Reneta Angus

What education have you taken?

After graduating from high school in 1990, I attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, transferring to the University of Alberta in my second year. I left university in my third year to get married and to start my family. I stayed at home, running a private daycare from my home while my four children were little. In 2005, I made the decision to return to university, and I am now currently in my last year with BUNTEP, completing a concurrent BA/BED program.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

I am very active in my community, and I have served on various committees since moving to Dauphin 11 years ago. I spent four years as the president of the Crocus Quilters Guild in which I organized various workshops, multi-guild gatherings, and club fabric challenges, and am still an active member. I have sewed ballet costumes for my daughters dance performances, and am currently in charge of costuming for the Dauphin Legion Highland Dancers. I have aided with set construction for school musicals, and am part of a small group of Dauphin Legion Highland Dance parents who work hard together to host the annual Robbie Burns supper. Music plays a very large role in our home, and I spend many evenings driving my children to and from their piano, guitar, bass and bagpipe lessons. I also serve on the Dauphin Ochre Band Parents Organization as secretary. Those are some of my long-term commitments, but I try to stay involved in any activity that my children participate in, whether it is to act as a time keeper for the hockey game or to step in to coach mini-volleyball when someone is sick. I love to volunteer in my children’s schools, and have been called upon to supervise fieldtrips, work at book fairs, help with luncheons, or just drop in to guest read. I have been awarded the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference scholarship the past two years in a row. I am very proud to say that while my family and volunteer work keep me busy, I have maintained an “A” average in the BUNTEP program.

Tell me about yourself.

I am originally from Newfoundland. I am the middle of five children born to a nurse and a fisherman. I moved to Jasper, Alberta, for summer employment during university break, and met my husband. After the birth of two of our children, we moved back to his family home of Dauphin and added two more children to our family: Ben is 14, Joey is 12, McKenna is 10, and Matthew is 7. I have always surrounded myself with children. I ran a private daycare out of my home for 9 years, and while I had to give it up to go back to university, I continue to provide before and after-school child care. I love to craft, and spend my spare time knitting, cross stitching, quilting, and scrap booking. To support all of these habits, I am a consultant for a catalogue scrap booking business, and often hold weekend crops for my customers. I love to travel. Almost every summer for the past 12 years, my children and I have traveled across Canada by train, spending summers in Newfoundland to fish, explore, and visit family. We have been to every province, and hope to add the Territories to that list soon.

How did you become interested in your field of study?

As I have always been happiest when surrounded by children, it seemed natural for me to choose a career in education. It was always my plan to become a teacher, but my plans were put on hold while I raised my family. However, it was the kindergarten teacher of my children who reignited my dream of returning to school. This teacher always made me feel welcome in the classroom, taking the time to share with me little stories about my child’s day. Her classroom was bright and cheerful, and she had such enthusiasm for the lessons she prepared for the children. I would often sit at the back of her class, watching while she captured the attention and imagination of her students. My children blossomed in kindergarten, and I realized that I wanted to be that person for someone else’s child. I am patient, compassionate, organized, and don’t feel normal unless I am surrounded by a little noise and chaos – all traits that I think would be an asset to the classroom. I love to read, and want to have the opportunity to share that with children. The school my children attend has become an extension of my family, and I am looking forward to becoming a part of an environment like that.

What is your philosophy in life?

My philosophy in life is quite simply to “Live, Love and Learn.” No matter how busy life may be, or how stressed I may feel, I try to remind myself that life is for living, and we get to do it only once. I have had to teach myself that it is okay to say no, and that it is important to take the time to spend with my family and friends, to take a walk, and to sneak a cat nap on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I am fortunate to have a strong circle of family and friends that I love, and that love me back. I love being a wife and a mother. I love to learn, and I feel at home in the classroom. I love to challenge myself, and believe that learning should be lifelong. I consider myself lucky that I am able to pursue a career that I feel is tailor made for me.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I hope the future holds a successful career in the education field. My family has a wish list of places we would like to visit outside Canada, and I hope that we are able to check a few of those off. Maybe I will be lucky enough and be able to combine the two and teach abroad. I want to live life to the fullest, and I believe that with hard work, anything is possible.

Nominator’s Commendation

“Reneta Angus is a full-time student in BUNTEP. She will graduate in the spring of 2011 with a BA/B.Ed. She is an honour student. She is a wife, and mother of four children ranging from the ages of seven to fourteen. Reneta is busy taking her children to various activities as well as sitting on the board of several committees, including Middle School Band Secretary, costuming for Dauphin’s Highland Dance Ensemble, she is on the planning committee for Dauphin’s annual Robbie Burns Evening, past president of Crocus Quilters’ Guild (for which she conducted workshops), committee member for Dauphin’s Skate Park, past vice-president of the Parent Council for Barker Elementary School, and is secretary of the BUNTEP Grad Committee. Reneta volunteers at her children’s schools, is active as a reader at her church, provides costuming and set design for musicals and Christmas concerts, parent supervisor for field trips, as well as local fundraising for various organizations and charities. She runs two home-based businesses (providing before and after-school daycare and has a scrap-booking catalogue business). She works as a substitute teacher for MVSD on the days she is not in class. Reneta has many hobbies, including knitting, reading, quilting, walking, and travelling.”