NCEA – Catholic School Chronicle

January 14, 2014April 5, 2018

NCEA Begins Book Club for Catholic Educators

The National Catholic Education Association is launching its book club with not one, but two outstanding titles for Catholic educators to discuss: Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus* by Sherry Weddell and Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement* by Robert Marzano.

According to Kathy Mears, Executive Director of Elementary Schools:

Our books have been selected and we hope that you will join us in our discussions. Pick one or do both discussions! It is easy to participate!

First, you must join Edmodo (www.edmodo.com), because that will be our platform. After you register, you can follow one of the following links or use one of the following codes.

If you are interested in knowing more about how to transfer our faith to future generations, please consider joining the group reading: Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus by Sherry Weddell. Through the reading of the book and the exchange of ideas, we believe that participants will grow stronger in their faith and their knowledge of how to share the faith, and meet other committed Catholic educators from all over the country! To register for this book study, please follow this link: https://edmo.do/j/u3vnpq. The code for this book is: 2fdna7.

If you would like to learn ways to implement the best practices outlined in Robert Marzano’s book, Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (2001), please consider registering for this book study! We will read, share pedagogical practices and learn new strategies from each other. To register for this book student, please follow this link: https://edmo.do/j/bk3n4k. The code for this book is: 2w2se8.

These book studies require you to read a little, share a little, and work together to build some common knowledge with your colleagues from across the country. Please consider joining us, as we begin to connect this way!

These two books are excellent choices to kick off the book club. I’ve read both of them, and I can’t wait to discuss them. I’ve already sent my request to join the Edmodo group, and I look forward to seeing you there!

*Ordering your books from this link helps support Catholic School Chronicle.

April 1, 2013January 10, 2014

Houston, We Have a Problem – NCEA 2013 Day One

On my first day in Houston for the 2013 NCEA convention, I expected to tell you all about the city, the conference center, and meeting Barb Gilman and Nancy Caramanico for the first time. But life seldom goes as we expect.

Leaving Seattle — The scene from the airplane as I left Seattle…

Barb and Nancy were involved in an automobile accident on their way from the Houston airport to the hotel. The shuttle van they were riding in struck a barrier in the road and flipped, crushing the roof and shattering the windshield. Their injuries weren’t life threatening, but they were shook up all the same.

The entire story is theirs to tell, so I won’t go into all the details. But after spending about four hours in the emergency room, they finally made it to the hotel where I got to meet them in person–bruises, blood, and all.

Thankfully their injuries weren’t worse. Suddenly the NCEA convention doesn’t seem as important as it did a few hours ago.

April 1, 2013January 10, 2014

On My Way to NCEA 2013 in Houston

ACE Advocates “I Love Catholic Schools” T-Shirt

My bags are packed and I’m getting ready to leave today for the 2013 NCEA convention in Houston, Texas. Thousands of Catholic educators will be converging on the George R. Brown Convention Center on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week for keynote speeches, professional development sessions, liturgies, and camaraderie.

Barb Gilman and I will be presenting Catholic Classrooms Without Walls: Interactive Projects Connecting Classrooms Around the World, and I can’t wait to finally meet so many of my online teacher friends, especially those who participate in #CatholicEdChat each weekend.

For the next few days I hope to be posting audio and video podcasts of the convention. If you’re interested in what happens when thousands of Catholic educators gather, you can follow the podcasts here, on iTunes, or on Twitter.

I’ll also be cross-posting on One Catholic Life, so pardon the duplication if you follow both feeds.

January 30, 2012January 10, 2014

101 Essential Resources for Catholic Educators

Happy Catholic Schools Week! To celebrate, I’ve put together a list of 101 resources that no Catholic educator should be without. From Twitter users to bloggers, from social networks to teaching tools, it’s all here in one convenient spot. Share the love, spread the news, and tell the world about Catholic Schools!

Catholic School Organizations and Resources:

Social Networks and Catholic School Connections:

Catechetical Resources:

Catholic News, Podcasts, and Multimedia:

Prayer Resources:

Members of the University Consortium for Catholic Education:

A Sample of Some of the Best Blogs in Catholic Education: (click here for a comprehensive list)

A Small Selection of Catholic Educators, Organizations, and Catechists on Twitter:

Catholic School Resources from the Magisterium:

Documents from the Congregation for Catholic Education and the USCCB:

Last But Not Least, Last Year’s List:

101 Reasons to Send Your Child to a Catholic School

Now it’s your turn. What have I left off the list? What are your essential resources for Catholic teachers? Leave your suggestions in the comment area.

