Volume 9, Issue 5
September 27 , 2010

Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent was born of poor parents in a village in France, about 1580. He enjoyed his first schooling under the Franciscan Fathers. Such had been his progress in four years that a gentleman chose him as teacher to his children, and he was thus enabled to continue his studies without being a burden to his parents. In 1596, he went to the University of Toulouse for theological studies, and there he was ordained priest in 1600.

In 1605, on a voyage by sea, he fell into the hands of African pirates and was carried as a slave to Tunis. His captivity lasted about two years, until Divine Providence enabled him to escape. After a brief visit to Rome he returned to France. In 1617, he began to preach missions, and in 1625, he laid the foundations of a congregation, which afterward became the Congregation of the Mission, which the Fathers began to occupy in 1633.

It would be impossible to enumerate all the works of this servant of God. Charity was his predominant virtue. It extended to all classes of persons, from forsaken childhood to old age. The Sisters of Charity also owe the foundation of their congregation to St. Vincent. In the midst of the most distracting occupations his soul was always intimately united with God. Though honored by the great ones of the world, he remained deeply rooted in humility. The Apostle of Charity, the immortal Vincent de Paul, breathed his last in Paris at the age of eighty. His feast day is September 27th. He is the patron of charitable societies.
Adapted from Catholic Online.

Message from the Secretary for Education/Superintendent

Now that the opening meetings and orientations are done both diocesan-wide and in your schools, you’ve turned to completing those wonderful opening school reports. You should also have received a reminder to register for the Principals’ Leadership Conference. This year’s theme is Catholic School Leaders: Stewards of Faith and Culture. It again promises to be a great time away to renew and refresh you. But, before the Conference, we have a wonderful opportunity to listen to Bishop Pilla on “Sustained By the Word” at the Teachers’ Professional Development Day, October 15. We are in full swing. Let us enjoy these times together and make the most of the opportunity to celebrate and learn.

I call your attention to the Catholic Conference of Ohio Web site. You can access it quickly from the OCE site under the caption News. The e-Focus Newsletter for September/October clearly delineates the Catholic position on voting. The Newsletter has links to Making Moral Choices In Voting and Reflection Questions on Choosing Political Candidates with a Prayer Before an Election. The Ohio Legislative News & Issues Updates will be of interest to all Ohio citizens. Please alert social studies teachers to the e-Focus Newsletter.

Thank you for your cooperation with the recent email requests from my office. We often are asked to participate in “getting out the news” or completing surveys with little lead-time. You always come through, and I am very grateful.

NCEA’s recent publication, Building a Spiritual Community Among Faculty, Staff Development Processes For Educators In Catholic Schools by Gini Shimabukuro, Ed.D and Marcy Fox, Ed.D, may be of interest to you in planning your faculty meetings. In the introduction, page vii, the authors state:

“If you wish to…

… encourage your faculty to embrace a vision of spirituality that includes their daily interactions with colleagues and students

… challenge educators to explore their inner selves and engage in meaningful dialogue with their fellow teachers

… create a community of trust so that teachers develop a more purposeful sense of vocation

… then, this book may help you.” It is a well written, easy to follow compilation of prayers and exercises that can be worked into any meeting. The book is well worth considering for your resource shelf.

Diocesan Stewardship Conference

Please join us for this year’s Diocesan Stewardship Conference on Thursday, October 28, 2010. There is a particular breakout session, Step-by-Step Student Stewardship, presented by Annette Klanac (DRE from St. Adalbert Parish) that may interest you. Annette will explain this comprehensive program for children in grades Kindergarten through Eighth grade that provides a focus to the students on different aspects of service to their parish and community.

Registration materials have been mailed to all Catholic school principals. You may also download them by going to www.dioceseofcleveland.org and clicking on the Stewardship link under “Diocesan Initiatives.”

Given below are a few of the details about the event:

WHAT:    Forming Communities of Stewards: Stewardship Conference

     Practical ways to live, teach, and engage others in the

Spirituality of Stewardship

WHEN:    Thursday, October 28, 2010

      8:30 am – 3:30 pm (lunch provided)

WHERE:    Ss. Peter & Paul Parish, Garfield Heights

WHO:     Good Stewards, regardless of parish role!

Clergy, Parish Staff, Principals and Teachers, Parish Ministry Leadership, Interested Parishioners, Converted Hearts  

KEYNOTE:   Monsignor Vincent E. Rush, Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY

     Great Homilist, Pastor, Teacher & Author

BREAKOUT SESSIONS: A variety of breakout sessions with new resources on pertinent topics that address spiritual and practical formation in the area of stewardship.

COST:     $40 per person

For more information contact the Stewardship Office: Mary Pat Frey at 216.696.6525 x2120, mpfrey@cdcf.org or Terri Preskar at 216.696.6525 x5090, tpreskar@cdcf.org.

