JACKSON -- Jill Bruenderman, once a student at Immaculate Conception School, now teaches fifth-grade at the Catholic grade school in Jackson.

"I always enjoy telling my students that I was a fifth-grader at Immaculate Conception," she said. "The students enjoy the stories that I share about the school and how things have changed from when I was a student there."

As a child, she enjoyed playing school and always knew her career would revolve around children.

Bruenderman has been teaching for four years, all at Immaculate Conception.

"When I'm teaching, the day seems to fly," she said. "This seems to tell me that I have chosen my true profession."

Fifth grade at Immaculate Conception begins with a discussion of current events. "We display newspaper clippings on a bulletin board that keeps the class updated with hot items in the news," she explained.

In social studies class, the students study Indians and pioneers. To culminate the units, students cook, make crafts, play games and incorporate all the subjects into festive themes.

Bruenderman started an after-school science program. One day a week, any fifth-grade student may stay after school and do science experiments.

She earned her bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University and is working on her master's degree.

She enjoys spending time with family, walking, reading and traveling.

Of teaching she said: "The satisfaction is knowing that I am contributing to the vital learning process, values and attitudes of my students, and being able to have God as the center of all our learning throughout the day."