This school year, Diane Clarke is celebrating her 40^th year teaching (37 have been in the Archdiocese of Newark). The past 20 years have been here at Queen of Peace. As a graduate of Queen of Peace High School and the parent of graduates of the high school and grammar school, Ms. Clarke has continuously been a member of the Queen of Peace School Family since 1982. In the 1970’s she spent three additional years teaching here prior to moving to Anchorage Alaska to teach there for one year.

Ms. Clarke has been involved in educating children, both in the classroom and out. In addition to teaching, she has served as Acting Principal for Corpus Christi School in Hasbrouk Heights. She was the director for our summer school program from 1989 through 2007. She has been asked to sit on the committee at the Archdiocese Office that developed the Curriculum Guides in Reading, Math and Religion. She has even been asked to be the guest speaker at one of the Deanery Conventions, as well as serving as a committee member for a religious education convention at Seton Hall University. In 2002, Ms. Clarke was asked by Sadlier to be a reviewer for the Math Program for Kindergarten through second grade. Her name appears on the inside cover of your children’s textbooks!

Her concern for the children that she teaches led her to be a facilitator for the “Rainbows for All God’s Children” program for a number of years. She has taught in the parish religious education program and currently helps to prepare Confirmation Candidates to participate in the sacrament each autumn.

For her efforts, Ms. Clarke has been honored on numerous occasions. She received a Master Teacher award from Corpus Christi School, was awarded CCD Teacher of the Year through the Archdiocese of Newark and was presented with the Master Teacher of the Year award through the Archdiocese of Newark at the inception of the awards program. Additionally, she has been rewarded with three nominations to “Who’s Who in American Education” from former students.

Queen of Peace is blessed with the fact that Ms. Clarke’s job is not just a job to her. She considers Queen of Peace to be her home. She not only participates in the school, but is very active on the parish level as a member of the church choir, a Eucharistic Minister and this year as Vice-President of the Rosary Society.

Ms. Clarke’s personal teaching philosophy is, “I try to promote spiritual and academic growth in my students, while encouraging a love of God and a respect of self and creation.”