Catholic School Updates
Diocese of Rochester
St. Joseph School, Penfield
St. Francis - St. Stephen School, Geneva
St. Agnes School, Avon
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
As we journey through Lent and toward Easter, our schools have been buzzing with a renewed energy and excitement with the return of many of our favorite school traditions. In the coming weeks, many of our schools will be holding prayer services and Stations of the Cross as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Reflecting on all that God has blessed us with, we remain thankful for our schools and all in our school communities that keep our children learning and growing in God's presence each and every day.
On March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, we announced that St. Patrick's Preschool in Victor will be joining our network of Diocesan Catholic Schools. This exciting news makes St. Pat's the 17th school in our system and the only stand-alone preschool in our system. We look forward to working with the young learners and wonderful educators there as they partner with the Pre-K programs in our elementary schools.
With the lifting of many restrictions on programs, we are excited to announce the return of some Diocesan spring events along with the special events at each school. On Tuesday, May 3rd, students and staff from all of our schools are invited to attend a Teacher Appreciation Mass and Diocesan May Crowning at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester. We will also celebrate a Catholic Schools Day at Red Wings Stadium on Sunday, June 5th and all families are invited to attend. More information on tickets will be forthcoming.
Wishing you and your families a prayerful Holy Week and blessed Easter,
Jim
Mr. James Tauzel
Superintendent of Schools
Holy Cross School, Charlotte
St. Mary Our Mother School, Horseheads
Seton Catholic School, Brighton
A Prayer for Holy Week
and may the Lord guide our feet
into the way of peace.
Blessed by the name of the Lord, now and forever.
Let us put ourselves into the hands of the Lord,
and pray that God will bless us and our families
during the coming holy days when the Church
celebrates the mystery of the dying and rising of
Jesus our Savior.
May all of us help to make our homes
places of joy, love, peace, and safety.
May we be generous and considerate,
helping others keep the celebration
of the dying and rising of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Amen
St. Pius X School, Chili
St. Ambrose Academy, Rochester
Holy Family School, Elmira
NYS Assessment Updates
from Ann Frank, Coordinator of Assessment and Professional Growth
This year DOR students in grades 3 through 8 will participate in the NYS ELA and Math assessments. The ELA assessments will be administered between March 29-31, 2022. The Math assessments will be administered between April 26-28, 2022. Each assessment consists of two sessions which include multiple choice and open-ended questions. Questions require students to apply their knowledge and, in open-ended responses, explain their reasoning. Students will read texts, write responses, and solve real-world word problems, all of which are foundational skills necessary for success in their next grade.
These tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering grade level learning standards that guide classroom instruction and help to ensure that students are on track to become critical thinkers, problem solvers and possess the reasoning skills necessary to succeed in every day life. The NYS assessments are just one piece of information evaluated by our teachers to assess a child’s grade-level performance. The tests also show how schools are progressing with the learning standards and can be used to support professional development for our teachers as well.
St. Michael School, Penn Yan
All Saints Academy, Corning
St. Patrick's Preschool, Victor
St. Louis School, Pittsford
DOR School Staff Spotlight
There's no doubt that our Catholic Schools are full of amazing teachers! In this spotlight section, we will take a moment to highlight a great educator from one of our schools.
With this issue, we celebrate Ms. Kathe Kramer, the Pre-K3 teacher at Holy Cross School in Charlotte. Read more about Kathe below.
Why did you become a teacher at Holy Cross?
I became a teacher at Holy Cross because I am a product of Catholic schools. I can name every one of my teachers from first to eighth grade at Mother of Sorrows School and I value the self-discipline, knowledge, and faith they instilled in me. I wanted to pass along the same lessons and values to my students. I have remained at Holy Cross because of the incredible community. I have always felt supported and valued by our families, and inspired by our compassionate, caring faculty and staff. They have made me a better teacher and a better person.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I am deeply grateful that I have a job that I truly love every day. There is never a dull moment in preschool! I love seeing the excitement and energy of our youngest learners as they grow. At this stage of my career, I often have the children of former students in my classroom. It’s an indescribable gift to see “my kids” as adults and to be entrusted with their little ones.
What is your favorite topic to teach?
I absolutely love active, “hands on” lessons - the messier the better! I look forward to the fun of making “elephant toothpaste,” painting with colored corn syrup, comparing how ice and snow melt, and flying handmade kites in the spring.
How do you hope your students will remember you years from now?
I hope my students remember our classroom as a safe, welcoming place to grow and learn. I hope they remember me as someone who was always happy to see them and who loved them just the way God made them.
What is your favorite saint, prayer, or Catholic holiday and why?
St. Francis is my favorite saint because of his great love for animals and the Prayer For Peace attributed to him is my favorite. It reminds me of the qualities I should always aspire to in my daily life.
Thank you, Ms. Kramer, and all DOR Teachers for the many lives you touch everyday!
St. Kateri School, Irondequoit
Math Game of the Month - How Low Can You Go? (A Multiplication Game)
by Christine Merle, Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction
For three to four players you need:
A deck of playing cards with numbers 0-5 face cards removed (ace = 1, queen = 0). All other face cards and 6, 7, 8, 9 removed.
To play:
- The goal of the game is for each player to have 3 pairs of cards with the lowest overall score.
- Deal six cards to each player. Place the rest of the deck facedown, with one card turned faceup.
- Players can pair up their cards however they like to get the lowest products possible.
- On their turn, a player can take the faceup card or draw from the deck.
- They discard one of their own cards, faceup, or they can discard the card that they drew.
- The next player can select from what was discarded or pick from the deck.
- After 3 rounds, players lay their cards down to show how low they can go. For example, a player who ended up with 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 can pair her cards this way: 0 X 10 = 0, 5 X 1 = 5, and 3 X 4 = 12. 0 + 5 + 12 = 17. Total Score is 17.
Variations:
- Play with all cards 0-10
- Deal fewer cards per player.
- Play for more rounds.
St. Rita School, Webster
St. Mary School, Canandaigua
St. Lawrence School, Greece
Diocese of Rochester Department of Catholic Schools
Email: schools@dor.org
Website: dorschools.org
Location: 1150 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210
Facebook: facebook.com/DioceseOfRochesterSchools/
Twitter: @ROCCathSchools