Dear Catholic Secondary School Educator:

Upcoming Events

Results-Oriented Decision-Making in Catholic Schools, Chicago, IL, November 17-19, 2005
The Center for Catholic School Effectiveness at Loyola University Chicago and NCEA are co-sponsoring this conference on Instructional Leadership. Principals, Academic Deans, Department Chairs, Curriculum Coordinators and Assistant Superintendents will gain valuable insights to help them as school leaders. Watch your mail for a brochure. For additional information you can email Dr. Lorraine Ozar at Loyola (lozar@luc.edu) or click here: http://www.luc.edu/schools/education/ccse/novconf/.

NCEA National Convention, New Orleans, LA, April 18-21, 2006
At this year's convention the Secondary Schools Department will facilitate meetings for Religious Community networks or specific groups of educators who want to have scheduled time together. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Chris Scalise (scalise@ncea.org or 202-337-6232, ext. 236).

Catholic Schools Week 2006

Information and downloads about Catholic Schools Week 2006 (January 29-February 4) can be found here: http://www.ncea.org/programsevents/catholicschoolsweek/. The theme will be: Catholic Education: Character. Compassion. Values.

Save the Dates
For more information and to be put on the mailing list for the upcoming Secondary Schools Department conferences contact Mike Conroy (mconroy@ncea.org or 202-337-6232, ext. 234).

Thinking Outside the Box: A Conversation for School Leaders, San Jose, CA, February 16-19, 2006. This will be a gathering of 50 Presidents/Principals and emerging leaders in a facilitated conversation about the development and future of Catholic high school leadership.

Called By Name: New Thinking about the Capital Campaign, Orlando, FL, March 9-12, 2006. Advancement issues in Catholic Secondary Education.

Gather By the Bay: Faith & Philanthropy in the Catholic High School, San Francisco, CA, June 28-July 1, 2006. Advancement issues in Catholic Secondary Education.

LEAD: Leadership in Equity, Advocacy and Diversity, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA July 13-16, 2006. A conference addressing diversity issues in the Catholic high schools with special emphasis on supporting special needs students.

Membership Benefits - News You Can Use

As a benefit of membership, the Secondary Schools Department will prepare an attractive recognition certificate and letter for faculty, administrators and staff on the occasion of an anniversary, retirement or for significant service. Contact Mike Conroy in the department for more information (202-337-6232/mconroy@ncea.org). This service is free for Premier members and provided at a nominal fee for other members.

Accountability

Please take a moment to take a brief survey on Catholic school accountability: http://www.ncea.org/about/assessment-open.asp NCEA published a statement on accountability. We are interested in learning how schools are using it. If you haven’t seen the statement, a copy is available at the link above as well.

New Publications from NCEA

Development of the President/Principal Model in the Catholic High School, co-edited by John T. James, Ed.D., Associate Professor at St. Louis University, Department of Leadership & Higher Education and Br. Raymond J. Vercruysse, CFC, Ed.D., Director of the Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership at the University of San Francisco.

AVAILABLE SOON: Being Catholic From the Heart: Reflections on Mission, Identity and the Catholic School, by Most Rev. Gordon D. Bennett, SJ, Bishop of Mandeville, Jamaica

Visit NCEA's online store: http://www.ncea.org/store/

Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium
The US bishops passed this document at their June 2005 meeting. It’s a strong and eloquent pledge of support for Catholic schooling. The document refers to earlier statements by both the Vatican and the USCCB about Catholic education and applies them to the situation in the world today. It also contains a clear acknowledgment and definition of the reality schools face related to finances, leadership, staffing, demographics and so on. In response to the challenges the schools face, the bishops call for a 4-point plan of action. To learn more, the document is now available on-line at http://www.usccb.org/bishops/schools.pdf and will be available for purchase from the bishops' online store soon. Faculties and boards would undoubtedly benefit from discussion of the bishops' initiatives and how best to put them into action.

National Directory for Catechesis
The new National Directory for Catechesis (NDC) is the resource, issued by the United States bishops, that provides the inspiration for all catechesis in the United States and the reference point for formation of catechists and preparation of catechetical materials. This is a very important document for Catholic schools since they are, by their nature, catechetical. To learn more about the NDC, visit USCCB Web-site: http://www.usccb.org/education/ndc/symposium.shtml

NCEA Author Rev. James DiGiacomo, SJ:

Second Place in 2005 Catholic Press Association Book Awards
The winners of the 2005 Catholic Press Awards were announced in May at the Catholic Press Association Annual Convention. Among them was James DiGiacomo who won second place in the Educational Books category for his book, Mission Possible, about where we've been and where we’re going in high school religious education. His book can be purchased through NCEA for $25 (member), $33 (non-member) by calling NCEA at (202) 337-3852, or online at www.ncea.org.

Catholic High School Service Programs are Recognized
Fordham University, New York City's Jesuit University, hosted the 10th annual Catholic School Executive Leadership Dinner in May. Sponsored by the University’s Center for Non-Public Education, the event brought together Catholic educators from across the region. In recognition of outstanding Catholic High School Service Programs promoting social justice, the following awards were presented:

Mother Cabrini High School, New York, NY, Campus Ministry program, recognizing Sr. Sharon Casey, Matthew Bizzarro and Jayne Pickett

Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School, Brooklyn, NY, Community Mission project, recognizing Frank Fusco

Saint Vincent Academy, Newark, NJ, Students-in-Community program, recognizing Sr. Carol Williams

Our Lady of Mercy Academy, Syosset, NY, Liturgy Committee/Spiritual Life Committee, recognizing Maria Ward

Association of Catholic Leadership Programs (ACLP)
ACLP has launched a new website. Visit www.aclp.info to find out more about the Catholic school leadership programs that are sponsored by Catholic colleges and universities in the United States. The Web Site includes a speakers bureau.

