A Message of Thanks to Catholic School Educators

A Message of Thanks to Catholic School Educators PRAYER FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH God our Father Re-Awaken in me the desire to know, love, and serve you more fully through understanding of the gospel, in frequent prayer, and with relationships one to another. May my faith in your Son, the risen Lord, be a source of hope for all people. Renew in me, by the power of your Holy Spirit, a sense of unity with all Catholics, as I reach out to people, including those who have lost their faith or left the Church, in an effort to evangelize your message of salvation. Instill in me courage as I work for a just and peaceful world. Remind me that all goodness and holiness dwells in a relationship with you, the One, True God. May I be guided by your Spirit to follow your Son and serve those in need in and through my words and deeds. Rekindle in me the fire of Jesus love and forgiveness that I may offer patience and understanding to whomever I meet. Strengthen me to practice acceptance in all my relationships. Recall for me the faithful who have come before those who have lived holy lives, and those who have preserved the traditions of faith. Ignite my imagination whereby I gain a broader and deeper knowledge of you. In this holy year, inspire me to become engaged in the work of enlivening my faith for I place my hope, my faith, and my love in you Lord God, who with your Son, and the Holy Spirit, live and reign one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Sometimes my school visits are brief and there is little time to express my sincere thanks for your tremendous work with young people. Each instructional day you are faced with social issues that go far beyond teaching curriculum standards. These social issues are teachable moments. The ministry of teaching is inextricably linked to addressing conflicts, stresses, and crises of society. As Catholic educators, the Church calls you to mitigate conflicting social views by becoming beacons of hope and truth, while instilling a moral and spiritual perspective on education. This past year, over two hundred teachers have participated in the Faith Formation course offered by the University of Dayton. In addition, over twelve administrators pursued certification, course work, or seminars in Catholic school leadership. This act of ongoing faith formation is an incredible testimony to your dedication and commitment to excellence in Catholic school education. Through your ongoing faith formation students reap the fruits of your knowledge and wisdom. During this school year, you have had the opportunity to form hearts, build minds, and transform lives in a way that many are unable to do. You have had the ability to stir emotions that lead young people to think passionately about life issues and guide them to the values of respect and responsibility. You have celebrated milestone events drawing students into community that shape their identity as a child of God. You have had the opportunity to pray with students, which in turn builds a trusting and caring relationship. As Catholic school teachers, you have the freedom to speak about the love of Jesus and to direct young people to virtuous living rooted in Gospel values. Through your role modeling, students recognize and attest to God s graces working in and through you each day. In these final weeks of this academic year, within this Year of Faith, I encourage you to take the time to reflect on your accomplishments and to answer the discerning question: How has my faith grown this school year through the ministry of teaching? You have my heartfelt gratitude for serving as a teacher in one of the 63 schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford. May you find great comfort in knowing the many ways you have engaged students in discovering self and God. Dale R. Hoyt, Ed.D. Superintendent of Catholic Schools May 1, 2012, Editor: Gayle Keene, gkeene@adh-ocs.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS CONGRATULATIONS TO: Anthony Azzara, Principal of Sacred Heart High School, Waterbury, who will receive the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) highest award, a Citation, for his service to CAS and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) in a ceremony on May 9. Margaret Williamson, Principal of Northwest Catholic High School, West Hartford, who will be honored for her service to the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS)-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) in a ceremony on May 9. Michelle DiCicco, a fifth grade student at St. Mary School, Newington, who recently won the poster contest sponsored by the Connecticut Tree Protective Association. Michelle sponge-painted poster of the Sweet Gum Tree was chosen as the Hartford County winner from over thirty schools state-wide, and 100 entries. the 2013 Superintendent s Summa Scholars and their Teacher Honorees: Northwest Catholic High School, W. Hartford Sacred Heart High School, Waterbury Sarah Gillespie Joan Keating-McKeon Anna Guay Francis Embardo Emily Kearney Deborah Metzler Abby Carissimi James O Connell Ryan Murphy Virgina Murphy Candace Smith Sandra Nagle East Catholic High School, Manchester St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol Maryelizabeth Henderson