Volume 8, Issue 20
May 24, 2010 (Monday after Pentecost)
Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, the commemoration and celebration of the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early church. On the Day of Pentecost, just as promised, a violent wind filled the house and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them, and all were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were given the power of communication that Peter used to begin the ministry for which Jesus had prepared him. After the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples did not stay in the room basking in God’s glory but burst out to tell the world. This was the beginning of the Church as we know it.
The celebration of Pentecost Sunday reminds us of the reality that we all have the unifying Spirit that was poured out upon the first century Church in Acts 2:1-4. It is a reminder that we are co-heirs with Christ, to suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him; that the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7); that we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13); and that the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead lives inside believers (Romans 8:9-11). This gift of the Holy Spirit that was promised and given to all believers on the first Pentecost is promised for you and your children and for all who are far off whom the Lord our God will call (Acts 2:39). Adapted from Got Questions Ministries © Copyright 2002-2010.
Message from the Secretary for Education/Superintendent
Another school year is coming to a close very quickly. I want to thank you for the excellent work you do, and I look forward to another year in which we can serve the mission of Catholic education in our diocese. Congratulations to all of the graduates, teachers, principals, and parents!
It is sometimes easy to get bogged down with the details, the planning and the anticipation of closing events. If we give ourselves a moment to reflect on the bigger picture, we can be proud of our accomplishments and give thanks to God for the many blessings we receive on a daily basis. Although like other dioceses the closing of parishes and schools has touched us, you and we have tried to manage these closings, painful as they are, with care and thought for those whose lives are disrupted through them. We thank our principals, teachers, and parents for their patience and offer them our continued assistance through the process.
Correction – Health Care Credit
The last issue of Superintendent’s Bulletin contained an article stating that schools with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees are eligible for a health care credit. We have done additional research on this point and, unfortunately, our schools do not qualify for the credit. Because all are affiliated with the Diocese for federal reporting purposes, the number of employees far exceeds 25.
CEET Emergency Fund Grants
If any of your school families received an Emergency Fund grant during the course of this current school year…and if they did not submit a PSAS application by the Round 1 deadline of March 1, please have them do so by the Round 2 deadline of June 1. Emergency Fund grants are intended as a one-time-only assistance, not something to be applied for each year. The Diocesan Tuition Assistance is for that purpose. Questions: please contact Jan Ravas at ext. 2830 or via e-mail at jravas@dioceseofcleveland.org.
XLT – An Intense Experience of Prayer, Adoration and Worship
When: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 7:00 pm to 9:15 pm
Who: Special Guest Speaker: Tommy Dome, Youth Minister, St. Basil the Great
Where: Sacred Heart Chapel on the campus of The Center for Pastoral Leadership, 287 Euclid Avenue, Wickliffe, OH 44092
Join the Vocation Office at the FEST
The Annual FEST is Sunday, August 8, 2010 on the grounds of The Center for Pastoral Leadership. Visit the Vocation Tent outside and pick up tickets to take a tour of the inside of the seminary. Visit www.clevelandcatholicpriesthood.com for all the details.
New Directions: Catechetical Conference Materials Available
The Office of Catechetical Services will once again sponsor the annual New Directions: Catechetical Conference on August 9th and August 10th at Magnificat High School. As in past years, a variety of courses (suitable for Adult Faith Formation and catechetical certification) will be offered over the 2-day conference. The New Directions Web site is now available and contains all of the conference info including online registration. A link has been placed on the OCS Home Page http://www.oce-ocs.org/ocs. Please register early and encourage others to do the same as many of our courses fill up quickly. If you have questions regarding how the conference courses can fulfill certification requirements for you, your catechists or teachers, please contact a catechetical consultant prior to registration.
We Are Called Catechetical Conference
Please save the date for the next conference for parish catechists and day school teachers, grades 1 through 8. It will be held on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at Padua High School in Parma from 8:30 to 1:00. The conference will provide a prayer service and keynote by Bishop Lennon, a variety of catechetical workshops with hands-on materials, opportunities for faith formation and exhibitor’s resources. A retreat lead by Bill Miller is an option to the workshops. Mark your calendar and plan to attend. Registration will be through the Office of Catechetical Services.
January Thaw - Save the Date
Please save Saturday, January 29, 2011 for the annual "January Thaw" Conference at Archbishop Hoban High School. More details will be released closer to the event.
The next four items are from the EdConnection of State Superintendent Deborah Delisle.
