Volume 8, Issue 2
August 17, 2009
St. Clare of Montefalco
Clare was born at Montefalco, Italy, around 1268. As a young woman she joined a convent of Franciscans. This group established Holy Cross Convent at Montefalco in 1290, adopting the Rule of St. Augustine. Clare's sister Joan was the abbess of this community, but at her death Clare succeeded her. She led an austere life, being particularly devoted to the Passion of Christ and His Cross. When Clare died in 1308, an image of the Cross was found imprinted on her heart, and her body remained incorrupt. Pope Leo XIII canonized her in 1881. Her feast day is August 17th. The life of St. Clare reminds us that we are all called to a life of prayer and dedication. Still, we must not expect or anticipate special favors. We are to be satisfied with the simple relationship we establish with God.
Message from the Secretary for Education/Superintendent
Welcome to 2009-2010! We approach the beginning of each school year full of hope. We have another chance to outdo the successes of the previous year and to improve upon the things that need change. Our motivation is our mission, the mission of Jesus to teach as He did. Now more than ever, we need each other for support and for the blessings we bring each other as a Community of Faith. We pray in a special way for our priests in this Year for the Priests. And we look to a renewed commitment to the teaching of the Faith with a new Religion Curriculum.
While there are some challenges from the state budget, there is also the repeal of Jarod’s Law with the return to health inspections as they were done in the past. New teachers are subject to a change in their initial year of in-service for licensure. The H1N1 virus may still plague us, but we hope we are better prepared to handle the disruption. Crisis preparation has become a part of our lives, and, as the professionals you are, you take each new challenge in stride. I again remind you to register for the OCEA Convention in Cincinnati, October 8-9, 2009. You can Google OCEA Convention, and it will take you to the site address, or go to www.ohiocathconf.org and follow the prompts for registration and hotel reservations. Please support the biannual professional development where we come together as the Church of Ohio and surrounding states to learn together and from each other to further the mission of Catholic education.
Lastly, I want to thank you and your teachers who participated in the initial meetings for the year. Your presence and enthusiasm are contagious. It is our pleasure to prepare these meetings and to encounter your readiness to meet the challenges of the new school year. Special thanks go to our host schools, Magnificat for new teachers, Holy Name High School for the technology conference, and Lake Catholic for the Plenary Meeting. We greatly appreciate the welcoming attitude of your staffs and the extra effort it takes to ready your facilities perhaps sooner than you might otherwise because of these gatherings. May God bless you!
New Flu Guidance and Toolkit
On August 7, 2009, the federal government released updated guidance and a new toolkit to help school officials prepare for, and respond to, the H1N1 flu for the 2009-2010 school year. The guidance includes recommendations for school responses to flu outbreaks similar in severity to what took place this past spring as well as to potentially more severe outbreaks. The toolkit includes practical advice on how to contain the spread of flu, sample letters to parents, and posters related to flu prevention.
Complete information and links to the new guidance and toolkit are available on the Council for American Private Education's Web site.
Jarod’s Law Repealed
Jarod's Law was repealed, and with it, the related school health and safety inspections.
Below is that section of the memo on HB 1:
(8) Repeal of ³Jarod¹s Law² standards and replacement with (new) rules on sanitation:
€ Repeals current law under which boards of health, using standards and procedures adopted by the Ohio Department of Health, must inspect public and chartered nonpublic schools and their grounds at least annually to identify conditions dangerous to public health and safety.
€ Requires boards of health to inspect the sanitary condition of schools semiannually, rather than annually.
€ Repeals authorization for a board of health to close a school for imminent public health threat other than an epidemic or a high prevalence of communicable disease
€ Requires public and chartered nonpublic schools to periodically review their policies and procedures to ensure the safety of persons using the school from known hazards that pose an immediate risk to health or safety and compliance with federal law.
Attached is the memo to the Catholic Conference received from the Ohio Department of Health regarding the state "sanitary inspection" that IS required by law.
MEMORANDUM
DATE: August 4, 2009
TO: Health Commissioners and Environmental Health Directors
FROM: Mandy Burkett, Chief, Indoor Environments Section, Bureau of Environmental Health, Ohio Department of Health
SUBJECT: Jarod’s Law/School Inspections
As you know, the Budget Bill recently signed by Governor Strickland repealed the school inspection program, otherwise known as Jarod’s Law. This action is effective 90 days after signature of the bill. ODH will soon begin the process to rescind rules OAC 3701-54-01 through 3701-54-09 by October 16, 2009. House Bill 1 repealed Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Sections 3701.93 through 3701.936, amended ORC 4736.01 removing enforcement of Jarod’s Law from the definition of Environmental Health practice, and amended language in ORC 3707.26 returning it to its previous language that existed prior to Jarod’s Law. The practical effect of these statutory changes is that the language authorizing Jarod’s Law is repealed, and that statutory language is returned to its original format before Jarod’s Law was enacted. This means that local health districts are to conduct sanitary school inspections semi-annually or twice per year.
