Volume 8, Issue 5
September 28, 2009

Feast of St. Wenceslas

If saints have been falsely characterized as "otherworldly," the life of Wenceslas stands as an example to the contrary: He stood for Christian values in the midst of the political intrigues which characterized 10th-century Bohemia. He was born in 907 near Prague, son of the Duke of Bohemia. When he became king, his rule was marked by efforts toward unification within Bohemia, support of the Church and peace-making negotiations with Germany.

"Good King Wenceslas" was able to incarnate his Christianity in a world filled with political unrest. While we are often victims of violence of a different sort, we can easily identify with his struggle to bring harmony to society. The call to become involved in social change and in political activity is addressed to Christians; the values of the gospel are sorely needed today.

"While recognizing the autonomy of the reality of politics, Christians who are invited to take up political activity should try to make their choices consistent with the gospel and, in the framework of a legitimate plurality, to give both personal and collective witness to the seriousness of their faith by effective and disinterested service of men" (Pope Paul VI, A Call to Action, 46). Taken from Saint of the Day, AmericanCatholic.org.

Message from the Superintendent
October 4, besides being the traditional feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, this year is Respect Life Sunday. This year’s theme is “Every child brings us God’s smile.” High schools should have received a packet of information to develop with students. At the elementary level, this is a perfect time to present lessons on the social justice theme of dignity of the human person and to discuss the building of positive relationships with others as well as anti-bullying behavior.

Although we do not take political positions, in the health care reform debate that continues, we are reminded that Catholic Social Teaching implies that health care is a right. Every person, created in the image and likeness of God, has a right to life and to those things necessary to sustain life, including affordable, quality health care. This teaching is rooted in the biblical call to heal the sick and to serve “the least of these,” our concern for human life and dignity, and the principle of the common good.

Finally, I hope to see you at the OCEA Convention next week in Cincinnati!

Diocesan Offices Move to 1404 East Ninth Street
As of last week, the following offices have moved to Cathedral Square Plaza:
Office of the Bishop
Office of the Chancellor
Reconfiguration
Communications
Facilities
Pastoral Planning
Universe Bulletin
Tribunal
Archives
(The Office of Worship had already moved in August.)

The phone numbers to these offices remain the same.

Congratulations! Blue Ribbon Schools 2009
Only 50 private schools from across America are chosen annually for this prestigious award. How much more significant is it then that four of the 50 are from our diocese this year. We applaud their efforts at excellence and share in their pride of achievement. We send hearty congratulations to each school! The schools will be honored at the awards ceremony in November in Washington, D.C.

Seton Catholic School
6923 Stow Road
Hudson, OH 44236-3240

St Ignatius High School
1911 West 30th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113-3495

St Joseph School
1909 Third Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221-3894

St Paschal Baylon School
5360 Wilson Mills Rd.
Highland Heights, OH 44143-3023

Congratulations Governor’s Awards for Excellence Winners!
The Ohio Department of Education will send the following schools certificates for the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Youth Science Opportunities for the 2008-2009 school year:

The Ohio Academy of Science selected these 90 Ohio schools and 300 teachers to receive these awards for their accomplishments during the 2008-2009 school year. We are proud of our Catholic schools that are a part of this elite group.

“These schools are engaged in project-based curricula, the central element of an *STEM education program,” said Lynn Elfner, the Academy’s CEO.

“Receiving a Governor’s Award for Excellence sends a clear signal that these schools and teachers value student-originated, inquiry-based science education as outlined in the Ohio Science Education Standards and in the National Science Education Standards,” said the CEO. “Whole new worlds of opportunities open up to students when they complete research or technological design projects,” he continued.

To qualify for the Governor’s Award, each school conducted a local science fair with 20 or more students, sent one or more of these students to one of the Academy’s 16 district science days, and involved students in one or more youth science opportunities beyond the classroom such as State Science Day, visits to museums, mentorship programs, and extended field trips.

