Volume 6 | Number 2 | October 6, 2020
Civic Engagement. Learning Environments. The Value Proposition of Jesuit Education. Racial Injustice...

These are among the topics we invite you to explore and exchange ideas on in the JSN's new Connecting Threads platform. Listen, watch, read and respond. It's a great way to understand and share thoughts across our network!
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
The JSN Board of Directors met virtually last week—generous and committed Ignatian Educators.
Bill Muller, SJ
Executive Director
JSN OPPORTUNITIES
Ignatian Colleagues Gatherings: Update!
In case you missed it: the first cycle of our new Ignatian Colleagues Gatherings (ICGs) will begin in Fall of 2021. Follow the link below to view the schedule and learn more about the themes.
Special Cohort Gathering: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
A special Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Cohort Gathering will take place from June 22 to June 25, 2021 in Cleveland, OH.
Connect With Our Communications
We will be resuming our Virtual Coffee Shops as the school year gets underway. These real-time video conference sessions allow participants to exchange questions and ideas around key issues facing Jesuit education.
Our new Connecting Threads platform connects to and extends the conversations from our real-time Virtual Coffee Shops.

We encourage you to be a voice in these conversations!
FROM OUR PARTNERS
WUJA to Host Conversation on Refugees & Migrants
WUJA (the World Union of Jesuit Alumni) will host a virtual conversation about refugees and migrants featuring Miren Mendiluce of Deusto University, WUJA president Alain Deneef, and Thomas Smolich, S.J., the International Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service.
AVLI Offers Free Astronomy Course for Adults
The Arrupe Virtual Learning Institute (AVLI) invites all adult learners (parents, teachers, administrators, staff, etc.) to join their online Astronomy course with Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J. of the Vatican Observatory. You don’t need advanced math or expensive equipment to enjoy looking at the stars, but the more you know, the more fun it becomes! Join the AVLI for a free 4-week experience.
Boston College STM: Opportunities for Jesuit Educators
Catholic education has always been at the heart of the Church’s mission in the world, animated by educators who honor the dignity of each student, ultimately helping to form compassionate, faith-filled disciples committed to the common good. Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry (STM) offers a rich range of opportunities in service to Catholic educators.
Jesuit Friends and Alumni Network Virtual Event to Feature Former Detroit Chief of Police & Deputy Mayor
On Thursday, October 8, the Jesuit Friends and Alumni Network will host Dr. Ike McKinnon, former Deputy Mayor and Chief of Police in Detroit, for a virtual talk on ‘Keeping the Faith in a Violent Society.’ Dr. Ike McKinnon is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy, where he has served as a professor. The Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities (AJCU) is proud to serve as a co-sponsor for this event; click here to register online.
Four Jesuit High School Portland Juniors Start The Desi Project
The Desi Project, a non-profit led by four juniors from Jesuit High School in Portland, empowers South Asian teenagers in America by helping them become more confident with their culture and providing them with a platform to share their stories and culture with the community. They have created a video showing South Asian discrimination in America and how these stereotypes can cause South Asian teenagers to reject their culture. They hope this can inspire desi teenagers across America to be proud of their culture and other ethnic groups to share their experiences with their culture. Take a look and join the cause by following their team on Instagram at @thedesiprojectpdx.
 
Cristo Rey Atlanta Student Hits Ceremonial Opening Hope Shot for PGA Tour Championship
Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School student Bernardo Little, Jr. won the opportunity to hit the ceremonial opening Hope Shot for the PGA Tour Championship.

St. Xavier Math Teacher Honored on The Huddle
St. Xavier High School math faculty member George Beluan was recently recognized for his excellent work with students. St. X grad Jordan Cornette, ’01 hosts a national television sports program called The Huddle. This weekend the program’s hosts recognized and honored teachers who have made a difference in their lives. Jordan Cornette spent his time honoring George Beluan.

Bellarmine Preparatory School Hosts All School Webinar with Author Jamie Ford
Bellarmine Preparatory School was honored to welcome author Jamie Ford to their first all-school webinar on Wednesday, September 16. Jamie Ford is the author of Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which was the book selected for Bellarmine’s Bellarmine Reads summer reading program. The book’s themes of the ways in which families, friendships, and communities face the complications of fear and prejudice tie into the school’s theme for the year, Together We Are Bellarmine: Building Community Through Identity, Empathy and Action.

Fordham Prep Teachers Honored by University of Chicago
Fordham Preparatory School faculty members Dylan LaGamma ’09 (pictured, left) and Nelson Ritter ’96 have been named as recipients of the University of Chicago’s Outstanding Educator Award. This distinguished award has existed for more than three decades. Students accepted into the University of Chicago Class of 2024 were asked to nominate an educator whose guidance has helped them along the path toward intellectual growth. Mr. LaGamma and Mr. Ritter were recognized as educators who are exceptional in their field and role models for all students. We thank them both for living out the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis each day both inside and outside of the classroom.
Regis Jesuit’s Moira Newman ’22 Spends Her Summer Fighting Hunger
This summer, Regis Jesuit High School’s Moira Newman, ’22, participated in an internship at Metro Caring, a Denver area non-profit working to meet people’s immediate need for nutritious food while building a movement to address the root causes of hunger.

My Return to School During COVID-19: Bellarmine College Prep Students Share Their Reflections
Bellarmine College Preparatory Religious Studies faculty member Cora Antonio shared reflections submitted by her students as part of Educate Magis’s Global Student Project entitled My Return to School During COVID-19.

Creighton Prep Named a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School
On September 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education announced that Creighton Prep was one of 317 public and 50 non-public schools designated a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School. Prep was honored in the Exemplary High Performing category for academic performance.


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