ACRE Testing

The ACRE testing window is next week – November 7-18^th – please make sure your 5^th, 8^th and 11^th graders complete this assessment.

November Principals and Directors Meeting

You have indicated you would like more time to discuss topics that impact your schools. Therefore, we are starting a new breakout session at our Principal’s Meeting on November 8^th titled “Hot Topics”. Please submit topics you would like to discuss with your peers. We will break into groups, Early Education Center Directors, K-8 Principals and High School Principals. 

Hot Topics Poll for Principal Meeting.

Meeting Agenda

National Vocations Awareness Week | Nov. 6 - 12

The USCCB has designated one week each November to recognize religious vocations. National Vocations Awareness Week is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. 

Download prayer card.

Read and share these vocations stories from our diocese in the current issue of Catholic Key magazine: 

Mr. Erik Wachira is "joyfully surrendering himself to Jesus."

Sister Photina is "learning a life of love as a religious sister." 

Mr. Brett Zagar has "a heart open to God's vocation message." 

NCEA Marketing Kit

The 2022-2023 Marketing Kit for Discover Catholic Schools Week and Catholic Schools Week is here. NCEA has begun to have a DISCOVER Catholic Schools Week in November (November 13-19 this year) with some great ideas to promote your school in your parish community to attract new families to your school! I know it is short notice, but check it out and see if there is something that you can do during this week to promote your school!

Find the Marketing Kit in this attachment.

Religion Textbooks 

You will find the list of textbooks that are approved from the USCCB and are considered to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church in this attachment. Please check that the series your school is using is on the list.  

Accreditation

Every principal NOT GOING THROUGH ACCREDITATION should have received an email from Karen Hopson last week about being a member on a Visiting Team this coming spring. If you didn’t get one or can’t find it – let Karen Hopson know and she will resend it to you so you can get the dates on our calendar.   

Credit Educator Workshop - Please share with your teachers

The University of Saint Mary Overland Park Campus offers a range of for-credit teacher workshops throughout the year. Enroll to grow in your profession, fulfill a prerequisite requirement, meet licensure requirements, or learn for the sake of learning.

EDWRK 600 06S 1 Special Topics:

Maximizing Questions For Student Engagement

Saturday, Nov. 5 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | USM Overland Park Campus

Course Description: Questions drive learning in the classroom. This course is designed for educators who want to maximize questions in the classroom to keep students engaged in learning. How you frame and deliver questions aids in creating a culture of inquiry. Through intentional decisions about your questions, we’ll focus on strategies to help you focus on what, when, why, and how questions are used in your classroom. There will be a five-hour follow-up assignment that includes implementation in the classroom, due no later than Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022

Instructor: Theresa Love, MA

For more information on USM’s courses please visit: https://www.stmary.edu/teach

Theology of the Body

The plan for the Diocese is for Theology of the Body to be taught Kindergarten through 12^th grade starting this year. There is some free information for teachers who are searching for information for this topic https://www.ruahwoodsinstitute.org/theology-of-the-body-curriculum/educator-support/

There also is a teacher training that you can pay for ($150.00) that goes more in depth to the curriculum. This looks like you can pay $150.00 and use it with all your teachers. There is a workbook with the training – extra workbooks are $10.00 a book. You can also schedule a 2-hour live training with your staff and a TOB expert. This is all included with $150.00.

Christmas Card Contest

We've had some wonderful entries and the due date has been extended.  Don't forget to submit your Christmas Card Contest entries by November 10th! Contest entries need to be sent to Kerry (eckart@diocesekcsj.org) or to Kerry Eckart at 20 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. Find important contest details here.

Principal/Director Christmas Party

Don't forget to put Thursday December 1st on your calendars for the Christmas Party.  This year's party is loaded with fun.  Be watching for the invitation arriving in your emails soon. 

Principal/Director Meeting

November 8 - 8:30 am

  Baum Room