In our society, we often get caught up with the idea that "bigger is better" and that only the wealthy or well-connected can make a difference in the world. Here's a short item about how a small Catholic elementary school in northeast Wisconsin is changing that perception:
"At St. Mary Parish in Algoma, we sing a beautiful hymn with the lyrics, 'Open my eyes Lord, help me to see your face.' During Lent, the students in the 4th grade had their eyes opened and saw the face of the suffering Jesus in the homeless people who use St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter in Green Bay.
St. Mary Catholic School Principal Laura Krzysiak requested that during Lent each class choose a service project centered on almsgiving. In order to motivate the students, the teachers of grades 3 - 5 suggested participating in a 'Pennies for Peace' rally. The winning class, the one with the most pennies, would receive a special prize. Each class chose a different organization as the recipient of their money, so each class won in the eyes of God -- because helping someone always makes you a winner! Ms. Nicole Halada's 4th grade class, consisting of eight children, chose to help the homeless shelter. They had heard about the shelter on the TV news and knew it was looking for donations.
The children worked very hard to collect money. Ms. Halada stipulated that the children had to earn the money themselves, not just ask their parents for money. That was part of the almsgiving. Some students shoveled snow, cleaned for their grandparents, and even used their allowance to get pennies for the classroom. By the end of Lent, the eight children had collected $127.89.
The following week, the children and their teacher travelled to Green Bay to shop for supplies. They bought blankets, pillows, toiletries, and some men's clothing items. They spent $127.41. After lunch, the students pooled their leftover money to buy bus tokens.
Later on, the students visited the shelter to present the supplies to Ms. Mary Marks, director of the shelter. She gave the students a tour of the facility, showing the children where the people ate, slept, and stored all their belongings. They were able to see where the clients spent time with the volunteers to play games, watch television, or just sit and talk to pass the time. They learned that supper is served nightly, and is brought in by various groups. They learned that the idea behind the shelter is to make sure that all of the clients get at least one hot meal a day, take care of personal hygiene, or wash clothes in a newly-donated washer and dryer.
This eye-opening experience gave students and chaperones a closer look at what it means to care for all God's people. They experienced first-hand that if everyone can do a little something, then we can help many people. Ms. Halada summed it up: 'The kids and I all realize how lucky we are and we pray each day at morning prayer for all those who are less fortunate than we are.'"
Showing posts with label Catholic Schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholic Schools. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Diocese of Green Bay: The Catholic School Year in Review
As this school year draws to a close, Mark Salisbury, Diocesan Superintendent of Schools, though it was a great opportunity to review some of the services our office provides to Catholic schools and also look to the future with hope. Cornerstones of our services to schools include leadership development, strengthening Catholic identity, curriculum development, marketing, strategic and financial planning.
Our education office assists Catholic schools and parishes across the diocese in facilitating strategic catechetical planning from the Faith Alive project in the greater Green Bay Area, to Clintonville/Bear Creek, to Wrightstown/ Greenleaf/Askeaton, and Kiel/New Holstein among others. One of the helpful tools we are developing through the work of our diocesan Board of Education is a financial planning tool which enables parish schools to identify strengths and areas of concern in their financial stewardship. We also assisted several schools facilitate their accreditation process.
In the area of marketing and promotion we are expanding the good news story of our Diocesan Catholic Schools through regular columns in the Compass, billboard, and radio advertising. Xavier High School in Appleton was selected as one of this year’s top 50 Catholic High Schools in the nation by the Acton Institute. We have targeted local Catholic school marketing planning efforts in areas as diverse as Clintonville, Shawano, Appleton, Kaukauna, and Green Bay. General marketing, recruiting and retention workshops were offered to all principals in three different locations this past fall.
Efforts are underway to create a common standards-based curriculum for all our schools infused with Catholic values throughout all disciplines. This constantly-improving effort will be web-based and available for all to view. This year at Principal Leadership Days we reflected on the most effective assessment strategies which will align with this standards-based curriculum. This effort recognizes the importance of accountability of excellence to our various constituencies, especially parents and students.
At the foundation of a Catholic school is its Catholic identity. By Catholic identity we mean all aspects of the school are inspired and guided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It includes leadership, faculty and staff, curriculum, the lived Christian community atmosphere, the celebration of prayer and sacraments, as well as our community service programs which are rooted in the Gospel. We constantly strive to improve these areas of our schools.
We are especially proud of Saint John School in Little Chute, Holy Cross School in Bay Settlement, Notre Dame School in DePere, and the ACES Xavier system in the Appleton area. Each of them recently shared their stories with principals and teachers across the Diocese on how they are infusing Catholic identity throughout their schools’ entire culture. This year our Principals helped define what Catholic identity means for all the schools of our diocese. Going forward we plan to reflect annually on this definition, publicize our strengths and set realistic annual goals for improvement.
