Ms. Claire Rennell is honored

Ms. Claire Rennell  was honored at Xavier High School’s “Xavier Educator Awards” on April 14, 2026. These awards recognize, thank, and honor teachers who played an influential role in the personal and intellectual development of a Xavier student. John Turner, The Epiphany School Class of 2025, wrote the following essay about his middle school Social Studies  teacher Ms. Claire Rennell.

Here is John’s essay, enjoy!

Mrs. Claire Rennell, The Epiphany School
Written by John Turner, Xavier Class of ’29

When I was the new kid in school on the first day of seventh grade, Mrs. Rennell welcomed me as if she had known me for years. I remember her telling me, “I don’t bite,” which cracked me up and eased my nerves. That moment revealed the kind of teacher she would be for the rest of the year. She was kind, funny, and encouraging.

Her classroom had an atmosphere that I will never forget. She had two large maps plastered onto her chalkboard, an American flag, and a large smart board. Her classroom smelled like old books, which I strangely enjoyed. Whenever she was teaching us, she would pace back and forth and jokingly yell at us if she noticed we were off task. I remember one instance when I was looking at my hair through the camera on my personal school iPad, Mrs. Rennell suddenly shouted, “Your hair looks good enough, John!” This caused the entire class to burst into laughter, including me, who also felt a little bit embarrassed.

The next year in eighth grade, I had grown to love and appreciate her style of teaching even more. I felt a sense of comfort and confidence in her class that was unlike any other class I had ever taken. I felt confident speaking in class, making presentations, taking quizzes, and responding to questions. This carried over to my other classes and is why I believe Mrs. Rennell impacted not only my academic career, but also my life.

Near the end of the eighth grade school year, she gathered us together in the school basketball gym. Her tone grew serious as she announced some news that none of us could ever have expected. She told us that after the end of the school year, she would be retiring from teaching. The entire grade felt beyond shocked as they realized what she said. I noticed a tear drip down Ms. Rennell’s face as she announced it. This moment brought me back to reality and mad me realize my time with her and my middle school career were soon going to end.

On the last day of school, we all reflected on our time together, wishing it hadn’t gone by so quickly. She left us with one final message, saying, “I’m glad you are the last class I’m ever going to teach. It has truly been an honor, and I know that you will all do great things in life.” Those words have stuck with me ever since. Even now, during my high school years, I still think about her lessons, her humor, and the confidence I received along the way. I will never forget my favorite teacher, Mrs. Rennell, and what she taught me.

Mrs. Rennell retired in June of 2026 after a 30+ year teaching career at the Epiphany School. What a lovely coda this Xavier Educator Award is to her teaching career.

Congratulations Mrs. Rennell!