oct07 - National Catholic Educational Association

Dear Catholic Secondary School Educator

Welcome to the October edition of E-News! The information supplied in this monthly newsletter aims to keep Catholic high school administrators, faculty, staff, and students up-to-date on professional development opportunities, new curriculum resources, and relevant news stories. As a service provided by the Secondary Schools Department at the National Catholic Educational Association, we strive to support our members throughout the school year and as always, we appreciate your feedback.

Please refer to the following headings for this E-News:

NCEA News
Curriculum Resources
Grants, Fellowships and Awards
'In the Loop'

Please visit us on the Web at /departments/secondary/

NCEA NEWS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Upcoming: The instructional leadership conference Creating Schools that Learn will take place November 15 to 17, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. In partnership with the Center for Catholic School Effectiveness at Loyola University in Chicago and the NCEA, this event is intended for school administrators looking to improve their learning environment. The conference will provide school leadership with an excellent starting point toward the transformation of good schools into great learning communities. For more information click on the link above.

Upcoming: Seeking and Sustaining Leadership: A Conversation with Current and Emerging Catholic High School Leadership will take place from February 20 to 22, 2008 in San Antonio, Texas. Experienced and emerging leaders are invited to engage in facilitated conversations on contemporary challenges faced by Catholic secondary school leaders. Guided by dynamic facilitators, participants will discuss the theological vision of Catholic educational leadership and the impact of their call to serve as educators in their communities. For more information and to register, click the link above.

Upcoming: Special Needs Conference for K-12 Educators will take place from January 20 to the 22, 2008 in San Francisco, California. For a list of topics and presenters visit the link above.

In Process: Regional Meetings: Regional Associate members across the country are preparing for regional meetings to take place October through January. Do you know where your regional meeting is taking place and when? These meetings provide members with opportunities to advocate on their own and share invaluable experiences, input, and vision with national association staff. Check with your Regional Representative for more details.

Available: Engaging Faith in the World: The much anticipated teaching resource that introduces Catholic Social Teaching in the context of contemporary global solidarity challenges is now available. As stipulated in the grant provided by Catholic Relief Services, every Catholic secondary school in the country will receive a copy. Presentation and distribution of the resource will take place at the regional meetings. Schools are strongly encouraged to attend a regional meeting if interested in procuring a copy.

Announced: Convention 2008

Sister Mary Angela Shaughnessy, the author of more than twenty-five books mostly related to Catholic education and the law, will receive the Michael J. Guerra leadership award and will speak at the Department Convocation.

Department Awards nomination forms can be downloaded on the Secondary Schools web page. Every year, the Department honors approximately five outstanding secondary school educators. To nominate an outstanding educator check out /departments/secondary/Awards.asp . Nomination deadline is November 14, 2007.

CURRICULUM RESOURCES

Comprehensive Database of Primary Church Documents: The Faith Database, LLC is introducing a CD that contains thousands of Church resources and translated articles from the Bible, the Apologetics, Church doctrines, Ecumenical Council documents, Christian classics, and more. This may prove to be a useful teaching resource for educators across all academic disciplines and grade levels. For more information, http://www.thisisthefaith.com/

USCCB’s Respect Life Program: This October marks the beginning of the USCCB’s Respect Life program. This year’s theme is The Infant in My Womb Leaped For Joy. More information, articles, and promotional activities can be downloaded at http://www.usccb.org/prolife/publicat/respectl.shtml

Random House Publishers Supporting High School Educators: Random House publishers offer a website and a regular newsletter with lesson plans, articles for professional development, book reviews, and more. More information can be found at http://www.randomhouse.com/highschool/

Prep Headquarters: A comprehensive set of internet-based tools to enhance high school guidance and college preparation efforts, Prep Headquarters began a partnership with the National Catholic College Admission Association (CCAA) to improve Catholic secondary schools’ communication with students on important issues concerning college and career choices. More information is available at their website or by calling 877.884.8222 x205

Webchats : Education Week hosts an open forum online where readers can submit questions to a wide range of guests. Chats usually run from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time throughout the week. The weekly education news source also supports a number of blogs.

GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS and AWARDS

National Awards Received

Blue Ribbon Awards went to three NCEA members this year. Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, IL, Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, KY, and Lexington Catholic High School in Lexington, KY received the national distinction for academic excellence.

Ms. Martha Adams, a science teacher at St. Brendan High School in Miami, Floria received an American Stars of Teaching award during the Third Annual Private School Leadership conference held at the U.S. Department of Education. Congratulations Martha!

For Teachers

The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program (JFMF), sponsored by the Government of Japan, provides U.S. educators with a fully-funded, cross-cultural study exchange in Japan. The aim of the program is to increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States. The deadline for the 2008 JFMF competition is December 10, 2007.

The Toshiba Science and Math Education Grants Program, funded by the Toshiba America Foundation, recognizes 7-12 public or private schools that demonstrate the potential for improving classroom teaching and learning in science and mathematics. Deadlines are rolling.

The application processes for the College Board’s 2008 Inspiration Awards and Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing are open. The Inspiration Awards recognizes schools with dramatically improved academic environments. Three schools will win $25,000 each. The Bob Costas Grants award teachers who have demonstrated exceptional teaching methods that encourage students to be more expressive writers. This award is not limited to English teachers. The deadline is November 16, 2007.

Although the deadline for this year has passed, mark your calendars for next year’s National Endowment for the Humanities’ Family and Youth Programs in American History. The NEH invites proposals for programs that encourage intergenerational learning about and reflection on significant topics in U.S. history and culture. Grants will support programming tailored to youth and/or family audiences at museums, libraries, historical societies, parks, and other places in the community.

For Students

How do you build Peace? The U.S. Institute of Peace wants to know how from American secondary school students with its 2007 to 2008 National Peace Essay Contest. The deadline is February 1, 2008.

IN THE LOOP:

If you are still paying down college debt: You may be able to save over $100,000 thanks to a new college loan forgiveness legislation that includes staff of religious and independent schools. Congress recently approved a bill that overhauls various college-level student aid and loan programs. The legislation will forgive college loans after 10 years of employment for educators, employees of 501(c)(3) organizations, and other persons involved in public service. Check out Sister Dale’s public policy updates at /public/index.asp

TEACH Grants : Another provision in the bill called TEACH Grants provides upfront annual tuition assistance to eligible undergraduate and graduate students who pursue a career as teachers in certain public or private schools. Benefits include (1) annual grants of $4,000 (for a four-year total of $16,000) to eligible undergraduate students who are studying to become teachers, and (2) up to $8,000 for students studying to attain a graduate degree in teaching.

Click here to visit CAPE's Web site for more information.

“Preparing English Language Learners to Succeed in the 21 st Century” : Hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, October 29-31, 2007, Washington, DC. Given the timing and location, understandably a limited number of members can attend. However, follow up articles and news briefs might prove helpful for some educators looking for additional support in specific aspects of their work.

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