Although, schools are required to be inspected twice per year there are no rules or
standards to which those inspections must adhere. Historically, ODH Bureau of
Environmental Health provided guidance for the conduct of these inspections. ODH will continue to recommend the use of the school inspection manual (what was Jarod’s Law) for conducting sanitary school inspections. Training has been provided to local health districts and documents and related materials will continue to be maintained on the ODH Web site. If local health departments continue to use the guidance, it could be divided into two sections to minimize the impact of the required two inspections per year. ODH has been advised that some local health districts are considering adopting local school inspection programs. If a local health district is considering adopting local school inspection rules, ODH recommends consulting with their respective legal advisor. Since Jarod’s Law has been repealed, no resources have been allocated to support the school inspection program. We will be seeking opportunities to obtain support for this program, and will keep you informed as information becomes available.
John Carroll University Announces the Early Childhood Generalist Endorsement (4 th–5 th grade)
This new endorsement, which may be added to a current Early Childhood license, gives the PreK-3 teacher the credential to now teach grades 4 and 5. By taking three additional approved courses, you can extend your reach into the lower middle grades.
You can begin now! Complete the endorsement in two semesters.
There is a 33% Teacher Development Scholarship available for this program. If you have not already obtained a master’s degree, you could apply these courses toward a Master’s in Education.
Contact the Office of Graduate Studies at John Carroll University at 216.397.4284 or visit our Web site at www.jcu.edu/graduate.
Catholic High Schools in Science Internship Program at Cleveland Clinic
Of the 53 students of schools participating in and graduating from the Cleveland Clinic Program, 27 were Catholic high schools students. We congratulate: Beaumont School (1 student), Gilmour Academy (1 student), Holy Name High School (2 students), Lake Catholic High School (2 students), Magnificat High School (1 student), Our Lady of the Elms High School (1 student), Padua Franciscan High School (1 student), Regina High School (1 student), St. Edward High School (2 students), St. Ignatius High School (6 students), St. Joseph Academy (1 student), Trinity High School (7 students) and Walsh Jesuit High School (1 student).
This summer marked the fifth anniversary of the program, and more than 604 students have participated. The internship program spans more than 13 counties in Northeast Ohio. More than 20 students in the program have published research or given presentations at medical conferences and one student intern presented at the International World Congress of Cardiology.
The Science Internship Program was designed to increase high school students’ interest and literacy in science by expanding their learning experiences beyond the classroom. This nine-week, paid internship provides top science students throughout Northeast Ohio with the opportunity to work and learn alongside nationally renowned physicians and researchers from Cleveland Clinic, its community hospitals and family health centers. The program’s goal is to inspire students to not only embrace science and math as keys to success, but to also encourage them to continue scientific studies throughout their academic careers and the rest of their lives.
Special Invitation to hear Three Cups of Tea author at Saint Joseph Academy
Greg Mortenson, author of New York Times Best-seller, Three Cups of Tea, is coming to Saint Joseph Academy on Thursday, August 27. His keynote address will be at 10:00 am, followed by a brief reception for invited guests like you. Please email Keli Miller at kelimiller@sja1890.org or call her at 1.216.251.6788 by August 20 so that SJA can accommodate you.
In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.
In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without food, water, or shelter he stumbled into an impoverished Pakistani village where he was nursed back to health.
While recovering he observed the village’s 84 children sitting outdoors, scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that it could not afford the $1-a-day salary to hire a teacher. When he left the village, he promised that he would return to build them a school. From that rash, heartfelt promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time.
In an early effort to raise money he wrote letters to 580 celebrities, businessmen, and other prominent Americans. His only reply was a $100 check from NBC’s Tom Brokaw. Selling everything he owned, he still only raised $2,400. But his efforts changed when a group of elementary school children in River Falls, Wisconsin, donated $623.40 in pennies, that inspired adults to begin to take action. The 283 foot Braldu Bridge was completed in 1995 and the Korphe School was completed in 1996. Since then, he’s established 78 schools. In pursuit of his goal, Mortenson has survived an armed kidnapping, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, repeated death threats, and wrenching separations from his wife and children. Yet his success speaks for itself.
Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world. -Tom Brokaw
"Greg Mortenson represents the best of America. He’s my hero. And after you read Three Cups of Tea, he’ll be your hero, too." -U.S. Representative Mary Bono (R-Calif.)
"Three Cups of Tea is beautifully written. It is also a critically important book at this time in history. The governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both failing their students on a massive scale. The work Mortenson is doing, providing the poorest students with a balanced education, is making them much more difficult for the extremist madrassas to recruit." -Ahmed Rashid, best-selling author of Taliban: Militant Islam and Oil in Central Asia and Descent Into Chaos.
