Superintendent Bulletin - August 11, 2008

Feast of St. Clare
Clare was an Italian noblewoman who became the Foundress of an order of nuns now called “Poor Clares.” Several different orders currently exist who call Clare their foundress. She was moved by the message of St. Francis of Assisi and left home to follow his way and give herself to God. She is best known for her simplicity of life, love of poverty and her love of the Blessed Sacrament. In our diocese we are blest to have two groups of women dedicated to following St. Clare, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration located at East 40th and Euclid Avenue at St. Paul Shrine and the Poor Clare Colettine Nuns on Rocky River Drive, the first Poor Clare foundation in the United States.

Reminder!
Plenary Meeting for Principals and Catechetical Leaders
August 14, 2008
Walsh Jesuit High School
Registration 9:00 am
Welcome 9:30 am
Liturgy with Bishop Lennon

Welcome to the 2008-2009 School Year! There is much to look forward to from the mundane to the spiritual. We anticipate the presidential election. Will our economy recover, how is it affecting our school budgets? What are we doing to adapt? How are we going to introduce our students to St. Paul in this Pauline Year? How will the October Synod of Bishops affect our teaching of the Scriptures to our students? The revised District Plan that you will receive at the Plenary challenges us to both of the latter.

I welcome you to this new school year with the words of Our Holy Father, that I was personally privileged to hear in April at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.:

““How beautiful are the footsteps of those who bring good news” (Rom 10:15-17). With these words of Isaiah quoted by Saint Paul, I warmly greet each of you–bearers of wisdom–and through you the staff, students and families of the many and varied institutions of learning that you represent. It is my great pleasure … to share with you some thoughts regarding the nature and identity of Catholic education today.

“… Education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth) cf. Spe Salvi, 4). This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ and his teaching. In this way those who meet him are drawn by the very power of the Gospel to lead a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good, and true; a life of Christian witness nurtured and strengthened within the community of our Lord’s disciples, the Church.

“… God’s revelation offers every generation the opportunity to discover the ultimate truth about its own life and the goal of history. This task is never easy; it involves the entire Christian community and motivates each generation of Catholic educators to ensure that the power of God’s truth permeates every dimension of the institutions they serve. In this way, Christ’s Good News is set to work guiding both teacher and student towards the objective truth which, in transcending the particular and the subjective, points to the universal and absolute that enables us to proclaim with confidence the hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Set against personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of knowledge, the noble goals of scholarship and education, founded on the unity of truth and in service of the person and the community, become an especially powerful instrument of hope.

“… Some today question the Church’s involvement in education, wondering whether her resources might be better placed elsewhere. … It is timely then, to reflect on what is particular to our Catholic institutions. How do they contribute to the good of society through the Church’s primary mission of evangelization?

“… All the Church’s activities stem from her awareness that she is the bearer of a message which has its origin in God himself … God’s desire to make himself known, and the innate desire of all human beings to know the truth, provide the context for human dignity into the meaning of life. This unique encounter is sustained within our Christian community… This same dynamic of communal identity–to whom do I belong? –vivifies the ethos of our Catholic institutions. A … school’s Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction–do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22)? Are we ready to commit our entire self–intellect and will, mind and heart–to God? Do we accept the truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our … schools? Is it given fervent expression liturgically, sacramentally, through prayer, acts of charity, a concern for justice, and respect for God’s creation? Only in this way do we really bear witness to the meaning of who we are and what we uphold.

“To all of you I say: bear witness to hope. Nourish your witness with prayer. Account for the hope that characterizes your lives (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) by living the truth which you propose to your students. Help them to know and love the One you have encountered, whose truth and goodness you have experienced with joy. With Saint Augustine, let us say: “we who speak and you who listen acknowledge ourselves as fellow disciples of a single teacher” (Sermons, 23:2).”

Powerful words from our Holy Father and, certainly food for thought as we begin another school year! God’s blessings on you and your school community!

1. New Directions: Catechetical Conference
This conference begins today at 12:00 noon with exhibits and continues through tomorrow at Magnificat High School.
Are you looking to:

Then you are looking for a New Direction. The Office of Catechetical Services offers this 2-day conference for parish and school catechetical leaders, schoolteachers, catechists and parishioners within the Diocese of Cleveland.

