Monday Mission Memo
Sept. 10, 2018
Interim Superintendent's Message
School Leaders of the Diocese of Cleveland,
One of my favorite leadership maxims, often attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower, can be paraphrased as, “don’t let the urgent get in the way of the important.” At this time in the school year, with classes and activities in full swing, and an endless stream of urgent calls, emails, and concerns, it is useful to protect at least a few moments each day to ensure that we keep our eyes on the essential ingredients for the long-term successes of our school. I am hopeful that this week’s gathering of leaders, for elementary principals at Gesu on Wednesday and high school principals at NDCL on Thursday, will contribute to doing just that.
Speaking of strategy, the state Board of Education released its recent strategic plan “Each Child Our Future” last week. It is worth a look for its overall emphasis on meeting the needs of the whole child, emphasizing quality, equity, and partnerships. While the implementation may feel distant from our sector, remember that the state board governs education statewide, including the more than 10% statewide who are parentally placed in non-public schools. These forces are already at play in our schools and will continue to be important.
Closer to home, the Bishop’s Think Tank for Catholic Education and Formation will continue to meet regularly this fall. I hope to have more a detailed update to share later this month.
Continued blessings to you for all that you do for our students and families,
Frank
Upcoming OCFE Meetings:
- Tues. or Wed., Sept. 11 or 12 - Year 4 Resident Educator Meeting 4-6 p.m. (attend either St. Ignatius Breen Ctr. 9/11, or St. Paschal Baylon, 9/12)
- Wednesday, Sept. 12 - Elementary Principal Meeting at Gesu, 9:00 a.m.- 2:45 p.m. Bring 2 Copies of MAP Student Growth Summary Report, Teacher Information Sheets, contracts, and your laptop. Park in the Gesu CHURCH lot. (Thompson lot)
- Thursday, Sept. 13 - Secondary Principal Meeting at NDCL, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (lunch)
- Friday, Sept. 14 - Group IV Accreditation Meeting at St. Benedict, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 - CLASS Meeting at Cathedral Square 2nd Floor from 10:30-2 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 19 - AVS Training at St. Albert the Great from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Continuous Improvement
As I mentioned in updates during May and June, this year schools statewide will build our capacity for improvement by having every school contribute one professional to be trained and available to serve on an External Validation Team (EVT). Thus training will be not only for chairs but for all participants. We will host two all-day EVT trainings in the Diocese of Cleveland on Friday, September 28, (St. Hilary) and again on Monday, October 1 (St. Christopher). Times will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mark your calendars and please identify a faculty member who is ready to take the step to both learn about and contribute to continuous improvement. For a complete list of trainings throughout the state, see the latest OCSAA Newsletter, which also includes reminders about the new AVS and process for penalties (fines).
BRIDGE MEETING DATES:
Homeland Security Survey due 9/12
We strongly encourage you to complete the survey circulated by Ohio Homeland Security (OHS), a division within ODPS, which contains questions about your school building(s). A link was emailed directly to you, or you can find it here. Though not mandatory, the findings will inform needs and eventually funding allocation. Therefore, we would like for our Catholic schools to be heard. If our sector is silent, it will be hard to lobby for state support. Please take a moment to respond by September 12.
School Spotlight, St. Albert the Great
Opening Day Ceremony at St. Albert the Great
Principal Ed Vittardi in the new TV studio dedicated to the memory of Kathleen Cochrane Depiero.
New Enrichment Opportunities at SATG
Bishop's Convocation 2019
School Spotlight, Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School
Located on the shores of Lake Erie at the border of Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood and the city of Euclid, Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School has a rich tradition of excellence rooted in the dual charisms of the Ursuline Sisters and Marianist Brothers. It is the only school in the world that is co-sponsored by both orders.
VASJ came into being in 1990, when the all-girls Villa Angela Academy and the all-boys St. Joseph High School merged. VA was the oldest Catholic institution of learning in the Diocese of Cleveland. It was founded by the Ursuline Sisters in 1878. St. Joseph High School opened in 1950 when Archbishop Edward F. Hoban dedicated the school and asked the Society of Mary (Marianists) to administer it.
Combined with its predecessor schools, VASJ boasts some 20,000 graduates whose education is rooted in the core values of social justice and service to the community. Proud home of the Vikings, VASJ has won numerous state championships in basketball, football, cross-country, wrestling, volleyball and track. The strength of the school’s academic excellence is illustrated by the leadership roles its graduates have taken in virtually every area of civic, religious and professional life. Each year, the school consistently sends 98 to 100 percent of its graduates on to higher education.
Digital Academy Update
It also has been reported that people are going to the wrong URL in order to access the Digital Academy. If people are going to digitalacademy.org, this system will allow you to login and it looks like our system; HOWEVER, you will never get to the PD. You must go to our Digital Academy which is doc.digitalacademy.org.
Please note, the most updated version of CHROME is what works best.
Please forward all concerns to Dolores at dbruno@dioceseofcleveland.org
Individual Professional Development Plans
OCSAA requires that all teachers also have a professional development plan; this includes teachers who hold only a non-tax certificate and/or permanent teaching certificate. Teachers who hold either a permanent teaching/principal certificate or a non-tax certificate only do not go through the LPDC. Their plans stay with the principal. The sole purpose of the LPDC is to assist and support teachers and administrators on renewable licenses.
Questions: mhokanson@dioceseofcleveland.org