Office of
Catholic Schools
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As we begin a new school year, we continue to pray to Our Lady of Good Help to assist us in serving children and families as they grow in faith.
Dear Lady of Good Help, you revealed yourself as the Queen of Heaven to your servant Adele. You called Adele to holiness and to bring children to Jesus and you call me today to live a holy life and serve God’s children and parents in our school. In this new school year, I pray for your help in forming disciples of your Son, Jesus in an atmosphere illumed by the Gospel message. Amen.
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Next editions of the Office of Catholic Schools Newsletter:
September 3 and17, 2021
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Look for topics in previous editions:
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Archive of Superintendent’s emails:
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Calendar Items
(See details in articles below)
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August 23 Re-Launch FCC at Green Bay Distillery ALL DAY
August 27 1st Weekly COVID Report Due
September 8 New Teacher Orientation (Virtual)
September 17 WRISA Report How-to Webinar
September 29 St. Andrew Dinner (Vocations)
October 1 WRISA Reports Due
October 21 Discipleship Seminar (Principals, Presidents)
December 3 Deadline for 'Just for Kids' Essay/Art Contest
December 8 Meeting with Bishop
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December 8, 2021 Meeting w/Bishop |
December 8, 2021 will be a lunch meeting for all Presidents and Principals with the Bishop at the Norbertine Center for Spirituality. The Center is at 1016 N. Broadway in De Pere. We will have lunch followed by an update from the Bishop. More information to follow but we wanted to make sure you had this on your calendar! |
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COVID-19 Reporting for SY 2021-2022 |
To assist the COVID-19 Monitoring Team at the Curia, we are asking that you report COVID-19 activity to the Office of Catholic Schools each Friday at the end of business using this form: https://forms.gle/nErW6oLTzWNV67929
The Office of Catholic Schools will be using the information your provide, to update the Office of Catholic Schools COVID-19 Dashboard each Monday at 8:00 A.M. The dashboard can be found at: https://gbdiocschools.org/covid-19-dasboard.
This will begin on Friday, August 27, 2021 and continue throughout the remainder of the school year. If you start later than the week of August 22, 2021 just begin your submission on the first Friday of the school year.
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Updated 2021-22 COVID-19 Safety Guidelines |
Based on the recent updates from DPI and the CDC, we have updated the guidelines for our schools. The document was previously sent out to all principals and can also be found at this Guidelines link.
Areas that have been updated are highlighted in RED. Please contact Lori Paul with any questions.
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On Wednesday, August 11th, there was a re-engagement webinar for all priests, pastoral leaders, parish staff, trustees and council members. If you would like to view the webinar you can watch it at:
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On Thursday, August 12th, there was a webinar for parishes on using Gabriel and the Parish Portal. If you would like to view the webinar you can watch it at:
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Just for Kids Art & Essay Contest
Yes, that's a Christmas Tree in Our August Newsletter!
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In partnership with World Mission Services, The Compass presents its annual Christmas essay/art contest once again this year. The top three artwork winners from each age group, K-8, will be chosen by a diocesan panel.
This winning artwork will also be sent to the Missionary Childhood Association National Christmas Artwork Contest. Twenty-four national winners will be selected by MCA and this winning art will appear as e-greeting Christmas cards at www.missio.org/resources and will have their art displayed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., during the 2021 Advent and Christmas seasons.
Additionally, two grand prize winners’ art will also be featured on the official Christmas cards for the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Society in the United States. Please see HERE for more information.
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All WRISA Annual Reports are due no later than October 1st, 2021!
The following schools:
Holy Spirit - Darboy, St. John - Little Chute, MBP - New London, and All Saints - Denmark should review the instructions HERE.
System Schools should review the instructions HERE.
All other schools should review the instructions HERE.
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WRISA Annual Report Webinar |
Sign up for a Webinar hosted by the Office of Catholic Schools on how to complete your WRISA Annual Report HERE. The webinar is Friday, September 17 at 11:00 AM.
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The Vocation Office is hosting an Andrew Dinner on September 29th for young men who are open to the priesthood. We would like you to personally invite those young men that you think have the qualities that make for a great priest. This is a great event to accompany those young men as they discern God's will. It is also a great way to get your pastor or deacon involved in their lives and invite them to accompany the young men as well. Please see the provided link for more information, a downloadable liability form (for all participants), and online registration.
