Approximately 120 teachers found comfort for their concerns and salutes for their successes Monday at Cathedral School.

Cathedral played host to the Diocesan Regional Teacher’s Meeting, which includes teachers from Vicksburg and McComb.

The meeting of Catholic schoolteachers was a first for Natchez. In past years, teachers from the diocese have traveled to Jackson for the annual meeting.

But the superintendent decided regional meetings would offer teachers more interaction, and Cathedral Principal Pat Sanguinetti was quick to volunteer his site.

“Natchez was selected because it is sort of central,” Associate Superintendent Cathy Cook said. “This is set up to have a time to talk to one another about instructional strategies, ways they assess student learning, and to just convene with colleagues.”

Teachers were divided by grade level and subject area for morning and afternoon sessions.

They all had a chance to share stories of what has worked in their classrooms and ask for advice on their problem spots.

Each teacher was asked to leave the meeting and implement one new idea in their classrooms this semester, Cook said.

Cathedral kindergarten teacher Becky Junkin said her group had discussed discipline, curriculum and communication with parents.

“It was nice to hear other people from other places share ideas and find out we aren’t isolated,” Junkin said.

Beverly Eldridge from St. Alphonsus in McComb said she’d enjoyed hearing about challenges and successes from the other schools.

“Teachers are really interested in discipline practices and what works for one teacher,” Eldridge said.

Teachers from Vicksburg and Holy Family Catholic School in Natchez also attended the meeting.

Students return to classes at Cathedral today.