In Memory of Pope John Paul II
NCEA's Elementary Education Department created a resource guide to commemorate and to capture the life of Pope John Paul II. By visiting this Web Site, http://www.ncea.org/departments/archives/elementary/news/news-041505.htm, educators can find information on the Pope's publications, his concern for life, his rapprochement with the Jews, and his experience with Islam. This website also includes information about the Capitol Fly-In, Catholic Schools Week, the Principal's Forum, and other important dates and deadlines.

Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program
The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program provides U.S. primary and secondary school teachers and administrators with the opportunity to participate in three-week study visits to Japan and to return home with a follow-on plan designed to introduce Japanese culture to American students. Each year, up to 600 teachers and administrators, including participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, are selected to participate in the JFMF program. The JFMF Program features an orientation to Japan followed by visits to primary and secondary schools, teacher training colleges, cultural sites, and industrial facilities. As an additional benefit to participants, graduate level credits are also available. More information is currently up and the online application will be available in late August at www.iie.org/jfmf The deadline for applications for the 2006 program is December 10, 2005. Feel free to contact us at jfmf@iie.org or 1-888-527-2636 with any questions or to request printed materials.

Also visit http://www.ncea.org/newinfo/grants/ for information on some other opportunities for professional development.

Education for Justice
The Education for Justice Web Site provides resources and materials for teachers, social action directors, parish members, campus ministers and others in leadership roles to use with their groups/classes in order to deepen their understanding of Catholic social teaching and social justice. Members of the Education for Justice website also have the opportunity to share, dialogue and connect with colleagues across the nation. Click here for more information: www.educationforjustice.org Please note there is a fee to use this site.

Communication: Connecting People and Ideas
We humans communicate all the time, often without even thinking about it. We use our voices, our hands, our bodies and an array of high-tech gadgets to accomplish it. If we're good at it, it is noted on our report cards and resumes. Those who are exceptionally skilled at it frequently attain positions of great influence. Use the month of May's MarcoGram to take a closer look at the origins, forms and significance of human communication. Use the activities to get your students thinking about how and why people communicate as they do, then scroll down for more links and resources on this topic. Click here: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/May2005.html.

Keeping the Peace
Students spend a lot of time in school studying the causes, effects and statistics of war, but just as important is the examination of what happens when wars come to an end. While many people hope for true peace, it's often difficult to achieve and maintain. In the month of June's MarcoGram, students are challenged to look beyond the battlefields to the ongoing quest for peace. Use the activities to get started, then scroll down for more links and resources on this topic. Click here: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Jun2005.html

Death Penalty Information for Educators
The Michigan State Communications Technology Laboratory in conjunction with the Death Penalty Information Center invites teachers to use a free on-line Educational Curriculum on the Death Penalty. The curriculum is designed to teach critical thinking and the issues of ethics and justice that surround this issue. There are separate teacher and student sites, flexible lesson plans and teacher overviews. Click here: http://teacher.deathpenaltyinfo.msu.edu

For a Catholic perspective on the death penalty, visit: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/deathpenalty/index.shtml.

Internet Science and Technology Fair (ISTF)
Operated by the University of Central Florida's College of Engineering and Computer Science, ISTF is an eight-year-old, national technology literacy program that enables student teams in grades 3-12 to research technical solutions to real world problems using information technology tools. Each team is required to locate an online technical advisor as a research mentor to respond to inquiries during the October to February competition period. Each team must adhere to content guidelines based on national science content standards and present their research findings in a Web Site format. Teams are judged nationally with awards from the National Medal of Technology Program at the U.S. Department of Commerce. For more information, please visit the Web Site at http://istf.ucf.edu or email the Program Director, Bruce Furino, at director@istf.ucf.edu.

Africa Campaign Speaker Tours
The Catholic Relief Services organization is sponsoring an Africa Rising, Hope and Healing campaign, inviting Catholics in the United States to engage in prayer, dialogue and advocacy around pressing issues facing the people of Africa. The campaign focuses on issues of HIV/AIDS, peace building and poverty in Africa and encourages advocacy with the U.S. government, international financial institutions and corporations to pursue policies that support the continent's development. Click here for more information: http://www.catholicrelief.org/get_involved/advocacy/africa_campaign/index.cfm.

United States Senate Youth Program Scholarship
The annual United States Senate Youth Program, established in 1962 by U.S. Senate Resolution, will be held in Washington, DC, from March 4-11, 2006. Two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity will spend a week in Washington experiencing their national government in action. Delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials for the Departments of State and Defense and directors of federal agencies, as well as participate in a meeting with a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Each delegate will be awarded a $5,000 College Scholarship for undergraduate studies. The William Randolph Hearst Foundation will pay all expenses for the Washington Week, including transportation, hotel accommodations and meals. For more information, please visit http://www.hearstfdn.org/ussyp.