The conference features fourteen different courses on a variety of Catholic topics from scripture and Church history to Catholic social teachings. In addition, a VIRTUS Orientation Session and fingerprinting (BCII and FBI) will be available. New Directions is a great way to begin, continue or renew your catechetical certification. Please note that all the courses are taught as adult-level learning in order to increase your own knowledge of a particular topic. Because of the nature of the Catechetical Process and Adolescent Catechesis courses, these two courses would also include examples of methods that could be used in catechetical sessions.

2. Social Justice Conference – Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Office of Hispanic Ministry in conjunction with eight other diocesan offices or committees and Saint Ignatius High School will host this important conference – Transforming Society with Jesus: What is the Lord Asking of Us? The major presenter is Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini of San Marcos, Guatemala. He is an internationally known human rights spokesman who will give two talks on issues of immigration and facilitate a dialogue on what we can do in the Cleveland area. Joining Bishop Ramazzini will be representatives from the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Project.

The issue of immigration is presently one of great complexity and great emotion. There are no easy fixes, no facile solutions to a problem that has been building for many decades. Before we can begin to educate our Church members and provide opportunities for growth in consciousness on this issue, we need to educate and sensitize ourselves. Bring your portable FM radio; simultaneous English translation will be via a local FM radio broadcast. If you do not speak Spanish, please bring an FM listening device (I-pod, MP3 player, or other device with an FM tuner and earphones). Register by Friday, September 5 by sending a check for $10 per person, names, addresses, telephone numbers and Church/Organization name to Office for Hispanic Ministry, 1404 East Ninth Street, Third Floor, Cleveland, OH44114. For more information call 216.696.6525, ext. 4300 or 2530.

Date:                Saturday, September 13, 2008
Time:                9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Place:               St. Ignatius High School
                        1911 West 30th Street
                        Cleveland, OH
Cost:                $10.00 per person that includes lunch

3. Re: DTA and Students with Cleveland or EdChoice Scholarships
If any student enrolled in your school has received an EdChoice voucher or a Cleveland Scholarship (elementary school) and had also been awarded Diocesan Tuition Assistance, please notify us as quickly as possible. There are a number of needy families who are still awaiting DTA. Thank you for all you do. Fax: 216-696-8646. Judy Nakasian.

4. Alignment of Licenses Can Reduce Costs for Multiple License Holders

Educators with multiple licenses can dramatically reduce their costs for licensure renewal by aligning licenses as they expire. The Department has created a chart to illustrate how educators can reduce their costs both for license renewal fees and mandatory fingerprints. Go to www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDefaultPage.aspx?page=1 and search keywords: Options for Alignment to view the chart illustrating the cost savings.

5. BCI/FBI – Important News
Non-licensed paid staff are required to have both the BCI/FBI background checks by September 5, 2008. Further clarification was sent to principals in a yellow folder in February.

The Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County on Canal Road in Valley View will not be able to handle background checks for our Diocesan employees as of June 30, 2008. Please visit the following link to find Webcheck locations in your area:

http://www.ag.state.oh.us/business/fingerprint/data/index.asp

6. Atlas Trainings for Curriculum Mapping and Understanding by Design
Atlas Trainings will be held August 26th and August 27th. The August 26th session is System Administrator Training that focuses on resetting passwords, adding teachers and courses, etc. Sessions will run from 3:00-4:00 pm. or 4:15-5:15 pm at St. Monica School in Garfield Heights. On August 27th Full Training and Analytical Tools Training will be offered. Full Training is for all those who are new to Atlas. This session focuses on how to navigate through the program and input information. Analytical Tools Training focuses on analyzing assessment data, scope and sequence reports, standards profiling, etc. Both sessions will run from 3:15- 6:00 pm at Holy Name High School. You may register online at www.oce-ocs.org/oce/teachers/prof_development or a paper registration will be in the packet given at the Principal’s Plenary on August 14th.

7. Professional Development at Notre Dame College
There are some new and exciting professional development opportunities for you and your teachers over the summer and for the upcoming school year.

