Emfinger named director of Vicksburg Catholic School’s Early Learning Center

Published 5:08 pm Thursday, December 17, 2020

For more than 20 years, the Vicksburg Catholic School has hoped to one day open an early learning center.

In the spring of 2017, progress was made toward this effort when a committee was formed to discuss taking action, director of development and alumni affairs Kristi Smith said.

In the fall of 2018, ground was broken for the facility on Howard Street and construction began in the spring of 2020.

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Now, with the building nearing completion, the dream is finally becoming a reality. Thursday, the administration of VCS, with the support of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, announced Katie Emfinger will become the director of the Sisters of Mercy Early Learning Center.

“I am very excited and blessed to have the opportunity to work in this position,” Emfinger said. “When I came to Vicksburg Catholic School, it became more than a school. It became a family where we grow in our faith in God and one another.”

While at VCS, Emfinger has served as a teacher, Title 1 resource teacher and assistant director of the VCS After School Care program.

Prior to her coming to VCS, she taught in the Vicksburg Warren School District, where she was grade level chair for third and fifth grades. Emfinger was named Teacher of the Year at Warrenton Elementary School in 2010. Also in 2010, she received her National Board Certification in Education, and from 2013 to 2014 she was the lead teacher at Redwood Elementary.

In a letter sent from the VCS administration to teachers and parents of VSC, announcing Emfinger as the new director of the Sisters of Mercy Early Learning Center, it also noted Emfinger’s philosophy of education, which includes, “teaching the whole child; body, soul, spirit, and mind.”

“Katie has been an important part of our Vicksburg Catholic School family as a teacher and caregiver since 2016,” Smith said.  “We look forward to starting a new chapter in Vicksburg Catholic Schools’ history, with Katie nurturing, caring for and leading our youngest students at the Sisters of Mercy Early Learning Center.”

Information for online registration information for the Sisters of Mercy Early Learning Center will be available in January and enrollment is planned for late spring and early summer.

For more information regarding the application process, call  601-636-4824.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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