Annual Fall Meeting of NOCLA
During this time of economic upheaval and school mergers, it is necessary to create a future through collaboration and communication. Sr. Madeline Muller, H.M., is president of the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Catholic Library Association (NOCLA). The association offers members the following benefits:
- An opportunity to network with other librarians
- Semi-annual professional development workshops
- Three newsletters a year
Please consider joining the association and forwarding this letter to the school librarian.
The annual fall meeting is on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at St. Anselm School in Chesterland. The workshop will begin with refreshments at 3:30 and end at 7:00 after a delicious, catered dinner. Sr. Kathleen Glavich, SND, local author of religious books, will give a presentation to elementary school librarians entitled Books Every Catholic Elementary School Library Should Have. Mr. Jeff Good, member of the education staff of Western Reserve Public Media (PBS channels 45/49) will speak on The Many Facets of Google. Learn about Google.docs, Google Earth, Google Reader and many other ways Google can enhance classroom, library and administrative functions. Google is free. Lisa Molnar, young adult librarian for the Cuyahoga County Library will review values-oriented and religious books middle and high school librarians should have in their libraries. There will also be time to participate in a sharing session with elementary or secondary school colleagues.
Let us together create a bright future for our students. The association hopes to see you at St. Anselm School on Tuesday, September 22, 2009. Please look for our fall newsletter that will include a finalized agenda and registration details.
Teaching about the Census in Schools
Since 2010 is a census year, there are lesson plans, teaching ideas, what high school teachers need to know, quick facts, fact sheets and more. The web address below leads you to links for teachers, kids and teens; there is also a link for a coloring book.
Census in Schools: http://www.census.gov/schools/index.html
Census Coloring Book: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/pdf/coloringbook.pdf
If you want printed materials, contact:
Monica Banks-Hines
Partnership Specialist
U.S. Census Bureau
216-256-5008
Office of Catechetical Services Reminds You of annual January Thaw
The twelfth annual January Thaw: Fire Up Conference is scheduled for Saturday, January 23, 2010, at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron. This catechetical conference is sponsored by the Southern Area Catechetical Leaders of the Diocese of Cleveland in association with the Diocesan Office of Catechetical Services. Dr. Michael Carotta, author and nationally renowned speaker will keynote. The conference offers over 20 sessions for Parish and School Catechetical Leaders, Youth Ministers, Catechists, Teachers, RCIA Teams, and interested adult Catholics, plus a two-session retreat option.
A brochure with registration information will be included in the December Diocesan Memorandum and online at www.oce-ocs.org/ocs. Please note that registration is limited and will be processed on a first-come first-served basis.
For additional information, call the Southern Area Office of Catechetical Services at 1.330.773.7621 or contact pflaherty@dioceseofcleveland.org .
Lake Metroparks Outreach Programs
Lake Metroparks offers outreach programs at your school sites as well as field trip opportunities at the parks. You may review their brochure online at www.lakemetroparks.com. Click on the education tab, then click on education brochure. You may contact the parks by calling 1.440.256.3800 or emailing Ray Patacca at rpatacca@lakemetroparks.com.
Available from St. Dominic’s: Rotor Island Display for the Library
MAR-LINE Rotor Island Display (library)
6 tier paperback video display with 5 towers
Overall dimensions: 63"H x 40" D
Holds approx 750 paperbacks up to 7 1/8" high
The 5 towers rotate independently; constructed of high-impact polystyrene with clear dividers. Purchased in 2007 for $715; asking $350.
Contact: Kathy Cherney, Principal
St Dominic School
3455 Norwood Rd
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122
216-561-4400
Keeping in Touch with the Cleveland Museum of Art
Current exhibit that ends August 23 – Streams and Mountains Without End: Asian Art and the Legacy of Sherman E. Lee at the Cleveland Museum of Art
October 4, 2009 -January 18, 2010 – Gauguin: Paris, 1889
Museum hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday, Friday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
CLOSED Monday
Visit the Cleveland Museum of Art at www.clevelandart.org
SAVE THE DATES
Catholic School Secretaries’ Workshop - Wednesday, September 30
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
St. Paschal Baylon School
5360 Wilson Mills Road
Highland Heights, OH 44143
Cost $25.00
McRel® Power Walkthroughs – Monday, October 5, 2009 – For Principals
9:00 am – 11:30 am
Assumption Academy
9183 Broadview Road
Broadview Heights, OH 44147
Register online at www.oce-ocs/oce/register by September 11.
Battelle Developmental Inventory and Bracken Kindergarten Readiness Instrument – Tuesday, October 20, 2009 – For Principals
St. Paschal Baylon School
5360 Wilson Mills Road
Highland Heights, OH 44143
Register online www.oce-ocs/oce/register by October 2.