The TEEL (Teacher Education Evening Licensure) Program is available both on the main campus in South Euclid and online for teachers that need to renew or add a license. NDC offers Early (PK-3), Middle (4-9), High School (7-12) licensure, Mild/Moderate Intervention (K-12), Spanish (PK-12), and Art (PK-12).

The Graduate School offers Master of Education degrees that include the Mild/Moderate license, Reading Endorsement, or Technology Endorsement. The Technology Endorsement will be fully online this coming fall (and still on the main campus). The College is also waiting for final approval of a new graduate program in Educational Leadership that will allow students to earn a principal license.

The Center for Professional Development continues to offer a variety of classes throughout the year that can help teachers renew their license.

8. Free Publications from www.edpubs.ed.gov
After-School Programs: Give Us Wings, Let Us Fly! Communities And Schools Working Together
Describes the benefits of after-school programs. This brochure also explains where to find after-school programs; indicates what to look for.

How Faith Communities Support Children's Learning In Public Schools
Provides examples of ways in which Faith Communities such as the Male Youth Enhancement Project at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington D.C., support children in public schools.

Choosing A School For Your Child
Offers step-by-step advice to parents on how to choose among the schools available to their children.

9. Diocesan Social Action Office Forums on the Health Care Debate
The Faith Community has a unique role to play in the national discussion on health care. Come participate in learning how the system is broken, building a vision for health care in the future, and forming a values foundation. Choose the forum most convenient for you:

Thursday, September 4, 2008 7-9 pm St. Noel Parish, 35200 Chardon Rd. Willoughby Hills
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7-9 pm Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 272 Broad St., Wadsworth
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 7-9 pm St. Mary Parish, Weigand Room, 320 Middle Avenue, Elyria
Thursday, September 18, 2008 7-9 pm St. Ignatius Parish, 10205 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland

Resource materials will be available. For more information or to make a reservation, call 1.330.535.2787 or email axcoplan@clevelandcatholiccharities.org Please specify forum attending. Please call at least 3 days before forum so there are enough materials for everyone. Thank you.

10. Calling All Akron Searchers
On Saturday, September 20, 2008 from 2:00 -10:00 pm CYO and Community Services will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Akron Search Program at Camp Christopher in Bath. Searchers and their families are invited to attend a day filled with activities, music, dancing, dinner and Mass. If you or someone you know attended a Search weekend or worked on a team, please attend. To receive more information on the reunion and the day’s activities, please visit www.akroncyo.org, call 330.762.2961, ext. 220 or email Louise Grizer at lgrizer@clevelandcatholiccharities.org

11. Save the Date for the 13th Annual Crooked Halo
On Saturday, October 11th, the Associate Board of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation will host the Annual Crooked Halo Benefit at Gray’s Armory, 1234 Bolivar Road, Cleveland, OH 44115, from 7:00 pm to 12:00 am. All funds raised at the event will benefit the Life Enriching Gardens Project at St. Augustine Manor. Tickets are $35 per person. For more information, visit www.cdcf.org/crookedhalo or call 216.696.6525 extension 1049.

12. 2008 NCEA Principals Forum, November 13-15, 2008
This year’s forum is being held at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas, 6333 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250-5428, 1.480.948.7750, Fax: 1.480.948.2232. The NCEA Principals Forum Special Rate: $169.00/single and double occupancy/night. Registration and fees = $250 (member); $400 (non-member). Reasonably priced transportation from either Sky Harbor International Airport or Scottsdale Municipal Airport. Attire is Business Casual for the sessions and dressy for the banquet. Registration begins at 3:00 pm on Thursday, November 13, 2008. At 5:15 pm is the opening reception followed by the opening banquet at 6:00 pm. Registration deadline is October 1, 2008 if you want your name included as a participant in the program. Contact Janice Kraus at 202.333.6706 for more information. Access the registration form online at www.ncea.org.

13. Service Hours for Pope Benedict XVI Continue to Grow
The gift of 1.7 million hours of community service given to Pope Benedict XVI in honor of his birthday has continued to grow to more than 1.85 million hours. The campaign, supported by more than seven million youth enrolled in U.S. Catholic schools, parish programs, seminaries and colleges, officially closed May 31, 2008 when students completed all their service pledges.