Updates Announced to Transition Resident Educator Program
The Transition Resident Educator Program will be in place again for the 2010-2011 school year before moving into the four-year Resident Educator Program. Below are several important updates. Items in bold are new for this coming year. Mentors who were trained and certified in Instructional Mentoring by ODE-certified trainers during the 2009-2010 school year do not need additional state training to serve as mentors in 2010-2011. Additional Instructional Mentoring sessions will be scheduled regionally over the summer and fall months. Please check STARS regularly, using keywords Instructional Mentoring, for registration details, dates and locations. Program coordinators may register resident educators for the Transition Resident Educator Program in CORE beginning in September 2010. Program coordinators also must include the name of the resident educator’s mentor. To be eligible to participate in the 2010-2011 Transition Resident Educator Program, beginning teachers must: Hold a valid Provisional Teacher License of any type, including a Career Technical Route B license or an Alternative Educator License; Teach at least two classes or .25 FTE in their area of licensure or in the area in which the teacher holds a supplemental teaching license; Be employed by an ODE-chartered educational entity or a preschool licensed by ODE or the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services; Work 120 days as determined by the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio; and Be assigned an ODE-certified, trained mentor by their employer. Be sure to regularly check ODE’s Resident Educator Web page for updated information and contacts. <http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1260&ContentID=67249>
From Missy Hokanson re: the above:
Teachers, who will be mentoring for the 2010-2011, will need to go through a training, IF they did not attend this school year. If the teacher has been a mentor and trained under Pathwise, they can attend the one-day training session. Teachers who have not mentored before must attend the 2-day sessions. Registration for the date(s) must be made through STARS. To register through STARS go to: http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1223&ContentID=3787&Content=77034. The dates for our area are: One day is June 9 and the two day is June 28-29 at Valley View, but payment needs to be received in order to complete registration. Any questions? Call Missy Hokanson at ext. 3360.
Register now for the 2010-2011 Real World Design Challenge
High school teachers who want to coach teams in the 2010-2011 Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) can sign up now so that participants can begin practicing with the free software made possible through this national science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition. Last year, Ohio had the highest number of teams in the nation register for the RWDC, which allows high school teams to design and present fuel-efficient solutions to an aviation problem. Student teams have access to professional engineering mentors from around the country who volunteer for the program. Team members also can download 3-D engineering design and project communications software, which has been improved since last year. Teachers are advised to begin recruiting local engineering mentors and up to seven students for each school team. If team members are not yet confirmed, teachers can register now and confirm the final listing of participants in the fall. Students may learn more about RWDC by logging into Facebook and searching for Real World Design Challenge. To register for RWDC and view resource materials, click here: <http://www.realworlddesignchallenge.org/>. To learn about the software, click here: <http://www.ptcacademy.com/>. For more information, contact Ohio RWDC Coordinator Dick Dieffenderfer, at dick.dieffenderfer@ode.state.oh.us or 614.644.7356.
New Operational Waiver Form Approved by State Board
House Bill 1 required the State Board to develop criteria for waivers granted under ORC 3306. These include waivers from meeting certain requirements, such as expenditure of funds and operating standards, including minimum school year requirements. The State Board adopted these criteria during its May meeting. Public school districts (excluding community schools), educational service centers and chartered nonpublic schools can apply to ODE for a waiver of state standards, requirements or rules under these new procedures. For information about the new application and how these changes affect the Innovative Education Pilot Program Waiver, click here: <http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=84&ContentID=5134>, or visit education.ohio.gov and searching for keywords: Operational Waiver.
The Web site above contains the information sheet and application form for a waiver.
A few notes from Carolyn Jurkowitz, Catholic Conference of Ohio, (CCO) on waivers:
- There no longer is a distinct form for nonpublic schools. Public school districts and chartered nonpublic schools use the same form.
- ODE must approve all waivers. Waivers are approved on a school year basis (July 1 - June 30), and may be effective for a period not to exceed five school years. Completed waiver applications must be received by ODE at least 45 days prior to initial use and no later than December 31 of the year of implementation.
- Waiver applications must be approved by the chief administrative officer/superintendent before they are submitted to ODE. You will see that the form requires signed letters to that effect. Our schools are chartered through OCSAA, whose authority rests with the Commission (Superintendents). Schools generally apply for these waivers to get exceptions to school calendars (i.e., permission for extra professional development days). Since the ODE holds us accountable for school calendars, it makes good sense that schools applying for waivers go through the Superintendent to do so. Failure to be in session for the approved number of school days is grounds for losing state funding.
Credit Flexibility Waiver is Available
School districts may request a one-year waiver for a specific component of the Credit Flexibility Policy if that component proves to be overly challenging and would prevent the district from fully implementing its policy next school year. For the waiver to be granted, the local board of education must pass a resolution requesting the waiver and submit a hard-copy request signed by the local education agency superintendent to ODE no later than July 1. Click here: <http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1864&ContentID=85420> to view a guidance document, frequently asked questions and an application about this waiver process, or visit <http://www.education.ohio.gov/> , keywords search: credit flexibility waiver.
