Office of
Catholic Schools
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In this season of Advent and Christmas to come may you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ Child. Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever. Amen.
Merry Christmas!
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Next editions of the Office of Catholic Schools Newsletter:
January 8 & 22, 2021
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Look for topics in previous editions:
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Archive of Superintendent’s emails:
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Dec. 24 & 25 Christmas Eve and Christmas day-Diocesan offices closed
Dec. 31 Meemic Foundation Grants due
Jan. 4 Diocesan Offices reopen
Jan. 4 Winter MAP Testing Window Opens (Jan..4-Jan. 22)
Jan. 11 New School Administrators Workshop 9:00 AM-1:00 PM (virtual)
Jan. 11 Qtrly Payroll report due to Safe Environment for Background Checks
Jan. 12 PowerSchool User Group (8:30 AM - 10:30 AM)
Jan.15 2021-2022 School Budgets Due
Jan. 20 New Teachers/Methods B Faith Integration 3:30-4:30 (Virtual)
Jan. 22 Winter MAP Testing Window Closes
Jan. 23 Business Manager Meeting - ALL SCHOOLS only (CLA Training) -Saturday
Jan. 31 Catholic Schools Week (January 31-February 6)
Many Gifts - One Nation Event as Part of Catholic Schools Week
Feb. 3 All School Mass at Cathedral with Bishop
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Our offices will be closed
December 24 – January 3.
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As part of Catholic Schools Week we will be creating a promotional video for our schools to use called, Ask the Bishop. We are asking each school to film one child asking Bishop ANY question. What’s Your Favorite Song? What do you like about being a Bishop? Etc.
The video can be filmed via an IPhone. On the video please have the child say:
Their first name
Their school
Their question
Please send your videos to Lori by MONDAY, JANUARY 4. Please make sure you have a signed video release for the student on file before sending the video.
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All School Mass Registration |
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To celebrate Catholic Schools Week we will be having a virtual All School Mass on February 3, 2021 at 10:00 am at the Cathedral. Every school is asked to send up to 4 representatives to the event (student, principal, teacher, chaperone). Seating will be staggered and masks will be worn. Each school must sign up by January 15, 2021. The sign up form can be found at
Please contact Lisa Gruber if you need assistance or have questions.
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Second Friday in January (January 8) - PSCP - COUNT DATE |
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All schools participating in the Choice Program take the Second Friday in January count of Choice students enrolled in their school. Schools must also determine who remains on the MPCP and RPCP waiting list as of the Second Friday in January. Schools use this information to complete the third Friday September Count Report in OAS. |
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Catholic Schools Week will be upon us before we know it when we return from Christmas break. If anyone has some great ideas about how to celebrate Catholic schools, COVID style, please let us know so we can pass them along to others. For Compass in the Classroom, a “Bingo” game was created using the book Brilliant! 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People. by David Michael Warren, Illustrated by Jaclyn Warren. Published by Pauline Books and Media and Word on Fire Institute. A beautiful book of saints and holy people, great for every Catholic school library. Check out the Bingo game for a classroom or school activity.
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Catholic Schools Week January 31 – February 6 |
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Have you started making plans to celebrate Catholic Schools Week? The Office of Catholic Schools will be doing a marketing campaign covering our 16 counties during this time. The campaign will include social media, streaming services and the Annual Report in the Compass. NOW is the time to talk about our success stories during the past months. We stayed open, we educated, we kept kids safe! |
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Typically, there are only a few schools that participate in the Winter MAP assessment. Given the “off/on” in person learning, schools may want to consider doing the winter MAP assessment to see the progress that is being made. If you are going to participate in the winter MAP, please let the MAP coordinator know in order that we can get your CRF uploaded for the new test session. |
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Rural Life DRAWING OR ESSAY CONTEST |
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For students in Grades 1-8, create a picture or write an essay (200 words or less) on the topic: How do farmers and rural communities support their neighbors during a pandemic?
Include your name, address, grade and school/parish on the back of your 8.5 x 11 in. drawing or essay.
One entry per person. Please submit your drawing or essay by Feb. 12, 2021.
Send all entries to:
Peter Weiss
Catholic Charities & Living Justice Mission Team
1825 Riverside Dr.
P.O. Box 23825
Green Bay, WI 54305-3825
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Each of our regional DASA Groups meet monthly. Here are the regions and when they meet:
DASA Central – first Monday of the month at 1:30
DASA Southeast – first Thursday of the month at 1:30
DASA North & Northeast– Second Monday of the month at 1:30
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MCA Christmas Artwork Contest Winners |
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Congratulations to Payton from All Saints in Antigo who was one of the Missionary Childhood Association Art Contest winners. She was featured on a live stream event on December 16. |
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Purchasing What You Need, Needing What You Purchase |
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If you were not able to attend the conference this past week, here are some of the highlights from this session.
Communicate with the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools when reviewing curriculum in order to collaborate with other schools and for support as needed.
Work with your DASA region to make purchases and professional development opportunities together if feasible.
Volume pricing is a benefit.
Determine your needs based on data. If the data reveals a change is needed evaluate whether it is the materials or the pedagogy/methodology being used. Perhaps the change needs to be in how one is teaching not what is being used. More professional development may be needed.
Research online content, investigating what other schools are using then evaluate what you are using to determine its effectiveness.