14. Cleveland Central Catholic High School Receives Gift
This June, CCC received a donation of appliances from Rent-A-Center through the generosity of Mike Kilbane, National Manager, whose wife is the librarian at the school. The donation is part of Rent-A-Center’s Random Acts of Caring program. The donation, the equivalent of $10,000, included a washer, dryer, two flat-screen TVs and six air conditioning units. Congratulations, CCC, and thank you Rent-A-Center.

15. Catholic Schools Week 2009 Theme: Catholic Schools Celebrate Service
“Catholic Schools Celebrate Service” will be celebrated January 25-31, 2009. This theme recognizes that putting faith into action is not optional for Catholics, but is integral to our faith. The recent gift of 1.7 million community service hours in honor of Pope Benedict’s birthday is evidence of our faith’s strong tradition of engaging in the world to help others and to build the kingdom of God.

The NCEA and the USCCB have sponsored the official Catholic Schools Week for 34 years now. They work hard to keep prices low, and all profits are earmarked for advocacy, leadership training and research in support of Catholic education. They ask you to purchase from the catalog and not make up your own t-shirts or other products using the logo. Using the logo for newsletters, Web sites, etc. is OK.

Call today to order a marketing kit ($20), which includes beautiful, four-color liturgy guide, poster, and year-round marketing handbook. The catalog with the entire product line in on the Web at www.catholicschoolsweek.org or call 1.899.269.7732.

16. Back-to-School Prayer Service and Bookmark
NCEA offers a free prayer service and bookmark for the start of school. They are part of a Back-to-School Press Kit, a compilation of press releases, fun page and other materials for you to use in school newsletters, church bulletins and Web sites. Look for a link to the Back-to-School Press Kit on the front page of the NCEA Web site: www.ncea.org.

17. NCEA Annual Convention 2009
NCEA is now soliciting Proposals for Sessions to be presented at the 2009 Convention and Exposition and Religious Education Convocation to be held in Anaheim, California, April 14-17, 2009.

Each department in the association issues its own solicitation for proposals. Requests are in an online form that asks for pertinent information regarding the session proposed and the person who will present it. The departments of the association can be considered as the target audience for the presentation. The departments can be accessed from the front page of the NCEA Web site: www.ncea.org.

18. NCEA Ensuring Alignment with NCEA ACRE
Upon the release of the High School Doctrinal Framework in November, NCEA reported an initial review showed significant alignment of NCEA ACRE with the Framework. An in depth study has since been conducted which confirms the initial review. ACRE III is over 80% aligned to the High School Doctrinal Framework core curriculum (the first six courses). The alignment of ACRE jumps to over 90% when the elective courses of the Framework are included in the review.

NCEA will ensure that NCEA ACRE is in full alignment with and supports the High School Doctrinal Framework just as it does with and for the Protocol for Assessing the Conformity of Catechetical Materials with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Psychometricians recommend assessments be updated every seven to ten years. With the 2001 edition of ACRE at its seven-year mark and concurrent with the release of the Framework, NCEA is planning now for the next revision. While a revision process is typically two years, an official release date for the revised tool is forthcoming.

19. U.S. History Education
The National History Education Clearinghouse http://teachinghistory.org funded by a $7 million, five-year grant from the Department’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, is a one-stop site for accessing high-quality resources in K-12 U.S. history education. The clearinghouse provides hyperlinks to the most informative history content on the Internet. It also provides teaching resources and tools, such as guides to working with primary sources, lesson plan reviews, and models of exemplary teaching.

20. Condition of Education 2008
The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the Condition of Education 2008, a report that summarizes important development and trends in education. The Condition of Education includes information about public, private, and home-schooled students in the United States.
To view the entire set of information, visit: Condition of Education. Visit the NCES web site for additional information on public and private education in the United States. Hard copies of the report are available.