Diocesan Teachers’ Professional Day, Friday, October 15, 2010
The theme for Teachers’ Professional Day this year is SUSTAINED BY THE WORD. As in the past, we are grateful for the willingness of BedfordHigh School and St. Peter Chanel High School to host this event. Our keynote speaker will be the Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla, Retired Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. We welcome Bishop and are pleased to have him. Please fax your teacher lists of attendees for the day to Mike Voinovich at 216-696-2757.
  
As you know 2010-2011 is the last year of the biennium – all funds must be spent by June 30, 2011. Vendors look forward to displaying their products to our school personnel. In our diocese more than 20 million dollars will be spent on textbooks, computers, software, and other educational material during the 2010-2011 school year. This is an opportunity to thank our vendors and support them in these difficult economic times.

Praesidium Training This Week
The launch of Praesidium in the Diocese of Cleveland is here.  The next training session is Thursday, September 30, from 9:00 to 4:00 and Friday October 1 from 9:00 to 12:00at the Center for Pastoral Leadership for health teachers and/or principals.  Please register by September 23rd to Sharon Minson 216.696.6525 x1157 or sminson@dioceseofcleveland.org. The practical Follow-Up Conversation will be held at Holy Martyrs on Wednesday, October 6 from 9:00 to 12:00. To register, call Mary Keating at 216.696.6525 x3260 or www.oce-ocs.org/ocs. Registration deadline is Monday October 4th.

We Are Called Catechetical Conference
Please join us at the We Are Called Catechetical Conference on Saturday, October 16th at Padua High School in Parma from 8:30 to 1:00. The We Are Called Catechetical Conference is focused primarily on catechetical updating for teachers and catechists in grades 1 through grade 8. Bishop Lennon will be the keynote speaker and Bill Miller, Secretary for Catechesis, will offer the retreat option.  If not selecting the retreat, participants will have a choice of two one-hour workshops. Please see the full brochure and registration details on the OCS Web site:  www.oce-ocs.org/ocs. The registration deadline is October 8th.

UrsulineCollegeCatholicSchool Administrators’ Program

I encourage all principals to consider the potential of your teachers to pursue a Masters in administration as future Catholic school leaders. UrsulineCollege is planning an open house on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 for interested teachers. You received an email with an attachment to complete for any of your teachers who qualify. Nominations are due to Marty Kane by October 15. Upon receipt of your nomination, Ursuline will send a personal invitation to the each teacher for the open house. We are grateful to Ursuline for their preparation of administrators for our schools.

Ursuline Institute of Learning

The Institute is a ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. At the UrsulineEducationalCenter in Pepper Pike, the Ursuline Institute of Learning provides one-on-one instruction for students of all ages, including instruction for professional adults who lack knowledge of English idioms. Services provided at the inner-city location, St. Philip Neri Community Center, are totally subsidized.

Services include:

• Assessment of strengths and weaknesses in reading and math for students in grades one through 12.
• Individual instruction in reading, math, language arts elementary through college.
• Pre-kindergarten readiness skills development.
• GED, ACT, SAT and proficiency test preparation.
• Assistance with homework, study skills and special assignments.
• Adult mentoring in cultural integration, including written and oral English.
• Individualized, educationally oriented services that help students discover their self-worth by realizing their talents.

For more information about the Ursuline Institute of Learning or to arrange an appointment, please complete the following information and return it to the location at which you’d like to receive services:

Director of Admissions

Ursuline Institute of Learning

Ursuline Educational Center

2600 Lander Road

Pepper Pike, OH44124

Director of Admissions

Ursuline Institute of Learning

St. Philip Neri Community Center

799 East 82 nd St.

Cleveland, OH44103

Information to include: Name, Address, City, State, ZIP, Daytime phone, Evening phone and

What kind of assistance in what areas: Pre-K, Elementary, High school, College, Adult mentoring, or GED assistance.

You may also call the director of admissions at 1.440.1200 ext. 280 for the Pepper Pike location.

For the Cleveland location, call 1.216.391.7557. Or, you may email your information to uil@ursulinesisters.org.

January Thaw
The thirteenth annual “January Thaw:  Fire Up” Conference is scheduled for Saturday, January 29, 2011, at ArchbishopHobanHigh 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. ValLimar Jansen, singer, recording artist, professor and leader of worship and prayer will keynote and lead the morning prayer.  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 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 Office of Catechetical Services (Southern Area Office) at 330-773-7621 or contact pflaherty@dioceseofcleveland.org.

Resources for Dealing with Bullying

A Resource KIT and other materials are available online at: www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov. As an example, there is a sample Newsletter Article: Bullying Among Children and Youth that answers the questions: What is bullying? How much of a problem is bullying? Isn’t bullying just a part of growing up? Where does bullying happen? Do boys and girls bully in the same ways? Who takes part in bullying? Who is bullied? What causes a student to start bullying? What can be done to reduce bullying in school? This is a great article to put into the school newsletter.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum

Have you and your teachers taken advantage of the Rockin’ the Schools Programs? You should have received the Rockin’ the Schools sm booklet of On-Site Educational Programs. Each program actively engages your students in meeting and exceeding Ohio academic content standards in the arts and other core subject areas. These classes include demonstrations, performances, musical examples, videos, multimedia presentations, printed materials, and student participation. Cleveland is proud to be the home of the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans, and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. Rockin’ the Schools programs are FREE for Northeast Ohio schools located within zip codes that begin with 440, 441, 442, and 443. Schools located outside of these zip codes are welcome to attend Rockin’ the Schools classes at a discounted rate. For more information, please contact Group Sales at 216.515.1228. For our schools, the cost of transportation is the only real cost. For any group trip there is a maximum of 146 students, 15 chaperones and 3 drivers per program. For more information and to register go to: www.rockhall.com/forms/rockin-registration or call 216.515.1228.

