All Saints

Greetings!

Thank you to each of you who was able to participate in our annual Pastor and School Leaders Meeting last Thursday. And for those who were unable to join, we missed you!

As a follow up to that meeting, please take a few minutes to complete a brief survey to help us as we look to continue to improve. Materials from the day, including the slide deck, can be found here. A full page of OCS meeting resources are located here.

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Fr. Greg Celio, S.J., a Jesuit in the Bellarmine community, preached on All Saints Day, drawing on a memory of his sister running 30 miles over the course of a regular 26.2-mile marathon as she ran ahead with his brother and then doubling back to run with him as he experienced cramping as the race neared its end. He likened this commitment to that of the saints. They run ahead and give us a model toward which to aspire, and they run back alongside each of us, interceding on our behalf and giving us the courage to race onward.

In so many ways, this is true of each of you and each Catholic school leader and teacher who serves in our Catholic schools. Even while we are “lower-case-s” saints, we run ahead of those we serve, providing a witness to the Gospel through our teaching and the example of our lives. We also run back to accompany each student and family as they strive toward that eternal goal of joining around the heavenly banquet.

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Federal Scholarship Tax Credit

As we continue to advocate for Governor Ferguson to opt in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, the Washington Student Success Coalition is asking all those who hope to see Washington state join the 31 other states who have already opted in to this new federal program to send a letter to Gov. Ferguson.

For information on what to share with your school communities and supporters, please read last week’s Keystone. The letter writing template has a button that allows families to choose a Spanish option.

Additionally, if you have not already, I am asking each of you to take three minutes today to create your letter of support and send it in.

With gratitude,

NICHOLAS FORD | Superintendent

Office for Catholic Schools | Archdiocese of Seattle

OPERATIONS CALENDAR & MONTHLY TASK LIST

Click here & log into mycatholicschool.org

Principal Weekly Meetings

November 5 - Multi Year Budgeting Best Practices with John Sullivan

November 12 - Posting jobs on Paycom Training Session & Minimum Wage Updates with Pam Schwartz

November 19 - Advent Planning and Resources with Connor Geraghty

November 26 - Thanksgiving

Upcoming Events

November 10, 2026

GRACE Mid-Fall Meeting

Online

November 17, 2026

Curriculum Committee #2

Peace and Spirituality Center

November 20, 2026

Leadership Academy

Online

December 2, 2026

OCS Presents #3

Zoom

December 4, 2026

BLC Advent Retreat

Peace and Spirituality Center

January 12 2026

Curriculum Committee Meeting

Peace and Spirituality Center

View Chancery to Parish Communications (C2P)

MISSION & CATHOLIC IDENTITY

NPH Fall Family Day

NPH USA invites families and parish friends to Fall Family Day on Saturday, November 14, from 11:30-1:30pm at Sacred Heart Church in Bellevue. This special gathering will include fellowship, mission highlights, including a speaker from Nicaragua and our own backyard, youth-friendly activities, delicious bites and refreshments, and an opportunity to learn more about how NPH USA supports vulnerable children and families in Latin America and the Caribbean. All are welcome to enjoy a fun, family-friendly day while learning how to get involved through giving, volunteering, and local engagement. Click here to register.

Annual Black Catholic Advocacy Conference

All are welcome to join us in celebrating Black Catholic History Month at the Black Catholic Advisory Circle (BCAC) Annual Conference. This is an opportunity to participate in compassionate conversations about the historical contributions of Black Catholics and learn more about ongoing efforts for reconciliation and inclusion through reparatory justice. The conference will be held from Friday to Saturday, November 20-21 at the Seattle University Student Center in Seattle. Click here to learn more and register.

Christ in the Classroom Toolkit

Please click here for the Christ in the Classroom Local Retreat Toolkit.

Fulcrum Side x Side Foundation Grant

The Side x Side Foundation Grant Program provides up to $10,000 to help Catholic schools strengthen inclusive practices. Funding supports practical school-based initiatives, including professional development, assistive technology, and student support services, to enhance belonging and success for learners with diverse needs. Click here for the Fulcrum Foundation's grant application page and scroll down to the Side x Side section to apply by November 13.

Gonzaga University Workshops

Gonzaga University's Center for Lifelong Learning and School of Education invite educators to participate in three interactive online workshops designed to strengthen inclusive practices and support diverse student learning, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. These workshops are offered at no cost to our educators through our university partnership with Gonzaga and the generosity of the Fulcrum Foundation. Please share this flier with your educators, which includes the registration links.

GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP

Personnel & Policy Notes for the Week of 11/02/26

Click here to read more.

Leadership Academy Registration

The Office for Catholic Schools offers a year-long BLC cohort for aspiring administrators with a mixture of in-person and virtual meetings. Framed in the 4 domains of the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS). For questions, please contact Kelly Surapaneni at kelly.surapaneni@seattlearch.org. There is still time to join! Click here to learn more.

University Partner Programs

University Partner Programs in all of the 4 Domains. Many of the programs applications are open! Click here.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Early Learning Weekly Newsletter

Important Resources and Reminders for Early Learning Programs. Click here to learn more.

NWEA MAP Analyst FREE Training

NWEA is coming back to the Archdiocese of Seattle for continued in-person trainings on reports and how to use data from each season of MAP testing. Click here for more information.

Teacher Induction Toolkit

Induction toolkit for onboarding new teachers. Organized by month and applicable to both elementary and high school.

Academic Decathlon Information

Please click here for the Academic Junior High Decathlon flier. Contact Shauna Richards with any questions (scogan@sjsissaquah.org).

GRACE Mid-Fall Online Meeting 11/10

Join us online from 1:30-3:30pm on Tuesday, 11/10 for a follow up meeting to our Fall Workshop. We will be welcoming Cara Shores back online!

Curriculum Committee Meeting #2 on 11/17

Our three curriculum committees are invited to join us for meeting #2 of our groups of our groups: counselors, AI committee and Content Time/Policy Committee. Click here!

Catholic Schools of Excellence

Applications are now open to any school in our Archdiocese who would like to apply for one of six categories - Due 12/01 to schoolsofexcellence@seattlearch.org. For more information on these categories and eligibility, click here!

OPERATIONAL VITALITY

School Monthly Financial Statements

Please respond to John Sullivan on the three linked requests regarding School financial reports.

Adding Substitutes?

Use this link to request someone be added or moved to the sub-pool. AND have them apply on PayCom to the Substitute Teacher on-call position. Thanks!

Villanova Cert. of Catholic School Management

Do you want to improve your skills as a Catholic School Administrator? Consider this program that can be done at your pace this spring!

GROWTH STUDIO: A Big Month Ahead!

🎁 A FREE Catholic Schools Week Kit? Yes, Please!

Get your Growth Studio team signed up by Friday, November 6, and we will send your school a FREE 2027 Catholic Schools Week Sample Kit!

Your membership includes three team seats, so make sure your people are connected and taking advantage of all Growth Studio has to offer.

Need help? Watch this quick team setup video.

✨ Up Next: Black Catholic History with Dr. Cary Dabney

Thursday, November 5 | 10–11 AM PT

How well do we know the stories of the Black Catholics who helped shape our Church?

Join Dr. Cary Dabney as we explore the rich history, inspiring stories, and remarkable contributions of Black Catholics. The more we understand our shared Catholic heritage, the better we can celebrate and strengthen the communities we serve.

A little history. A lot of inspiration. A story worth knowing.

🔗 Meeting Zoom Link

Fulcrum

Fulcrum Program Reminders

nSide x Side Foundation Grant – deadline to apply is 11/13/2026
RISE Grant Program – application is open year-round, first grants will be made in December 2026
Facility Improvement Grant Program – this is not an application-based program. If interested in being considered for Fulcrum funding, please fill out the inquiry form linked on our website under Grants & Programs/Supporting Schools
TAP for 2027-2028 – deadline to apply is 12/31/2026 (no exceptions for late applications)

Celebration of Light - Seeking Volunteers!

Planning is underway for the 25^th annual Celebration of Light Gala on January 29, 2027. We are seeking volunteers leading up to the event and the night of the gala. Opportunities are available for school staff, parents, alumni, and high school students to volunteer. Click here for details! Questions: Amy Hall, hall.amy@fulcrumfoundation.org.

News & Resources

Puget Sound Council of Teachers of Mathematics - Invitation

All teachers of math and science are invited to join Puget Sound Council of Teachers of Mathematics for a dinner meeting on Monday, November 9th at St. Madeleine Sophie. There will be a speaker who worked on the downtown Seattle tunnel to speak about the connections between mathematics and real world engineering. If this interests you, please register here!

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