21. Ideas for Collaborating with Parents
The IRIS Center and the PACER Center have created an interactive, online module to support educators in diversifying and improving family participation in school. In the module, a principal and staff demonstrate how they gain information about their students’ families because this helps them best engage all members of a family in education. Many schools enjoy a high level of parental involvement from some families, but schools should be ever interested in increasing involvement, especially among families of students with disabilities. http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/fam/challenge.htm

22. Professional Consulting Now Available for Cleveland Catholic Schools
The integration of business principles is essential for successful Catholic schools today. To guide schools and nonprofits with this integration process, Sister Ritamary Welsh, OSU, and Stacey Picard have launched SDG Advisors LLC, a consulting firm that works with small to midsize nonprofit organizations, primarily Catholic K-12 schools, to help them strengthen their infrastructure so they can better fulfill their mission.

Based in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, SDG Advisors provides professional guidance in all areas of administration, including Board Governance, Planning, Resource Development, Financial Management and Marketing. The firm is a unique partnership of forward-thinking women wit complementary strengths. Partners and co-founders, Sister Ritamary and Ms. Picard have over 50 years of combined experience in these areas. More information is available at www.sdgadvisors.org.

23. Ohio Safe School Center – Free Trainings
The Ohio Safe School Center offers FREE on-site trainings to Ohio schools, agencies and communities. A catalog of possible training topics on enhancing safe and civil schools available from Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Safe School Center, and the Center for Social and Emotional Education will be made available in the near future. However, to facilitate your planning for professional development related to school safety and security, here are a few categories that may be of interest to you related to enhancing a safe and secure school environment.

School Emergency Management Practices: This workshop could cover a range of topics including: incident command framework, school emergency response options, table top exercises, creating a school safety plan, creating a school safety team, school bus safety, secret service/US Department of Education “Targeted Shooter” implications.

Ohio School Climate Guidelines: The Ohio Department of Education in conjunction with the Ohio School Board developed nine guidelines to enhance the climate of schools. This workshop on the Guidelines is presented in multiple parts that cover:

Bullying Strategies: This workshop will help participants to identify the various types of bullying; identify the emotional and physical effects on the victim, perpetrator, and bystander; utilize strategies to address bullying and violence in schools, and identify additional resources to address bullying and violence in schools.

Some things to remember in planning an Ohio Safe School Center-led training session:

Please contact Andie Barker or Eric Hall at 1.800.788.7254 option #2 or andie.barker@uc.edu or eric.hall@us.edu to discuss training options. Trainings will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis.

24. SendZaCast
SendZaCast is an affordable, pay-as-you-go desktop messaging service without startup costs and it is completely risk free:

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- No hassle account cancellation
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- 5,000 notifications in month for less than $200
- No hardware or software needed
- Only need to register and set up or import your address book
- Two way messaging and confirmation reports assures accountability

SendZaCast (http://pn17.net/r/?ZXU=649891&ZXD=28225) provides you the capability to send mass voice and text notifications to any phone from your desktop. It's simple: compose an email, send it to a distribution list, and SendZa changes it to a voice and text message, and then sends it to everyone's telephone on your list.

It can be used to instantly notify parents, authorities, administrators, or anyone else that has a telephone without tying up your telephone or network. SendZaCast is confidential, the first 15 days are free*, and it only takes a few minutes to sign up - no credit card needed for the 15 day trial.

SendZa has other affordable messaging services - SendZaCal for calendar notifications and SendZaMail for hearing rather than reading your email when you are mobile. These services have all the same risk free benefits as SendZaCast. They can extend your communication capabilities and like SendZaCast, they support two-way messaging so you can send and get responses as well as send messages!

There is more information at http://pn17.net/r/?ZXU=649892&ZXD=28225 or sign up for a Webinar demonstration to see for yourself just how SendZa voice message services can work for your institution.

25. Attention School Librarians and Library Staffs!
Join colleagues and friends at the annual conference of the Northern Ohio Chapter of Catholic Library Association. This year's Fall Meeting takes place at Regina High School on Tuesday, September 23rd, from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. Featured speakers are Mary Anne Nichols from Kent State University (on the topic of "appropriate books for grades 6 to 12") and Kathy Tomaro of the Lyndhurst Police Dept. (on "Internet safety"). Rounding out the program are book and material displays, sharing sessions, and a catered dinner with Abraham Lincoln (a.k.a. Phillip Williamson). Look for the NOCCLA Newsletter in a few weeks with details on registration. Hope to see you there!