PSI Sponsored Workshops

From Phonics to Fluency to Proficient Reading presented by Tim Rasinski, Ph.D.

• KentStateUniversity professor of literacy education
• October 28, 2010; 8:00 am – 3:15 pm
• CuyahogaCountyESC – Canal Road, Valley View
• Contact Brenda Anderson at PSI, ext. 237 for information or to RSVP

PSI in the AM, a periodic breakfast speaker program:

• The Next Step in Your Blue Ribbon Application

• Mr. John Bednar, Principal
• St. Paschal BaylonSchool, HighlandHeights
• October 5, 2010; 8:30 am – 11:00 am
• Contact Brenda Anderson at PSI, ext. 237 to RSVP

• Restructuring Your Open House

• SDG Consultants: Stacey Picard and Sr. Ritamary Welsh, OSU
• November 16, 2010; 9:00 – 10:30 am; Location to be announced
• Topics: When an open house is most effective; How to get prospective families in the door; What to do with them once you have them there; A primer for school principals and marketing committee members
• Contact Brenda Anderson at PSI, ext. 237 to RSVP

Uruguay-United States Educator Exchange Program

The American Councils for International Education (ACIE) is actively recruiting teachers and administrators for this exchange program. This is a fully funded short-term, international exchange program. The ACIE will be accepting applications until October 18, 2010. The application and further details can be accessed at http://www.americancouncils.org/program/48/USEEP/.

This program and others are supported and fully funded through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by American Councils for International Education. There are other programs accepting applications for the 2010-2011 school year. You can read more about these programs at www.americancouncils.org/es.

While in the host country, participants shadow their international colleague, network with educational leaders in the country, and develop joint classroom projects and school partnerships supportable through the program’s follow-up grant funds. Through nation-wide competitions, approximately 150 U.S. teachers and principals are selected each year to participate in 2-3 week exchange programs in the host countries. Additionally, the program brings approximately 150 international teachers and principals for 2-3 week programs to be hosted by schools across the United States.

For more specific questions about the Uruguay program or any others, please contact the program staff at edseminars@americancouncils.org.

New MaltzMuseum Exhibit

Opening October 2010 is The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936 exhibit. In August 1936, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship scored a huge propaganda success as host of the Summer Olympics in Berlin. The Games were a brief, two-week interlude in Germany’s escalating campaign against its Jewish population and the country’s march toward war. The exhibit explores the issues surrounding the event––the Nazis’ use of propaganda, the intense boycott debate, the history of the torch run, the historic performance of Jesse Owens, and more.

Schedule your field trip today! Call 216.593.0575. There is a free educator’s preview Wednesday, October 20, 3-5 pm. The Museum is located at 2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH. Don’t forget that free busing is available to all of our schools. There is a charge of $3.00 per student per visit, and teachers can avail themselves of priceless supplements to their classes. Teachers who register for a class visit are sent a Resource Kit to assist in the preparation of their students.

Upcoming ClevelandMuseum of Art Exhibit

Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe runs from October 17, 2010 to January 17, 2010 in the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall.

The exhibit offers visitors a unique glimpse of the Middle Ages, a time when art mediated between heaven and earth and wondrous objects filled churches and monastic treasuries. Relics—the physical remains of holy men and women, and things associated with them—were especially important to the development of Christianity, which emerged as a powerful new religion in the Late Roman world.

Artists sought to bridge the gap between heaven and earth by fashioning special containers for holy matter. Nested within these special vessels, relics connected Christian faithful with sacred places and people who died as the martyrs of faith. Often covered in precious metals and encrusted with gems, these containers commanded attention.

The exhibition Treasures of Heaven explores how medieval artists expressed the sacred power of fragmented remains and considers the role that relics played in the development of the visual arts. The Cleveland Museum of Art co-organized this exhibition with the WaltersArt Museum, Baltimore and the BritishMuseum, London. The exhibition will provide American audiences with an unparalleled opportunity to see about 100 extraordinary works of late antique, Byzantine, and Western medieval art, including precious metalwork objects, paintings, sculptures, and illuminated manuscripts drawn from public and private collections as well as church treasuries across the United States and Europe. Several of these spectacular works have never been seen outside their home countries.

Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe was organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art, the WaltersArt Museum, and the BritishMuseum. Support for the exhibition has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The Cleveland Museum of Art is generously funded by CuyahogaCounty residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this exhibition with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Correction to Toolbox for Education Grant