Lesa Milas Hailey Morneault Susan Vassiliou Ariel Hlavaty Lesa Milas Matthew Santovasi Pauline Pelczar Grant Marsden Lisa Kirsche St. Thomas School, Southington Kelly McKenna Laurie Janecko Olivia Singler Susan Vassiliou Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Milford Holy Cross High School, Waterbury Kiley Cappetta Meghan Piatak Michael DeCortin Michelle Banach Maria Flores Christine Healey Blessed Sacrament School, Lauren Lichac Margaret Sargent Waterbury Michelle Martire Pamela Boynton Ryan Holub Patricia Barnes Alison Miles Christine Cook Meghan Leger Louis Howe Jessica Napolitano Jennifer Shea Ashley Lopez Ryan Mulhern Jessica Recce Christine Cook Natalie Moreau Eric Lanese Rebecca Sherrick Corene Crozier Lauren O Loughlin Kerry Heverling Gabrielle Shkreli Pamela Boynton Mikaela Rice Meghan Dwyer Katherine Wilcoxson Pamela Boynton Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden Notre Dame High School, West Haven Haley A. Barnum Dr. Sibani Sengupta Jason Abate Jessica Henninger Tess Cersonsky Christopher Hartel Edward Vogel Adam Laput Christina Jiang Dr. Sibani Sengupta Raeanne Nuzzo Kathryn Gniadek Lindsey Seyfried Dr. Sibani Sengupta May 1, 2012, Editor: Gayle Keene, gkeene@adh-ocs.org Page 2

PRAY FOR: the soul of Dan Saccu, a generous community partner and strong advocate of St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol, who entered into eternal life on Friday, April 5, 2013. Dan and his wife, Pat were inducted into the St. Paul Circle of Honor in 2012. His daughter, Chelsea, is a 2006 alumna of St. Paul Catholic High School. May the soul of Dan Saccu rest in peace. good health for Roberta Anthon, a teacher at St. Mary St. Michael School, Derby. good health for Sharon Mielcarz, the former Dean of Academic Life at St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol. LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE Archbishop s Annual Appeal: Charity - The Witness to Faith: We are grateful to the Annual Appeal for the many ways it provides tuition scholarships to underserved families who choose a Catholic school education. Please encourage your community to help make a difference in someone s life with a gift to the Archbishop s Annual Appeal. 20 20 Vision: An Eye on Our Future: Principals/Chief Administrators are asked to spend time with their faculty to study 20 20 Vision: An Eye on Our Future, discuss the enduring understandings that support the core ideas to carry forward, enter into dialogue about each standard and benchmark, and reflect upon the challenges and implications to your current programs and structures. In preparation for the administrators meeting on May 23, you are asked to formulate one or two questions, created in collaboration with your faculty and/or school board, for table conversations that will prompt deeper consideration and inquiry, and foster creative thinking in designing school action plans that will support 20 20 Vision: An Eye on Our Future. School Safety: Schools are reminded to work in collaboration with their local municipalities to ensure that the services provided to the public school children are also provided to Catholic school children. Principal Opening for the 2013-2014 School Year: Blessed Sacrament School, Waterbury Other Position Openings: Assistant Superintendent for School Planning and Advancement: Interested applicants should submit a resume including salary requirements to Karen Kean, Director of Human Resources, Archdiocese of Hartford at kkean@aohct.org. Interviews will begin in May with an anticipated starting date in July 2013. Director of the Connecticut Federation of Catholic School Parents: Interested applicants should submit a resume and a letter of interest, including salary requirements, by email to kkean@aohct.org. Virtus Training: Principals are reminded that it is imperative to explain the nature and purpose of Virtus Training to all who are required to attend. Approximately 15%-20% of the population has experienced some form of sexual abuse. It is very likely that at each Virtus Training Session there may be one or more people who are survivors of abuse. In order to afford them the opportunity to prepare themselves for the session, they need to know the nature of the program well before they arrive. Safe Environment Audit: The Office of Catholic Schools will begin the Safe Environment Audit this month. Larry Duffany will be in contact with the schools regarding compliance with background checks, Virtus training, and Child Lures Prevention programs. Page 3

Asbestos Awareness Training Sessions: Four asbestos awareness training sessions have been scheduled for the month of May. If the custodial staff did not complete their training in the fall sessions, they must do so at one of these sessions. St. Stephen, Hamden on Tuesday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m. St. Bernard, Enfield, on Wednesday, May 15 at 10:00 a.m. St. Thomas the Apostle, West Hartford on Tuesday, May 21 at 10:00 a.m. St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol on Tuesday, May 21 at 6:00 p.m. Time to Tee Off at Shelter Harbor Golf Club FORE FACS GOLF CLASSIC: The Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools (FACS) is hosting the FORE FACS Golf Classic at Shelter Harbor Golf Club in Charlestown, Rhode Island, on Monday, May 20, 2013. With