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Looking for a Good Home: Your School? |
We are looking for a good home for a Wurlitzer upright piano, 56 1/2" W, 23 3/4" D, and 37" H. The piano was purchased around 1970. It is in very good condition, of course it needs tuning as it has not been played regularly lately. If you have questions or are interested, please contact Chris Nickels at: sixnickels6@att.net or 920-645-3768. |
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Reminders for School Choice |
As your staff returns, it is important to remember that they need the right credentials. DPI has a detailed document that lists the requirements and can be found HERE.
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Please be sure to use the new Class Roster Template for your file. The template is on the Home page when you log in.
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Please close your WECAN vacancies once you hire for a position. If you need to extend the posting because you have not hired, please change the date that you want the posting to close, otherwise it will not show up on WECAN. Remember you must ask applicants to apply through WECAN while posting through WECAN. Do not direct them to apply directly to you. If you have interviewed a candidate and think the candidate might be a good match for another school, please contact the Office of Catholics Schools in order that we can pass names along to other principals.
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New Teacher Orientation: Options |
We had thirty new teachers attend both in person and online orientations. If you have teachers who were unable to attend or are hired after August 17, please contact Jane Schueller. There is another virtual session planned for September 8, 2:00-3:30 or we can make other arrangements.
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Online Coursework Starts October 8
Check out these titles
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With the first classes starting on Friday, October 8, 2021, the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives at the University of Dayton and the Institute for School and Parish Development (ISPD) announce their fall 2021 certificate courses (for credit through the university). Three on-line courses are being offered: |
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Catholic School and Parish Collaboration: “Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Isn’t It Time for Parishes and Schools to Learn to Work Together?” Info/Registration Syllabus
The Power of Passion and Vision in Catholic School and Parish Leadership: “Are You Ready to Be Challenged to Raise the Bar on Your Leadership Skills?” Info/Registration Syllabus
Understanding the Value of Financial Feasibility Studies and Capital Campaigns for Catholic Institutions: “Start Your Engines! Ignite, Unite, and Focus Your Entire Faith Community.” Info/Registration Syllabus
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TEC: Teens Encounter Christ |
Any teen 16 ½ or older is invited to join TEC's first retreat of 2021, on October 28-31*, for a weekend of faith, fellowship, and fun at St Joseph Catholic Church in Green Bay.
Other weekends scheduled are in January 2022 and March 2022.
TEC allows attendees to draw closer to God through Eucharistic adoration, mass, and the sacrament of reconciliation, all while growing in community with each other. There’s also ample time for great discussion, awesome activities, and plenty of good food. (Give God one weekend and let Him speak to your heart!)
Registration is $60, with scholarships available. Registration due by October 10, 2021
Please note: all religious Education staff/campus ministers and those working in youth ministry are encouraged to attend and are able to do so free of charge.
*Retreat begins on Friday at 9am and runs through 5pm Sunday.
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Opportunity for Your School to 'Appear' on Relevant Radio
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Our schools now have the opportunity to sing at the Cathedral for 9:00 Mass one Sunday a month. The Mass is also nationally live streamed on Relevant Radio. The benefits for your students include:
- singing at the cathedral, the mother church of the diocese (sometimes with Bishop Ricken as celebrant)
- witnessing that the Catholic Church is much larger than their school or parish
- offering their God-given talents for the benefit of many at Mass
- having national exposure for your school on live radio and livestream
Additionally, these opportunities can help form our parish musicians for today and for the future.
Hymns will be pre-selected, sent at least six weeks in advance, and do not need to be sung in harmony. Each chorus will have the opportunity to sing a sacred piece of their choosing as a prelude/anthem. There will be a cathedral cantor unless a student has experience as a cantor. Guidance will be provided. If your school is interested in participating, please contact Regina Reale at the Cathedral. Her phone number is 920-432-4348 or you can email her at rutile.sfx@gmail.com.
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E-rate through Diocesan Advocates |
The Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools is contracted with Diocesan Advocates to assist eligible schools and libraries to obtain e-rate funds on telecommunications/internet services, etc. If interested in applying for these funds through Diocesan Advocates please email Debbie Linnane, dlinnane@gbdioc.org for further information.