January 7, 2011January 6, 2011

Sharing Catholic Schools Week Plans

What is your school doing for Catholic Schools Week 2011? That’s the question Ann Oro wants you to answer on the Catholic Education Resources wiki. Ann, a New Jersey technology teacher and blogger, has created a special page on the wiki for schools to share their Catholic Schools Week events. I’ve added my school’s events, and I encourage you to add yours. It’s a great way to get ideas for the upcoming celebration from January 30 to February 5.

Here are some of the things we do at my school during this week-long celebration:

Before the week begins, students create bookmarks with the Catholic Schools Week theme, and they write or draw thank-you letters to their parents for sending them to Catholic schools.
At the weekend Masses, students participate by lectoring, serving and ushering; after Mass, student volunteers hand out bookmarks to parishioners.
Our annual food drive is held during Catholic Schools Week to help replenish the food banks that have been depleted during the Christmas season.
Each class decorates their classroom door in their assigned color for the spirit competition. Doors must include the Catholic Schools Week theme and the class saint. The color for my 8th grade class is blue, and our saint St. Damien of Molokai.
At recess, students participate in games such as relay races and free throw contests.
Students are given academic awards for their achievements of the first semester.
On Thursday, a parent newsletter is sent which includes highlights from the thank-you letters students wrote to their parents.
The week concludes with students wearing their class colors and celebrating in a spirit assembly.

How does your school celebrate? Visit the Catholic Education Resources wiki and share with the rest of us! And if you’re short on ideas, be sure to check out Jared’s new post at TheReligionTeacher.com, Catholic Schools Week 2011 Ideas and Activities. He’s collected a regular cornucopia of resources.

February 20, 2009January 11, 2014

Top 5 Reasons to Send Your Child to a Catholic School Now

With the economy in rough shape, the National Catholic Education Association recently asked the question, “Why send your child to a Catholic school in these difficult economic times?” Here are the top five answers from the Elementary Department’s Executive Committee:

It’s all about value. Nowhere else can you get Catholic tradition and academic excellence in a caring community.

While other schools may be cutting programs, Catholic schools do not sacrifice art, music and sports programs.

Our technology is often more advanced than in surrounding schools.

We have a higher graduation rate. Our students are well prepared for high school and college.

Our students are treated like individuals and helped to reach their highest potential.

Is it just me, or do some of those seem dubious and a bit on the lackluster side? Here are five I would suggest:

In these tough times, we need to be reminded that this life is only the beginning; Catholic schools prepare students for eternity, and not just the here and now.
Our neighbors are in trouble and need help; Catholic schools teach service and social justice better than any other educational institution on the planet.
We got into this economic mess through greed and materialism; Catholic schools teach moral values without compromise.
To get out of this mess and avoid it in the future, we need strong leaders who are not afraid to speak the truth; Catholic schools teach Jesus Christ, the most courageous speaker of truth the world has ever known–the Son of God Himself.
Finally, in difficult times like these, it is easy and tempting to play the blame game, to step on others to get ahead; Catholic schools remind their students that we are brothers and sisters, that we all belong to the same family. The hallmark of any Catholic school is its sense of community spirit, united by belief in one God who is constantly forming us into His body.

There has never been a more urgent need for Catholic schools. There has never been a more critical time to enroll a child in a Catholic school. Yes it costs money; yes we’re already paying taxes to support a public school system. Yes, many people have lost jobs and are already stretched to the breaking point.

In response, schools and systems around the country are freezing tuition: Resurrection High School, Notre Dame High School, St. Thomas More High School, Unified Catholic Schools of the Pike’s Peak Region, to name a few. Many schools offer a “fair share” program where parents who cannot afford the full tuition pay what they can, or pay on a graduated scale.

Now more than ever we need Catholic education. Catholic schools offer what our world needs most right now: hope in a future that lasts eternally.