Posts

Posted on

St. Agnes Catholic Academy Turns 160 Years Old

Is there anything nuns can’t do?

St. Agnes AcademySix Dominican “foundress” nuns stepped off a flat-bottom boat on a freezing New Year’s Eve in 1851 to start St. Agnes Academy, the oldest continuously operating school in West Tennessee.

On Friday, the spirit of their service and faith was chiseled in every detail of the school’s 160th anniversary celebration, including a Mass that echoed their Catholic and feminine commitment to a city that was later besieged by Civil War and yellow fever.

“They were the first to establish an orphanage in 1852; it was in the attic of the school,” said Sister Marina Gibbons, president of St. Agnes from 1980 to 1995 and one of several nuns who made the trip to Memphis for the celebration from their Dominican base in St. Catharine, Ky.

Apparently not. Get the full story at The Commercial Appeal.

Posted on

Online Simulation Helps Students Empathize with the Working Poor

Screenshot of SpentIf your students come from stable economic backgrounds, they might find it difficult to understand the plight of the poor. Often, students have a stereotypical view of those in poverty and fail to grasp just how difficult it is to live with a low income. Urban Ministries of Durham has created SPENT, an online simulation in which participants try to survive a month without going broke. After applying for a job, they must deal with health issues, cranky landlords, grocery bills, and more. At every step, pop-up circles inform you about how these different challenges take their toll on the working poor in America.

Though it has its shortcomings (being locked into only a few choices, for example), overall it’s an effective learning tool. I’d estimate it would be appropriate for students in grades 5-12.

Give it a try and let me know if you think it would be worth using in your classroom. And here’s a hint before you begin: brush up on your typing skills.

Posted on

Catholic School Closures Could Increase Tax Burden and Cause Overcrowding

Empty Classroom
Joan Hellyer reports on two of the most significant side effects of the Philadelphia Catholic school closures — the impact on local public schools and the impact on taxes:

“This may severely challenge our school district, which has been experiencing increased elementary school enrollment coupled with severe state budget cuts,” Bristol Township Superintendent Samuel Lee said.

Hellyer’s article continues,

“We are saddened by the plight of the Catholic schools and have great compassion for the families that have supported them through the generations,” Lee said. “Catholic schools have made many contributions to our area and have helped to lighten the tax burden for our residents.”

If all Catholic schools in the United States suddenly closed, public schools around the country would have to find enough teachers and seats for over two million students. According to statistics from the National Center for Education, the average cost per pupil in public schools is $10,297. Two million more students in the public school system would require another 20 billion dollars in taxes to cover their costs.

That’s not a typo: Catholic schools save the country 20 billion dollars in taxes.

Besides providing necessary catechesis and high quality, comprehensive human formation for their own students, Catholic schools are good for the community and for the country in very concrete ways. It is in everyone’s interests to make the United States a place where parochial schools can survive alongside a healthy public school system. And it is the responsibility of every Catholic to help their local Catholic school be spiritually, academically, and financially viable.

Posted on

Powerful Video Shows Students How a Dollar Can Change the World

Change

“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” So says Galadriel to Frodo in Peter Jackson’s film of Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring. The same sentiment could be applied to the money that gets donated in the following short film Change for a Dollar. Even the smallest amount of money can change the course of the future.

I am sorely tempted to list discussion points or viewing questions that you could use with this video after showing it your students, but I think this time I’ll just let the video speak for itself. I’d love to hear how you would use the video, or what you would focus on with your students. To share, leave your suggestions and thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks to CatholicTV for posting this video on its Facebook page.

Posted on

Dramatic Changes Expected in Philadelphia Catholic Education

Philadelphia Catholic School Students
Image from http://www.catholicschools-phl.org

Which Philadelphia Catholic schools will close? That’s the question on the minds of many Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia this week. The results of Philadelphia’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Catholic Education will be made public on Friday, January 6. The members of the Commission were appointed by Cardinal Justin Rigali just over a year ago “to undertake a comprehensive study of Archdiocesan elementary and secondary schools, as well as the schools of special education and religious education programs.”

The study is expected to bring about a dramatic change in Catholic education in Philadelphia, strengthening it for the future and ensuring the long-term existence of Catholic schools in the archdiocese. That change is not going to be without cost, however. According to a local Philadelphia news report, “all elementary schools with fewer than 125 students are expected to be closed. Some secondary schools will also likely be closed.”

Which Catholic Schools Will Close?: MyFoxPHILLY.com

This week, as we celebrate two American saints with strong ties to Catholic schools, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John Neumann, we ask their intercession to guide the Commission and Cardinal Rigali to make decisions that lead to stronger, more viable Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Posted on

Register Now for 2012 NCEA Conference on Special Needs

The National Catholic Education Association is holding a Special Needs conference in San Diego, CA, for Catholic educators:

Special Needs ConferenceAs Catholic educators, we are committed to making Catholic education available to all students. This annual conference, designed for K-12 teachers and administrators, will offer practical strategies to empower you to meet the needs of all students.

Workshops will specifically target elementary or high school audiences. All of our presenters are practitioners who will offer practical and concrete strategies that you can implement in your school.

The setting for this year’s conference is sunny San Diego and our hotel is on the bay. This will be a wonderful learning opportunity – as well as a chance to escape winter for a few days!

Make your hotel reservation early. We are expecting a large response!

More information here.