Catholic School Matters Top 5

NCEATALK

Happy Easter!  I enjoyed a couple of weeks break from curating and am back for a final 5-week push to the end of the school year. (Sounds like one of your teachers, right?)

Last week, Pope Francis released Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad).  It’s a great document and I encourage you to put it on your reading list.  Its emphasis on the “saints next door” and the “middle class of holiness” is refreshing.  Paragraphs 70-94 are a reflection on the Beatitudes.  Many of our Catholic schools claim “Gospel-centered” and possess Gospel.  Reading and reflecting of this portion might help articulate the specific values.  And don’t miss reading paragraph 115 on “verbal violence” especially pertaining to the Internet.

The Top 5:

  1. I included three articles interpreting Gaudete et Exsultate: “Francis’ New Exhortation a Call to Become Holy by Serving Others” in NCR, “Pope Francis’ New Exhortation: Jesus ‘Wants us to be Saints” from America Magazine, and my own “Reflections from the Middle Class of Holiness” from drtimuhl.com.
  2. The next article details an innovative entrepreneurial program at St. Labre High School—our sole American Indian Catholic high school in Montana.  If you have any T-shirt or printing needs, give them a call!
  3. In the Catholic School News section, the first entry is a news article detailing a Catholic school principal’s firing, then an article protesting and calling for a Board of Limited Jurisdiction, and then an article announcing her re-hiring.  I thought the Op-Ed was insightful and captures a movement within Catholic schools—that of revising governance.  For many Catholic schools, giving executive power to the pastor is no longer working for a variety of reasons—namely the pinch on pastors’ time.
  4. The next article in the section from Scott Macleod (the Dangerously Irrelevant blogger) centers on the benefits of active learning.  While it seems to be centered on Kindergarten, Scott makes a number of great points about K-12 education.
  5. The final link is to a video about inclusion in the Diocese of Arlington (VA).  It’s well-done, heartwarming, and serves as a call for action.  I love how the pastor says, “If you wonder how it’s done, give us a call.”  Amen.

Have a great week!