Values for a Lifetime

School has been dismissed for the summer at most Catholic schools, and the 2010-2011 school year is officially coming to a close. As I reflect upon this school year, I am astounded at the relentless presence of support and energy surrounding our Catholic schools. We truly benefit from the many supporters who constantly rally around our schools!

We have accomplished much in the 2010-2011 school year. I would like to recap some important and amazing milestones from the last nine months. Although we cannot mention every significant achievement, I’d still like to mention the following:

• St. Susanna School and St. Gabriel Consolidated School received the National Blue Ribbon Award from the US Department of Education. These schools joined a large list of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese who have received this award.
• McAuley, LaSalle, and Moeller High Schools celebrated fifty years with a large Mass in September followed by a number of events throughout the year.
• The Catholic Schools Office launched a School Spirit Campaign on Facebook. In total, over 10,000 people “liked” the schools Facebook identity in two months.
• At the directive of Archbishop Schnurr, we initiated a comprehensive visioning and strategic planning process for the Catholic schools. This included forming a Visioning Steering Committee, retaining the Alliance for Catholic Education Consulting, gathering massive amounts of data about our Catholic schools, speaking directly to pastors, principals, and supporters through Visioning Sessions, and publicizing the importance of viable Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. This work will continue in the coming months and will ultimately result in an extensive report in the summer of 2012.
• Chaminade-Julienne High School marked 160 years of existence by opening a new Conditioning Center and athletic field on its campus in Dayton.
• St. Ignatius Loyola School was given the Buckeye Healthy School Silver Award from the Ohio Department of Health. This award, given in October, recognized St. Ignatius’ commitment to providing high quality health and nutrition programs for its students.
• Several Catholic high schools received state championship titles in various sports.
• In December, St. Joseph Consolidated School was named “Cincinnati Inclusive School of the Year” for making a strong commitment to inclusive education. This award was given by the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati.
• The annual campaign of the Catholic Inner City Schools Educational Fund (CISE) raised two million dollars. This money will be used to support students in eight inner city Catholic elementary schools.
• In January, students from several Catholic schools joined Archbishop Schnurr to attend the annual March for Life in Washington, DC.
• Students, teachers, and parents from over 25 Dayton-area schools gathered for the annual Dayton Arts Festival. This festival featured artwork and vocal performances.
• In March, the Catholic Schools Office announced that it would be absorbing the Dayton Catholic Educational Collaborative this summer. This transition will allow the Archdiocese to carry on the work of the CEC and study the feasibility of continuing and/or spreading CEC programs throughout the Archdiocese.
• Also in March, the Catholic Schools Office announced a restructuring plan. This action will create two new positions in the office for the coming year: Director of School Strategic Planning and Associate Director of School Finances. These positions will provide much-needed services and expertise for the Catholic schools.
• Piqua Catholic received national attention for receiving the Pepsi Refresh Challenge. Through this award, Piqua Catholic received $50,000 to refurbish its gymnasium floor.
• In April, St. Dominic teacher Jennifer Teepen was given the National Teacher Award from the National Catholic Educational Association.
• Also in April, the Catholic Schools Office announced that another new position, Coordinator of Latino Outreach for Catholic Schools, will be added to the office in the coming year. This position, which is funded by outside grant sources, will be directed towards recruiting and supporting families of Latino origin in Catholic schools. For the first year, this position will target elementary schools within the boundaries of the Cincinnati Public School district.
• Catholic schools from across the Archdiocese gathered at the Cathedral for the annual Vocal Music Festival. This festival featured talented singers from numerous schools.
• Students from Our Lady of the Rosary School received awards in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Writing, and Multimedia Contest.
• Several Cincinnati-area Catholic high schools were given “Cappie” Awards for excellence in theater.
• In early June, DePaul Cristo Rey High School was formally dedicated. This school will open in the coming year, marking the first Catholic high school to open in the Archdiocese in fifty years.
• Approximately 3,300 seniors graduated from the 22 Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese. Over 98% of these seniors will attend college in the fall. Approximately 60 seniors were named National Merit Finalists and about 45 were named National Merit Semi-Finalists. In total, the class of 2011 was offered over $235 million in scholarships to college.

I could not possibly mention all of the positive events and awards among our Catholic school last year. However, I hope this provides a taste of the many ways our schools are excelling. God has truly blessed our schools! I look forward to accomplishing great things in the 2011-2012 school year!