Iowa Flex Roster Update

Rosters for Iowa Flex Benchmarking should be uploaded by September 1^st!  The testing window will be open September 6^th – 16^th.  All 3^rd -8^th grade students will take a math and reading assessment. The assessments are not timed, but an “average time” for completing the assessments are 45-55 minutes per assessment.  

NCEA Report

You need to have your enrollment number on September 16, 2022 in order to complete the report.  This enrollment number needs to be at least the same number you provided the CSO as your 1^st day of school number or higher if you have enrolled new students.  

NCEA Report and the Catholic Schools Office Report

Due dates for these reports have been adjusted to meet the deadlines by NCEA. Both reports are due by MONDAY, September 26, 2022! Both reports can be found in Sycamore.  

Franciscan at Home

If you have not had your teachers register on the Franciscan at Home website, please get that accomplished ASAP. Karen H will come out and walk your faculty through the process of signing into the program if needed.  

Diocesan PD Day October 14th

Make sure that you and your staff are prepared to attend the Oct. 14th PD Day at St. Pius for Elementary and High School (1500 NE 42nd Terr., KCMO 64116) and St. Patrick for ECC's (1401 NE 42nd Terr., KCMO 64116). The day will begin at 8:30 am with socializing and networking and the sessions and keynote speaker will begin promptly at 9:15 am. Lunch will be provided. If you have staff with specific dietary needs please let Kerry Eckart (eckart@diocesekcsj.org) know as soon as possible.

Internet Education and Safety Resources

Protect Young Eyes posted this story on their social media and it’s a timely reminder for school administrators:

https://protectyoungeyes.com/5-tech-questions-to-ask-every-school-principal/?mc_cid=49a7aa82d4&mc_eid=7bc15bc00d

Protect Young Eyes offers a free monthly newsletter to parents/teachers/administrators full of good information and resources. You can sign up on their website: protectyoungeyes.com.

The most popular app in the world right now is BeReal. It’s a simple picture app.  Read the review and learn more about it here: https://protectyoungeyes.com/apps/bereal-app-review/?mc_cid=49a7aa82d4&mc_eid=7bc15bc00d .  

FREE Reading Training for K-5 Teachers

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is excited to announce a new initiative to support evidence-based literacy instruction focused on the Science of Reading. The Missouri Read, Lead, Exceed initiative is the state's comprehensive plan to dedicate just over $35millionin federal relief funding to support student literacy. As part of this plan, up to 15,000 K-5 classroom teachers could receive training in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling(LETRS®). This course of study gives teachers the skills needed to teach language and literacy to every student by providing in-depth training in the Science of Reading. K-5 classroom teachers will receive this training at no cost to them or their local education agency(LEA). This opportunity for LETRS® training provides sustained and job-embedded professional learning. Teachers will develop evidence-based foundational knowledge and skills to deliver explicit and systematic instruction focused on phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and language that positively affect long-term systemic change in literacy outcomes.

Kindergarten through 5^th grade classroom teachers are now eligible to register for the Missouri Read, Lead, Exceed LETRS Training for October 2022 cohorts. Please use the following link to pre-register for the Read, Lead, Exceed LETRS Training by Friday, September 16, 2022. Once pre-registration is complete, the district’s local Regional Professional Development Center will contact teachers to schedule the training dates.

Limited PSLF Waiver: Toolkit for Educators

On Oct. 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a change to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program rules for a limited time as a result of the COVID-19 national emergency. Millions of non-profit and government employees have federal student loans and may now be eligible for loan forgiveness or additional credit through the Limited PSLF Waiver, including most full time employees of public or private non-profit schools and colleges. Under normal PSLF rules, borrowers must make 120 payments on a Direct Loan while on a qualifying repayment plan and employed by a qualifying public service employer. Now, for a limited period of time, federal student loan borrowers may receive credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify for PSLF.  Please see the following link for more details.

https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/resources/limited-pslf-waiver-educator-toolkit.pdf

Eucharistic Congress

We are only a few weeks away! The 4^th Annual “In His Real Presence” Diocesan Eucharistic Congress is Saturday, September 10. St. James Church in Liberty is our host parish this year. Please help us share Eucharistic Amazement with your school students and families!! Attached are updated flyers regarding the Day Session and Youth Night. A Relic room will be set up with a piece of the True Cross, for veneration.

“In that little Host is the solution to all the problems of the world.”

~St. John Paul II

Principal/Director Christmas Party

It's hard to think about Christmas in September but time goes by so quickly and we want to make sure you save the date!  Thursday December 1st (this is a change from the original calendar that was sent out) we will meet at St. Johns Club, 414 Barnett Ave., Kansas City, Ks., for fun, fellowship and in celebration of the upcoming birth of Jesus.  Please plan to join us from 10:00 - 2:00.  More details to follow at a later date!

New Principal Meeting

Iowa Flex Training

Diocesan PD Day

September 20 - 9:00 am

September 27 - 8:30 am

October 14 - 8:30 am

CSO

Chancery Baum Room

St. Patrick/St. Pius