wide generous fairways and challenging approach shots, Shelter Harbor Golf Club provides a magnificent golfing experience for golfers of all levels. It is rated the #3 private golf course in Rhode Island by Golf Digest. The FORE FACS Golf Classic is a perfect opportunity for companies and organizations to support Catholic school education, while enjoying a round of golf on one of New England s most premier golf courses. You may call the FACS office at 860.761.7499 for more information or visit www.facshartford.org for registration information. Join us! Summer Programs 2013: The landing page of the Office of Catholic Schools website will be a conduit, listing the name of the school and their website, for those hosting a summer program. Schools are asked to place information about your their summer program on the local school website. Send your request to be listed to Leslie Nelson at lnelson@adh-ocs.org. Postings will begin on May 15. MISSION FORMATION AND EVANGELIZATION Adult Faith Formation Courses: Cycle 4 of the University of Dayton s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation will begin on May 24; registration runs through May 22. Principals will be receiving reports from the Office of Catholic schools about the status of the educators in their schools during the first half of May. Educators are encouraged to contact Larry Duffany at lduffany@adh-ocs.org with any questions. EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING Summer Teacher Workshop Classroom Assessment: June 27, 2013 at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, teachers in grades 3 through 12 are invited to join LeAnn Nickelson, CEO of Maximize Learning, for a day of relaxed, casual professional development. Assessment is the key to all elements of curriculum design. Do classroom assessments match 21 st century learners? Are assessments being used formatively and are they authentic and performance based to ensure student mastery of the objectives taught? Teachers are encouraged to bring colleagues or come on their own to this summer workshop. Space is limited to 75 participants. Please RSVP to Valerie Mara at vmara@adh-ocs.org by June 14, 2013. There is no cost to schools for this professional development event. Page 4

OPERATIONAL VITALITY Summer Posters: Within the next few weeks, parishes in the Archdiocese will receive posters to promote Catholic school education during the summer months. The posters are a call to action that encourage viewers to visit the Office of Catholic Schools website, the conduit to local school websites. Please make sure that your school website has been updated with current news, timely events, and items of interest to prospective families who may be visiting it during the summer months. Nothing discourages an online visitor faster than outdated postings on websites it typically results in the visitor leaving the site and terminating any future interaction. It is vital to make a positive impression on those considering Catholic schools, so please put your best online face forward during the upcoming months as we continue to attract prospective families to Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Harford. Parent Ambassador Tip for May: Parent Ambassadors can assist in enrollment management efforts to recruit students, and have the potential to play a critical role in retention. Parent Ambassadors can serve as mentors to new families in the school, guiding them from admissions to the start of the school year and beyond. By checking in periodically with families, they can: host or assist at a new-family welcome event; assist staff at an Open House for prospective and new families during Catholic Schools Month; serve as a point-of-contact between the school office and new families; serve as room parents, pass along the names of new families interested in volunteering to be room parents or event chair people; and most importantly, they can submit the names of potential new families to the administration. New families who feel welcome and appreciated from the beginning will become more involved in the school and are more likely to keep registering their children year after year. Advancement Casual Conversations: School administrators, advancement staff and volunteers, and board members are invited to attend an Advancement Casual Conversation to continue the productive discussions initiated at last fall s enrollment management workshops and answer the following questions: How can we create a compelling value proposition for our school? How do we project an irresistible image that attracts prospective parents? How do we differentiate our school from the competition? Mark your calendars now and join us as we share best practices in enrollment management. Two sessions on the critical Value Proposition will be offered on: Wednesday, June 19, St. Stephen School, Hamden, 10:00 11:30 a.m. and Thursday, June 20, Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield, 10:00 11:30 a.m. Faith-Filled Photos Reminder: School administrators are encouraged to submit high-quality digital photographs that capture the following images: school pastors or high school chaplains celebrating Mass; priests interacting with students; the Archbishop visiting the school community; and students living out their faith as part of their Catholic