Weekly Round Up 1/25/2019

Didn’t have the chance to check in with NCEA Talk each day? We’ve got you covered. Each Friday NCEA Talk will post a roundup of Catholic education news and resources from the week.

Happening Next Week

  • January 27 – February 2 is National Catholic Schools Week. We look forward to being a part of your celebrations on social media. Please use #CSW19 in all your posts.
  • January 29 – January 30 is the second annual Many Gifts, One Nation: A Day of Giving to Catholic Schools. Visit https://ncea.manygifts.giving.factsmgt.com/ to find your favorite Catholic schools and give back. Be sure to share on your social media networks using #ManyGiftsCathEd. Let’s break last year’s $859,000 raised for Catholic schools!

Major Announcements & Deadlines

  • Apply to attend The Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institutes, which are week-long professional development programs for K-12 educators in the nation’s capital. Participants will learn to teach using primary sources from the Library of Congress’ resources. The Library will offer three different Institutes. Application details are available online. Application Deadline: March 10, 2019.
  • Don’t forget to register for NCEA 2019, the largest private education gathering in the world! 
  • Mark your calendars for Summer Professional Development!
    • The 2019 NCEA New Directions STREAM 3.0 Conference is taking place June 17 – 18, 2019 in Parsippany, NJ. More information about this innovative and engaging conference is available at www.NCEA.org/stream.
    • The Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY is once again the host hotel for the Seventeenth Annual Education Law Symposium (July 11 – 14, 2019). Registration materials will be available in early February 2019. Check out the event website for additional information.
    • The Institute for Catholic School Leaders (ICSL) will be July 14 – 17, 2019 in Indianapolis, IN. Please check www.NCEA.org/icsl for details about this dynamic leadership conference!
  • Calling teacher leaders! Do you have an idea to address a perceived need in your school, district or state? The Teach to Lead® team is accepting idea submissions through January 28 for its 17th Teacher Leadership Summit, March 29 – 31 in Philadelphia, where teams will receive critical support to turn their ideas into action. Private school teachers are eligible to apply.
  • TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science) is a one-day engineering competition for students in middle and high school. The 2019 competition theme is “The Engineering Brain” and is composed of three components related to the theme – designing and building a solution to a problem, rigorous math problems and an essay. All competitions occur between February 13 and March 17. Learn more on the TEAMS websiteSchools that are members of NCEA can use code NCEA to receive a 30% discount off of the national registration fee of $150. For more information, contact Jenn Glover, TEAMS Manager.
  • At this time, the 2019 NCEA Visions for Excellence Early Childhood Education Seminar on April 24 during the NCEA 2019 Convention & Expo is SOLD OUT. Please watch your email for updates if you are on the waiting list for this event!
  • The National Speak Up for Digital Learning Survey Project has exciting news! Schools, arch/dioceses, religious congregation systems and networks of Catholic schools now have access to the suite of online Speak Up tools on-demand throughout the school year. The previous January 31 deadline for completing surveys has been lifted! Remember, there is no cost to participate in the Speak Up program.

Relevant Resources

  • 2019 E-rate Applications are now open. Please refer to the NCEA website for information pertaining to application dates, procedures and links to the necessary forms. 
  • The Winter 2019 issue of Momentum is now available online! 
  • Please share this month’s Parent News Flyer (in English and Spanish) with your school families. Previous Parent News Flyers are available on the NCEA website. 
  • Melissa Johnson, a veteran Catholic school teacher, is the co-creator of the eLearning 10-lesson course, Understanding Racism. Read her outstanding blog on NCEA Talk called “Open Wide Our Hearts.” This is a crucial time in our nation’s history. We are witnesses to a disturbing rise in racist attitudes, expressions, and violence in American society. 
  • The Whys and Whats for students who have difficulty with transitions or changes in routine, come across as rude or insensitive to others, or talk excessively about the same topics are covered in this infographic about autism behaviors. 
  • Check out our new and improved IFG: ACRE and Adult Survey programs. 
  • The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the release of two toolkits which provide suggestions and resources for English Language (EL) learners utilizing technology-based resources.
  • Maximize Federal Benefits Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides helpful information for Catholic schools in understanding the ESSA.