The Ohio Academy of Science initiated this educational partnership program in cooperation with The Office of The Governor and the Ohio Department of Education to recognize schools and teachers who stimulate student scientific research and extend science education opportunities beyond traditional classroom activities. The Technology Division of The Ohio Department of Development has supported this program since 1985 by grants to The Ohio Academy of Science.

*STEM is science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Middle-School Math Assessment Collaborative 2009/2010
This year, MMAC sessions will focus on engaging in DATA DRIVEN ACTION! Participants will:

• Appreciate Seven Essential Understandings of Using Data for instruction.
• Construct high quality diagnostic MC, SA, and ER items in middle school mathematics.
• Use the data from those MC, SA, and ER items to design and implement APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIONS!
• Focus on ways to help students to use their data to self-assess and self-regulate their own learning.

To ensure that everyone who is interested in attending MMAC meetings can participate, the small auditorium on the first floor of the building is reserved to hold the two yearly MMAC meetings. To defray the cost of the auditorium and lunch, member districts are asked to pay $39 per year per person to attend both MMAC meetings. Since the Diocese of Cleveland is a member, schools pay the member price. Please make checks payable to CSU-GCEDC. Send registration to Nancy Carnes at the GCEDC, 2121 Euclid Avenue, CE 300, Cleveland, OH 44115. Indicate the district as Diocese of Cleveland, name your school and list yourself (principal) and your email as the contact person. Give the names of teachers, and their grade/position and their emails if possible.
MMAC meetings will be held from 8:30am to 3:30pm on Friday, October 16, 2009 and Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at CSU on the first floor of the Cole Center. Participants should bring their math textbooks, standards and fully charged laptops (whenever possible). Again Donna Snodgrass and Sally Mascia are the MMAC co-facilitators. If you have questions, contact Donna at 1.216.523.7108.

Tax Tip for Teachers
Teachers often spend their own money for books, software and classroom supplies, but they can get back some of it through a tax break. With the start of a new school year, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding teachers about the educator expense deduction. This allows eligible educators – that also includes counselors, aides and principals – to subtract up to $250 of out-of-pocket expenses.

The deduction applies to educators who work in public and private schools at least 900 hours during the year. And the deduction can be taken even if the teacher doesn’t itemize. Eric Erickson, the IRS spokesman for Ohio and West Virginia, advises teachers to save their receipts for filing next year.

H1N1 Materials
You may access the booklet, “Bring Out the Healthy Heroes in our School” from the Ohio Department of Health by visiting http://www/odh.ohio.gov/landing/phs_emergency/panflu/pfschools.aspx. ODH has also posted a fact sheet summarizing the symptoms of pandemic H1N1 flu and the warning signs for when to seek medical care outside the home at http://www.odh.ohio.gov/ASSETS/49E4C587F3D74195807DF1472A410873/When%20to%20seek%20medical%20care%20H1N1.pdf. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that kids stay home for 24 hours after fever is gone without using fever-reducing medication before they return to school.

National Chemistry Week
The American Chemical Society encourages elementary and high school science/chemistry teachers to foster student participation in their contests to celebrate National Chemistry Week, October 18-24, 2009. There is a poster contest: “Chemistry – It’s Elemental” and Chemistry Contests: Chemistry – It’s Elemental” for Grades k-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

For contest rules and other information, please visit the Web site at http://www.csuohio.edu/sciences/dept/cleveland_acs/NCW Click on “Contests” under the blue bar on the next page or contact Bob at 216.403.9448 for a copy of the contest materials. If you do not participate as a class, please inform your students so that they can participate on their own by visiting the Web site.

National Chemistry Week is a program sponsored by the American Chemical Society and celebrated each year during the third week of October. The Cleveland Section of the ACS observes NCW by conducting Poster and Chemistry Contestsa and by creating fun experiments for grade and high school students based on the annual ACS NCW theme. Experiment kits are created and distributed to volunteers who conduct demonstrations at local Cuyahoga County libraries and are distributed to teachers who attend the Cleveland Regional Conference of Science Teachers (http://www.ctsc.org/crcst/fall%20conf.htm).