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The Office of Pro Life would like to inform parishes and schools that there will NOT be a planned Diocesan pilgrimage to Washington DC for the annual March for Life 2022. This event takes months of planning and although there is noticeable improvement with the pandemic, we cannot guarantee what the conditions for Covid 19 and other issues will be in January 2022. We are closely monitoring this and are hoping to be able to offer a safe Diocesan pilgrimage in the coming years.
Save the date for January '22 however because we will again host a local Diocesan Pro Life event – Disciples for Life 2022. Stay tuned for more details as this year we will have a specific track for youth/young adults. Our Disciples for Life event will be held at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help on Saturday January 22, 2022. Bishop Ricken will again be in attendance and offering our Diocesan Respect Life Mass at this event.
Any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Office of Pro Life, (920) 272-8315.
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From WI Institute of Law & Liberty (W.I.L.L), here is appropriate verbiage for your school’s Title IX Policy:
[NAME OF SCHOOL] admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and other school-administered programs.
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Thanks for your help in keeping all God's children safe! As you encourage volunteers to help at your school, please keep in mind the diocesan Safe Environment Requirements. All employees (paid personnel regardless of position/job title) and all adult volunteers who have contact with minors as part of their volunteer duties are required to:
- Have a Diocese of Green Bay approved background check,
- Complete a VIRTUS "Protecting God's Children" Adult Awareness session. Online safe environment training is now available.
- Review and sign either the Our Promise to Protect (employees) or the Diocesan Code of Pastoral Conduct for Volunteers (volunteers).
Instructions on how to complete each step can be found by following this LINK.
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During the 2021-2022 school year we have several schools and the St. Mary Catholic School System having a site visit.
Each school will have a core team for the visit. If you or a teacher would like to be part of a team to understand and be part of the process, please fill out the form or contact Jane Schueller for further information.
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If you have had any staffing changes, please let your MAP administrator know in order to mark them as inactive. System schools have a designated administrator. Non-system schools, please contact Jane Schueller.
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Adding Grades for the 2022-23 School Year |
If your school is considering adding grades for the 2022-2023 school year, now is the time to start the planning process. The Office of Catholic Schools can assist by providing a feasibility study based on Mission Insite data to help your school board make an informed decision. Please contact Lori Paul for more information or assistance.
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Please make sure that you have updated Powerschool with your enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. We are starting to pull data and want to make sure that we are looking at the correct information. |
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Remember your WRISA annual reports will be due in the Office of Catholic Schools by October 1, 2021. Summer is a good time to update your staff qualifications (including the number of professional development hours), your goals (including progress made), waivers and exceptions. If you complete these parts early you won't have much to do in the first month of school for this report!
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Traumatic Event Crisis Intervention Workshop |
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CESA 6 is offering a crisis response training November 1 and 2. This is the model that Xavier uses as part of our membership in a local consortium of schools that help each other respond to situations like a death of a student/parent/teacher. Here is a link to that training. The cost is $295 per participant. This is a great opportunity to build a network of people to help one another.
This course will provide participants with knowledge, protocols and materials designed to facilitate
- competent, thorough and proactive pre-incident (traumatic event) preparation,
- subsequent day (after students and staff have returned to school) deployment of crisis response team members and management of the building response, and
- familiarity with a variety of intervention strategies and documents specifically designed to strengthen building response following a traumatic event.
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Save the Date: All Schools Mass |
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The Diocesan Celebrate Catholic Schools Mass will be held November 3. The tentative location is Assumption Blessed Mary Virgin Parish in Pulaski. Details will be outlined at a later date.
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There will be a Discipleship Seminar for all parish staff, school principals and system presidents on Thursday, October 21, 2021 at the new Resch Complex.
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Curriculum review and connections: |
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Please fill out the form in order that as schools/systems are looking at reviewing curriculum resources, they might be able to collaborate with other schools/systems. You could also use this resource to connect with other schools using different resources at which you might be looking.
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Please pass this link for MAP Resources to your teachers. There is a lot of information available to them for using the data to drive instruction and do goal setting with students.
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NCEA Newlsetter Link
Click on icon below to read the latest issue of Catholic School Matters Newsletter from NCEA and Dr. Tim Uhl.
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Office of Catholic Schools
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