“Awaken the aesthetic sense in your pupils, help them find grandeur, harmony and beauty in nature; use the resources of rhythm and symmetry of forms. This aesthetic training can only contribute to the happy balance of the entire psychic life.” (Mgr Albert Tessier, Notes)
For the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM), teaching the arts such as drawing, painting and music contributes as much to the development of the person as academic education. This philosophy inspired the first steps of the pioneering sisters. Mother Marie-Agnès (Mélodie Dufresne), for example, had an innate talent for the arts. She taught flower arranging and domestic arts.
This spirit is also reflected in the development of Mother Véronique-du-Crucifix’s Study Plan. This program was put in place to standardize practices and provide a distinctive teaching framework applied in all SNJM schools. It would soon win praise from supervisors who saw the quality and diversity of the learning of students who benefitted from SNJM teaching.
The pictorial arts are thus integrated into household teaching, in particular to encourage the creation of sewing patterns. The curriculum emphasized the teaching of drawing primarily for pedagogical reasons. Future teachers would be able to illustrate what they taught to their students.