education. Please submit the photographs to Anne Clubb at aclubb@adh-ocs.org as soon as possible. Association of Catholic Admissions and Advancement Professionals (ACAAP) Reminder: Administrators, as well as advancement and admission staff and volunteers are encouraged to attend the Connecticut area ACAAP meeting scheduled for Friday, May 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Collins Auditorium at Notre Dame High School, West Haven. This event is a great opportunity to make beneficial contacts in the fields of Catholic school advancement and admissions. Kathy Wielk, Director of Advancement at Notre Dame High School is handling registration and can be reached at the following email address: kwielk@notredamehs.com. Periodic Inquiry and Source Report: Administrators are asked to submit their school s Online Inquiry and Source Reports for the period of February through May by the deadline of June 7th to help us assess school and Archdiocesan marketing efforts. Please contact Diane Newell, dnewell@adh-ocs.org, or 860.242.4362, with any questions regarding the online process. Page 5

Class of 2013 High School Graduates: Secondary administrators are asked to submit the names of students graduating in 2013, so that we may celebrate these students in an upcoming issue of the Catholic Transcript. Please include the following information by June 7 to Anne Clubb at aclubb@adh-ocs.org: student names in alphabetical order (first and last names only); number of students in the graduating class; percentage of the class that is: graduating; pursuing further education; graduating with any level of honors, based on 3 rd quarter GPA; and the total amount of scholarship dollars awarded to the graduates. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award: Elementary principals are encouraged to nominate one of their school volunteers for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award, which is presented at the annual HOPES Dinner to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to one of our schools in the area of Advancement. Pastors and principals will soon be receiving an email with the appropriate forms and are asked to submit their nominations by June 21. Online Submission of the Elementary Retention and Enrollment Form: The Retention and Enrollment Report for elementary schools, due monthly, should be submitted online. Please access the Administrators Login on the Office of Catholic Schools website, and in the section marked Retention and Enrollment Report, 2013-2014 for May 1, 2013, enter your school code and click submit. Lines one, two, three, and five will be completed the same as in the past; line four will automatically calculate. Once the form is complete, please enter a checkmark in the complete box, and click Update record. Please contact Jim Giangreco with any questions regarding the online process by calling 860.242.4362 or via email jlgiangreco@adh-ocs.org. DUE DATES NOW DUE School Year 2013-2014 Calendar Worksheet to Maria Maynard at jreilly@adh-ocs.org MAY 1 Retention and Enrollment Report 2013-2014 submitted online via Administrators Login page 1 Performance Appraisal for President or Principal of Secondary School to Maria Maynard at mmaynard@adh-ocs.org 1 Administration and Department Chair Survey for Evaluation of Principal/Chief Administrator to Maria Maynard at mmaynard@adh-ocs.org 1 President or Principal/Chief Administrator Evaluation by the School Board to Maria Maynard at mmaynard@adh-ocs.org 2 Support of Office of Catholic Schools Services, School Payment Plan: Installment 2 of 2, via USPS, attention Leslie Nelson, Office Manager 15 Elementary School April Cash Flow Report to Ken Przysiecki via jlgiangreco@adh-ocs.org 31 Professional Learning Community Evaluation Form to Maria Maynard at mmaynard@adh-ocs.org CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY: Gospel Value Service 6 CT Private School Summit, University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, 8:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. 9 Ascension Thursday (Holy Day of Obligation) Page 6

9 International Student Reception, Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 10 ACAAP CT Area Meeting, Notre Dame High School, West Haven, Collins Auditorium, 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 14 Asbestos Awareness Training, St. Stephen School, Hamden, 10:00 a.m. 12:00 Noon 15 Asbestos Awareness Training, St. Bernard School, Enfield, 10:00 a.m. 12:00 Noon 20 FORE FACS Golf Classic, Shelter Harbor Golf Club, Charlestown, RI 21 Asbestos Awareness Training, St. Thomas the Apostle Church Hall, West Hartford 10:00 a.m. 12:00 Noon 21 Asbestos Awareness Training, St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol, 6:00 8:00 p.m. 23 Administrators Meeting and Appreciation Luncheon, Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield, East Hall and Alumni Lounge, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 27 Memorial Day (OCS Closed) JUNE 19 Advancement Casual Conversations, St. Stephen School, Hamden, 10:00 11:30 a.m. 20 Advancement Casual Conversations, Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, 10:00 11:30 a.m. 27 Summer Teacher Workshop: Classroom Assessment with LeAnn Nickelson, University of St. Joseph, West Hartford. 8:30 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Page 7