We continue to work with our principal leaders on three main strands of leadership development: as a spiritual leader; as an academic leader; and as an administrative leader. We work with our principal leaders through regularly scheduled whole group and regional in-service days, site visits, phone and e-mail support.
Much of our shared success is dependent upon the teamwork and vision of the pastor, the local Board of Education, and the principal. For that reason, we are committed to ongoing training of local boards of education, and personal visits with pastors, principals and Board of Education's to help strengthen this leadership triangle.
As you can see, it’s been a busy year. By continuing to strengthen the above elements of our schools we can look forward with hope to a strong future for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Green Bay.
Our education office assists Catholic schools and parishes across the diocese in facilitating strategic catechetical planning from the Faith Alive project in the greater Green Bay Area, to Clintonville/Bear Creek, to Wrightstown/ Greenleaf/Askeaton, and Kiel/New Holstein among others. One of the helpful tools we are developing through the work of our diocesan Board of Education is a financial planning tool which enables parish schools to identify strengths and areas of concern in their financial stewardship. We also assisted several schools facilitate their accreditation process.
In the area of marketing and promotion we are expanding the good news story of our Diocesan Catholic Schools through regular columns in the Compass, billboard, and radio advertising. Xavier High School in Appleton was selected as one of this year’s top 50 Catholic High Schools in the nation by the Acton Institute. We have targeted local Catholic school marketing planning efforts in areas as diverse as Clintonville, Shawano, Appleton, Kaukauna, and Green Bay. General marketing, recruiting and retention workshops were offered to all principals in three different locations this past fall.
Efforts are underway to create a common standards-based curriculum for all our schools infused with Catholic values throughout all disciplines. This constantly-improving effort will be web-based and available for all to view. This year at Principal Leadership Days we reflected on the most effective assessment strategies which will align with this standards-based curriculum. This effort recognizes the importance of accountability of excellence to our various constituencies, especially parents and students.
At the foundation of a Catholic school is its Catholic identity. By Catholic identity we mean all aspects of the school are inspired and guided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It includes leadership, faculty and staff, curriculum, the lived Christian community atmosphere, the celebration of prayer and sacraments, as well as our community service programs which are rooted in the Gospel. We constantly strive to improve these areas of our schools.
We are especially proud of Saint John School in Little Chute, Holy Cross School in Bay Settlement, Notre Dame School in DePere, and the ACES Xavier system in the Appleton area. Each of them recently shared their stories with principals and teachers across the Diocese on how they are infusing Catholic identity throughout their schools’ entire culture. This year our Principals helped define what Catholic identity means for all the schools of our diocese. Going forward we plan to reflect annually on this definition, publicize our strengths and set realistic annual goals for improvement.
We continue to work with our principal leaders on three main strands of leadership development: as a spiritual leader; as an academic leader; and as an administrative leader. We work with our principal leaders through regularly scheduled whole group and regional in-service days, site visits, phone and e-mail support.
Much of our shared success is dependent upon the teamwork and vision of the pastor, the local Board of Education, and the principal. For that reason, we are committed to ongoing training of local boards of education, and personal visits with pastors, principals and Board of Education's to help strengthen this leadership triangle.
As you can see, it’s been a busy year. By continuing to strengthen the above elements of our schools we can look forward with hope to a strong future for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Green Bay.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Catholic School as a Foundation for Life
We often tend to forget that some of our most respected leaders in business, government, and the not-for-profit world owe much of their success to their formative years as students in Catholic elementary and high schools. BusinessWeek.com, in a story from the Associated Press, recently highlighted John Lechleiter , who was installed April 1 as CEO of phamaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co., which earned nearly $3 billion last year. The article includes information on Lechleiter's memories of high school:
"His journey to the top is deeply rooted in his Catholic faith and lessons he learned growing up as the oldest of nine children in Louisville, Ky.
Lechleiter remembers the excitement he stirred at home when he won a $300 scholarship to cover a year's tuition to Saint Xavier High School in Louisville.
"My mother told me later that was the greatest day of my dad's life because he really hadn't quite figured out how he was going to swing that, knowing that there were eight others coming behind," he said.
His parents wound up sending all their children to Catholic high schools and private universities. But the brood grew up modestly. Lechleiter shared the attic of their family home, which his dad refurbished, with four brothers. Food never stuck around long. 'Dinner was served, breakfast was served and lunch was served,'he said. 'But the cookies were gone.'
A large family taught Lechleiter how to negotiate, cooperate and get along with others. It also taught him the importance of education. He tore through high school, taking advanced chemistry, physics and calculus classes.
