Melissa Sinclair grew up on a 10 acre property on the edge of a forest so she developed an early appreciation for God’s creation, enjoying playing in the woods and spending much of her time in the great outdoors. She helped tend the family vegetable garden—a portent of things to come at Nativity.
Fast forward to adulthood, Melissa and her young family were members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, until Melissa accepted a position at Nativity School about 20 years ago. When Melissa joined the staff, her daughter, Lauren, started Kindergarten at Nativity right alongside Mom! Melissa and her husband Brian have been married for 31 years and also have a son, Steven. When her busy life allows, Melissa loves to read and also enjoys large family reunions during the summer.
Melissa is the Technology Coordinator at Nativity School and also teaches Advanced Math and Tech for the middle school grades. Her role during the pandemic was critical as she made sure that each student’s Chromebook was working properly and that teachers, staff and students were able to function for virtual school and later for the hybrid model. Need advice, software solutions or a lesson on Google Meet? Melissa’s skills were critical to the transition and she continues as the on-the-spot troubleshooter. Her role is not limited to the school either as she consults on technology purchases and challenges for the church staff as well.
While Melissa’s tech skills are clearly in demand, Creation Care ministry members have noted that Melissa also makes an excellent go-to person for any idea related to care for God’s Creation. Prior to the pandemic, she developed an interest in the outdoor school spaces and a skill in grant application writing. She had begun to form a “green team” of interested students and parents for gardening. While this idea had to take a hiatus during the pandemic, Melissa helped an older student design a prayer garden on school property, now planted with native plants. Several of the barrel planters behind the school now host native plants for pollinators. She worked on an in-ground pollinator garden and had it certified it as a Monarch Waystation. She is sponsoring several Eagle Scout projects on school grounds to enhance outdoor education. Several of Melissa’s grant applications have resulted in funds for planting and recycling efforts, including a $1000 grant from Catholic Climate Covenant.
Melissa’s enthusiasm for creation care projects generates interest and attention among other teachers and staff as well. She has worked with Daisy Scout leadership to implement gardening projects and supports composting efforts from the cafeteria. Prior to the pandemic, she promoted the idea of a Laudato Si award for the school art show. She is looking forward to building on that enthusiasm as things get back to normal with a greater level of involvement from students and staff alike. Meanwhile, she loves how much she has learned about plants and gardening but acknowledges that honestly, it also makes her aware of how much she doesn’t know!
In Laudato Si, Pope Francis notes, “Ecological education can take place in a variety of settings: at school, in families, in the media, in catechesis and elsewhere. Good education plants seeds when we are young, and these continue to bear fruit throughout life.” (213) With her positive and can-do attitude, Melissa lives the Pope’s exhortation, “May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.” (244)
So, in view of her passion and motivation in the role of Creation Care point-person at Nativity School, the Creation Care Ministry of Nativity Parish has selected Melissa Sinclair for the 2021 Laudato Si Champion Award.
Congratulations Melissa on your ongoing commitment and service to Nativity School and parish! Melissa was recognized for this award by Father Bob at the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, April 24 during Earth Month.
Copyright 2024 Nativity Catholic Church | Privacy Policy | Login