benedict: 'Never give a hollow greeting of peace or turn away when
someone needs your love.'

Mike Buhler

I Saw A Child

The monotony of noon-hour garbage rounds was broken today when I saw a
child that was struggling with the zipper on her coat in the deserted
hallway. Her long red hair fell lazily across both cheeks and her green
eyes were narrowed with a mixture of exertion and frustration. A single
tear left a glistening trail down her cheek to stop and sit precariously
on the corner of her quivering lip
.
"Now, now little one" I whispered, "There's no need for tears; I'll help
with that stubborn zipper".

Her smile was immediate and wide yet it seemed false, it was like
something that she had practiced performing. I managed to release the
caught zipper and brought it up to her chin, pretending to lose my grip
at the top, tweaking the end of her nose upon completion. A giggle
erupted from her tiny throat, her eyes gleamed and her smile became
real. "Now go outside and join your friends" I told her, "Before I put
you in my garbage can". She shrieked and ran happily out for recess.

In talking with her teacher at the end of the day I mentioned the
earlier incident and how I felt that the child's initial smile seemed
false. She informed me that in this child's life, a stuck zipper was the
least of her concerns, hinting at deeper troubles outside of the school.
The teacher mentioned that this child's morning was difficult and more
than once she had been brought to tears by the slightest cause. She
became a different person in the afternoon however, laughing and playing
with the other children. She had life in her smile and her eyes glowed.
Perhaps a tweaked nose had given her hope; I really wanted to believe
so.

Sometimes the slightest kindness can make a difference. No matter how
harried your day, find the time to offer a smile to your students, it
may be the only positive reinforcement in their day.