"He would have had the most rigorous course in every discipline St. X offered at the time," said Perry Sangalli, the school's current president. Sangalli graduated with Lechleiter's younger brother, Richard, who is chief financial officer for Louisville-based Kindred Healthcare."
To read the entire story, go to this link.
"His journey to the top is deeply rooted in his Catholic faith and lessons he learned growing up as the oldest of nine children in Louisville, Ky.
Lechleiter remembers the excitement he stirred at home when he won a $300 scholarship to cover a year's tuition to Saint Xavier High School in Louisville.
"My mother told me later that was the greatest day of my dad's life because he really hadn't quite figured out how he was going to swing that, knowing that there were eight others coming behind," he said.
His parents wound up sending all their children to Catholic high schools and private universities. But the brood grew up modestly. Lechleiter shared the attic of their family home, which his dad refurbished, with four brothers. Food never stuck around long. 'Dinner was served, breakfast was served and lunch was served,'he said. 'But the cookies were gone.'
A large family taught Lechleiter how to negotiate, cooperate and get along with others. It also taught him the importance of education. He tore through high school, taking advanced chemistry, physics and calculus classes.
"He would have had the most rigorous course in every discipline St. X offered at the time," said Perry Sangalli, the school's current president. Sangalli graduated with Lechleiter's younger brother, Richard, who is chief financial officer for Louisville-based Kindred Healthcare."
To read the entire story, go to this link.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Chaste Living: Parents Come First
Chastity education, and its place in Catholic schools and religious education programs, is a hot-button issue that affects parents, students, and administration. In his monthly "Connection to Education" column, Mark Salisbury, the Diocese of Green Bay Superintendent of Schools, recounted a recent meeting he attended with a representatives from one elementary school in the diocese.
"I had the pleasure of meeting recently with some parents, teachers and the school principal of one of our diocesan Catholic schools on the topic of the future implementation of new educational guidelines for catechesis in chaste living.
It was very fitting that parents, teachers and school administration came together for this discussion because it underlines a key principle that will be addressed in the guidelines, namely that as parents, we are the ones primarily responsible for the formation of our children in virtue, and in this case the particular virtue of chastity. Parish catechetical leaders and Catholic school staff assist parents with this responsibility. During our discussion together, it was obvious that everyone at the table understood from their personal experience the primary role (we could even say duty) of parents to educate their children in faith and morals.
The opportunity to assist parents in this area of their children's formation is an exciting and challenging one for Catholic schools. The parents at our meeting mentioned above clearly stated it is because of the way the Catholic school supports the values they are imparting to their children at home that they choose to send their children to a Catholic school. This unity of purpose between what our parents’ values and goals are and the goals and values of Catholic school education is an important basis upon which we will build our chaste living guidelines and programs.
In partnership with parents, our Catholic schools will join with parish catechetical leaders and the diocesan task force charged with developing this new program to implement various creative and quality programs over the next several years designed to assist parents with the moral formation of their children.
When parents, teachers, and administration collaboratively plan programming for chastity education in their Catholic school, in concert with the teachings of our Catholic Church and coordinated with parish religious education initiatives, great programming can result. The diocesan Department of Education is committed to assisting parishes and local school communities to engage in this meaningful planning work. In the months and years ahead we will make personal school site visits to help facilitate this collaborative planning process."
"I had the pleasure of meeting recently with some parents, teachers and the school principal of one of our diocesan Catholic schools on the topic of the future implementation of new educational guidelines for catechesis in chaste living.
It was very fitting that parents, teachers and school administration came together for this discussion because it underlines a key principle that will be addressed in the guidelines, namely that as parents, we are the ones primarily responsible for the formation of our children in virtue, and in this case the particular virtue of chastity. Parish catechetical leaders and Catholic school staff assist parents with this responsibility. During our discussion together, it was obvious that everyone at the table understood from their personal experience the primary role (we could even say duty) of parents to educate their children in faith and morals.
The opportunity to assist parents in this area of their children's formation is an exciting and challenging one for Catholic schools. The parents at our meeting mentioned above clearly stated it is because of the way the Catholic school supports the values they are imparting to their children at home that they choose to send their children to a Catholic school. This unity of purpose between what our parents’ values and goals are and the goals and values of Catholic school education is an important basis upon which we will build our chaste living guidelines and programs.
In partnership with parents, our Catholic schools will join with parish catechetical leaders and the diocesan task force charged with developing this new program to implement various creative and quality programs over the next several years designed to assist parents with the moral formation of their children.
When parents, teachers, and administration collaboratively plan programming for chastity education in their Catholic school, in concert with the teachings of our Catholic Church and coordinated with parish religious education initiatives, great programming can result. The diocesan Department of Education is committed to assisting parishes and local school communities to engage in this meaningful planning work. In the months and years ahead we will make personal school site visits to help facilitate this collaborative planning process."
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