Determine if the materials being used can assist the teacher in faith integration and Catholic identity.
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SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS DUE JANUARY 1 |
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A race against the clock is on as all schools must annually file a safety plan with the State Department of Justice Office of School Safety by January 1, in accordance with state law.
Failing to file puts your school at risk of not having proper information available to law enforcement, should it need to come to your aid in a safety emergency.
Secondly, if schools don’t comply, they risk having the legislature intervene with more regulations and penalties. If schools don’t want further regulations, they have to cooperate with existing laws.
The Pandemic is not an excuse to avoid filing. In fact, last year when there was no virus, a large number of schools did not file and negative headlines followed. There’s enough in education to worry about without people thinking schools are unsafe.
WCRIS is working to have the filing requirement moved but until a change is made, the bottom line is this: Get a safety plan filed.
Here’s what the law requires and how to file:
Every school board or governing body of a private school must file the following information with the Office of School Safety by January 1, 2021. [Wis. Stat. 118.07(4)(e)]:
- a copy of its School Safety Plan, including the most recent date on which the school board or governing body reviewed and approved the school safety plan;
- the date(s) of the required annual School Violence Drill(s) during the previous year, including certification that the school board or governing body reviewed a required written evaluation of the school violence drill;
- the date of the most recent school safety plan training (required under 118.07(4)(c)), and the number of attendees; and,
- the most recent date on which the school board or governing body consulted with a local law enforcement agency to conduct required on-site safety assessments.
To help schools streamline the process, the Department of Justice Office of School Safety (OSS) has a helpful checklist for submission.
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DPI Releases Choice Income Limits for 2021-2022 |
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For the 2021-22 school year, the family income of a student new to a choice program must be at or below the amount listed at the DPI site. All students must apply each year at dpi.wi.gov/choice. If a student is continuing in any of the choice programs or was on the choice waiting list for the same Choice program in the prior year, he or she does not need to meet the income limits.
Family income includes the income of the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) that reside in the same household as the student applicant. If the student’s parents/legal guardians that reside in the same household are married, their income is reduced by $7,000 when determining income eligibility for the program (i.e. married family income minus $7,000).
For example, if a family of four with parents that are married has an income of $60,000, subtract $7,000 from their income and compare that amount ($53,000) to the income limit for a family of four in the appropriate table. Family size includes parents/legal guardians and their children by birth, marriage or adoption that reside in the same household as the student applicant.
At this time, the voucher amount for the 2021-2022 year has not been set as it has to be done by the legislature. School Choice Wisconsin does not believe that the amount will change significantly over the current rate due to a tight budget season. Schools should budget $4150 per 4K student, $8300 per K-8 student and $8946 for high school students.
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Holiday Travel Guidelines from the Diocese |
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This information was recently communicated to all staff of the Curia. Please feel free to share with your school employees who have questions regarding travel.
As we head into deer hunting, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in a time of very high COVID-19 activity, we ask that great thought and care for the safety of self and others guide your plans. Included below are links to travel guidelines from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC. If you are planning to travel this holiday season, please review these guidelines.
Employees should be aware of current guidelines from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC:
Employees who have traveled within the U.S. should check themselves for symptoms and limit exposure to others outside of their home as much as possible for 14 days following their return.
All international travelers arriving into the U.S. should stay home for 14 days after their arrival. At home, they are expected to monitor their health and practice social distancing. To protect the health of others, these travelers should not go to work or school for 14 days.
Travelers who return from a cruise ship or river cruise voyage are advised to stay home for 14 days, monitor your health, and practice physical distancing. The CDC currently recommends that travelers defer all cruise travel worldwide.
Employees who are concerned about exposure by being physically present for onsite work must discuss if and how remote work may/may not remain available.
This holiday season will look different for all of us, but we know what precautions to follow. Let’s be safe and well out there. Happy holidays!
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Contacting Office of Catholic School Staff |
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With the various restrictions on the number of people in the office, our team is often working from home. If you need to reach us, please feel free to call our cell phones:
Todd Blahnik - 512-410-0120
Dean Gerondale - 303-810-7775
Lori Paul - 715-587-0009
Jane Schueller - 920-639-8535
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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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School Choice Deadlines
January 5 - Deadline for schools to notify DPI of any student that is no longer in the Choice Program.
For example, if you had a Choice student who was at your school in September, but is now home schooling for the remainder of the year, you need to notify DPI that they are not enrolled.
January 10 - Deadline for schools to register to be able to participate in School Choice for the 2021-2022 school year. Failure to register will mean that your school will not be able to participate in the program for the 2021-2022 school year.
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REGISTER FOR SCHOOL CHOICE PARTICIPATION FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR! |
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Registration to Participate in the 2021-2022 School Choice Program is Open!
All of the school registration forms and the auditor fee are due to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) by Sunday, January 10, 2021 unless otherwise noted in the cover letter.
The DPI recommends schools submit all forms and the fee no later than Thursday or Friday before the due date so there is DPI staff available if the school has questions.
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Beginning Tuesday, November 10, the Office of Catholic Schools is inviting teachers to join fellow educators in open conversation to support one another, share ideas and have a place to just “hang out “ with each other. We know schedules are tight, we are offering two different times for convenience.
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Check out the new Diocese of Green Bay Vocations website.
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Office of Catholic Schools Weekly COVID-19 Data Report |
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Here is the link to the report.
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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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