This concludes the information from the State Superintendent.
All Principals – ODE Mandated Services Final Data Entry
A reminder to ALL principals: Please enter your final Administrative Cost Reimbursement (Mandated Services) totals onto the Ohio Department of Education Web site using your SAFE Account by Tuesday, June 15th. This process is similar to the ADM entry in October, but if you have forgotten, a step-by-step reminder of the process will be sent to all principals via email in late May. Be sure to check your LEECA email for the steps to this process.
DOHS Online Curriculum Available to All DOHS Students
The Diocesan–Owned High Schools have developed an online curriculum among the six schools (Cleveland Central Catholic, Elyria Catholic, Holy Name, Lake Catholic, St. Peter Chanel, and Villa Angela-St. Joseph). Students at any of the six schools can elect to take a class from the other schools they do not attend at no additional cost. The online courses enable innovative learning methods that integrate the use of supportive technologies, inquiry, problem-based approaches and higher order thinking skills. Students who enroll in one of these courses become a member of an expanded learning community. Field trips are being planned for the beginning of the school year so participants can meet one another along with their instructor. Courses offered next year are Personal Finance, French III, Holocaust, Genocide: Prejudice and Propaganda, Economics, Contemporary Affairs, and Office Applications.
Teachers Sizzling Summer 2010 Workshop: Igniting Student Success
Tuesday—Friday, August 3,4,5,6, 9:45—5:00 PM at The Cleveland Museum of Art
Teachers of all grade levels are invited to participate in a one of a kind four-day institute. Teachers can become skilled at infusing art into core curricula and instruction. An optional fifth day for early childhood educators is also available.
Throughout the session, teachers will discover teaching strategies and resources with an art-centered interdisciplinary approach to help foster student success. The sessions, linked to academic content standards are taught by a variety of professionals and focus on literacy skills, math, science and social studies. The theme for the entire workshop is Color. Hands on projects will be included culminating in a book that the teachers create. The teachers can enliven the classroom with an arts-integrated approach to learning!
Course outline includes:
Expression
The museum collection is filled with images and symbols and untold stories. Teachers will learn how students can understand the artists’ messages found in historic media such as prints, illuminated manuscripts and paintings.
Resources
Teachers will discover museum resources for the classroom curriculum. Behind the scenes tours and demonstrations include the distance learning studio, the Print Study Room, the CMA library and an Art To Go suitcase presentation.
Experimentation
Hands on activities encourage learning at the application level. Teachers experiment with arts integrated, multi-disciplinary concepts for classroom use.
Creativity
Inspired by presentation topics such as bookbinding, tempera paint making and graphic fiction during the workshop, teachers will create their own books which can be used as models for their classroom projects.
Registration Information
Fees: $260 for four days includes daily lunch, parking, materials and a certificate of attendance. A graduate credit hour from Ashland University is available for an additional cost of $185. Registration and fees cover the entire four-day institute. Participants may register for an optional fifth day for early childhood educators.
Please register with The Cleveland Museum Box Office by phone at 216.421.7350 or online at http://www.clevelandart.org/learn.aspx. For more information on the workshop curriculum, contact Claire Rogers at 216.707.2480. For more information on the optional fifth day only, please contact Mary Ryan at 216.707.2181.
Please register by July 27, 2010. The museum reserves the right to cancel the institute if enrollment is low.
Lake Erie Monsters 2nd Annual Student Education Day, November 10, 2010
Reservations are being accepted now. Reserve before June 11th and receive an additional discount on tickets. Bring your school or class for an exciting educational day with the Lake Erie Monsters. Features:
- Special morning hockey game packed with educational content
- Specifically designed curriculum that covers reading, mathematics, and science
- Free bus parking
- Tickets are $8.00 if paid in full with one free ticket for a chaperone for a group of 19 or less; two free tickets for groups of 20+
More than 8,000 students attended the inaugural event last season. To sign up or for more information call Carl Manteau at 2216.420.2141 or go to www.LakeErieMonsters.com/Education.
Year for Priests
With the closing of the Year for Priests on June 19th, we once again recall the dedication of our priests and ask God’s blessing upon them through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God.
Dear Lord,
we pray that the Blessed Mother
wrap her mantle around your priests
and through her intercession
strengthen them for their ministry.
We pray that Mary will guide your priests
to follow her own words,
“Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).
May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph,
Mary’s most chaste spouse.
May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart
inspire them to embrace
all who suffer at the foot of the cross.
May your priests be holy,
filled with the fire of your love
seeking nothing but your greater glory
and the salvation of souls.
Amen.
Saint John Vianney, pray for us