The Cleveland Museum of Art Viva! & Gala: Puerto Plata; Film: Cleveland Premieres
VIVA!& Gala: Puerto Plata
Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:30 pm
Murch Auditorium
Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Legendary Dominican guitarist Puerto Plata (born Jose Manuel Cobles) opens the 2009-10 VIVA!& Gala season with his Cleveland debut. Born in 1923 in the resort town that gave him his name, Plata plays the guitar and sings Dominican sones, boleros, and meringues, his voice reflecting romance and trouble. Tickets can be purchased from The Cleveland Museum of Art.

FILM
In Search of Beethoven , Wednesday, September 30, 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm
Robert Blecker Wants Me Dead , Wednesday, September 30, 7:00 pm

Tickets can be purchased at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Conference for Ohio Middle Grade Teachers
Making the Connection to Higher Learning , November 30-December 1, 2009,

Hilton Columbus at Eaton
3900 Chagrin Drive
Columbus, OH 43219

For reservations and directions call 1.614.414.5000.

The Conference is sponsored by SDE: Staff Development for Educators. For a complete brochure of information call 1-800-462-1478 or go online to www.SDE.com/REGISTER.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Contest
The contest celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is open to all students enrolled in grades 1-12 and is part of the 10 th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, R. Holiday Breakfast Celebration. The Breakfast is planned for Monday, January 18, 2010. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Scholarship Committee of Cleveland, Ohio sponsors both the contest and breakfast.

Principals will receive detailed information about the contest in the October Principal Meeting packets. The deadline is mid-November. Please be informed that parental permission is not needed for your students to enter the contest. The names of parents are requested on the application form to facilitate parental notification once contest winners have been identified. If you do not want to list home addresses, please leave those lines blank. The school will be contacted to facilitate parental notification of winning entries. Please encourage participation in the contest.

2010 Congressional Advocacy Days
These days are sponsored by USCCB Secretariat of Catholic Education in collaboration with the meetings of the Board and State Network of the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).

When: Sunday, March 14 - Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Where: 480 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024

What: Information sessions
Briefings from representatives of Administration and Congress
Opportunities for networking with Catholic and other private school Representatives
Cost: Registration fee - $175
Nightly room rate - $169+taxes

Watch for Registration information in December.

Celebrate Priesthood Sunday, October 25, 2009
As baptized Christians we enjoy the life of grace that God promises. On Priesthood Sunday, especially in this Year for Priests, we gratefully reflect on the gift of priesthood for the Church and for those men who have generously responded to this vocation. Furthermore, we invite the Catholic community to pray that the Holy Spirit may inspire more men to discern this call to service in the person of Jesus Christ.

Please take this opportunity to affirm the presence and ministry that priests share with your school and the Church. In addition to the mailing you received from the Vocation Office, please go online to www.priestsunday.org and www.usccb.org/yearforpriests for more ideas.

Prayer for Priests  

In this Year of the Priest, O God, we ask Your blessing on those You have called to priestly ministry.

May they, above all, be faithful and passionate followers of Your Beloved Son, Jesus.

May they be compassionate, as Jesus was, toward all who seek spiritual comfort and forgiveness.

May they open wide their hearts to all in need of Your merciful embrace.  

May they be teachers, as Jesus was, steeped in Your Word and teaching, on fire with it,
and breaking it open for all who are hungry for Your holy and transforming Word.  

May they be prophets, as Jesus was, speaking courageously for what is right and true,
proclaiming Your kingdom to all in need of Your grace and giving voice to all Your children, especially the poor and marginalized.  

May they be prayerful, as Jesus was, hearts burning within them and set upon You above all.
From the rising of the sun to its setting, may they be the voice of praise and thanksgiving, and of faith, hope, and love to all in their care.

St. John Vianney, beloved priest of God, pray for us and for all your brother priests. Amen.