Supporting Leaders Through Crisis |
Catholic school superintendents and leaders came together during this unprecedented time of leading during a pandemic to share resources and discuss such things as CARES Act legislation, digital learning plans, and how to reopen schools safely. Gathering weekly from March to July, Catholic superintendents from 13 archdioceses connected via Zoom, and with 350 downloads, principals utilized Faith Feeds guides during the summer months to reflect on ways they have been adaptable, joyful and attentive during this time of crisis. "Having a group of colleagues to process this most challenging time got me through some of the hardest days of this pandemic," commented one superintendent. Click here to learn more about the Superintendent PLC or download Faith Feeds guides to process the pandemic with your Catholic school community.
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Book Club Challenges Heads and Hearts |
This summer 200 Catholic educators across the country spent five weeks reading and discussing the book Racial Justice and the Catholic Church by Fr. Bryan Massingale, and participating in panel discussions featuring black Catholic leaders, educators and students, all of whom challenged educators to do the difficult work of listening. "Providing a space doesn't mean anything if you're not listening," shared one student panelist. For a kindergarten teacher from San Francisco, the five weeks "transformed an intellectual matter into a spiritual one," she admitted. "It made me consider whose voices aren't being heard, who's not at the table, and why that is." To continue the conversation, the Roche Center is offering two professional education courses this fall: "Creating Equitable Curriculum for Catholic Educators" and "Educating for Racial Justice Through Art."
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Roche Center Launches New Master's Degree |
With a virtual retreat on July 29, the Roche Center launched a new Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy for a cohort of Catholic leaders from New England. The Catholic Leadership Cohort, a collaborative initiative with faculty from the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, is a 20-month program that forms leaders intellectually, spiritually and as a community. Components include academic coursework, one-on-one and small group executive coaching, formative retreats, and the opportunity for spiritual direction. If you've been considering Catholic school leadership, we encourage you to take a look!
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TWIN-CS Academy Reaches Record Attendance |
More than 150 Two Way Immersion Catholic school teachers and leaders across the country met virtually for this summer’s annual TWIN-CS Academy held June 29 - July 1. Dr. Mariela Páez and Dr. Martin Scanlan of Boston College, and Dr. Zhongfeng Tian from the University of Texas were among the dozen scholars and practitioners presenting. Participants attended high-impact sessions on such topics as translanguaging, building school culture digitally, and best practices for dual language in the early childhood. Network members will continue to meet monthly in regional professional learning communities and be supported by leadership coaches. Read below to learn more about the ways the Roche Center is committed to supporting culturally and linguistically diverse Catholic schools.
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Professional Education Opportunities |
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Creating Equitable Curriculum Course |
Respect for human dignity, justice and the common good are fundamental principles of Catholic social teaching. Creating antiracist Catholic schools means an adherence to these teachings that create and promote school cultures that value and support inclusive curriculum, pedagogy, and policies, while deeply understanding the systemic racism that shapes many of our current instructional practices. Recognizing the important role classroom teachers play in creating antiracist schools, this professional education course examines the foundational pedagogy and theory of antiracist classrooms, examines school and classroom practices that lead to equity, and challenges teachers to create an equitable curriculum they can implement in their classrooms. |
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Educating for Racial Justice Through Art |
In the Christian tradition, “sacramentality” is the belief that the created world, which is imbued with the intimacy and infinitude of God, has the power to open our hearts and minds to a different and deeper reality. When understood this way, the creative work of art also possesses the same potential. Structured in a way that is readily applicable to classroom conversations, this course provides opportunities to engage in contemplative critique of religious and contemporary racial justice artwork and to explore feelings effected by the artwork. Participants will then be invited to create their own art as a way to process personal experiences of racism and injustice, and as a way to transform the current reality. |
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Book Club: Teaching Dual Language Learners, What Early Childhood Teachers Need to Know |
Educators participating in this virtual book club will explore a new text by Dr. Mariela Páez of Boston College and Dr. Lisa Lopez of the University of South Florida. Engaging with the text through small-group conversation and independent reflection, this text provides the latest research findings on supporting the learning and development of bilingual and multilingual children. Participants will discuss best instructional and assessment practices and ways to integrate these practices into their classrooms. Through a review of case studies, reflection questions with other dual-language educators, participants will enhance their work with young dual language learners (DLLs).
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Introduction to Spanish Linguistics for Heritage Speakers |
This year-long course is designed for educators who already have a background in Spanish, but desire to have more formal studies in linguistics, grammar and syntax. The course content focuses on the analysis of the formal linguistic characteristics of the Spanish language. Participants will explore the Spanish sound system (phonetics and phonology), formation of words (morphology), and sentence structure (syntax); and also examine the evolution of the different Spanish varieties (historic, regional, and social). This course emphasizes Spanish used in formal academic contexts. |
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Family Faith Opportunities with C21 at Boston College |
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What's it like to have Breakfast with God? |
Join the families who have been gathering virtually every Sunday morning since the pandemic began to find out! Within the 30-minute program that is co-facilitated by Ms. Anne Krane, preschool teacher at St. Columbkille Partnership School, and Fr. Quang Tran, SJ, of Boston College, families listen to the Word, pray together, and creatively express the joy of the Gospel through read-alouds, song and art. "I like praying with my arms because I'm active and it keeps us all connected!" shared one young participant. Any and all families are welcome to join for Breakfast, which is co-sponsored by the Church in the 21st Century (C21). The best part? No call-ahead reservations are needed! |
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Kids' Book Club Allows Children to Meet Authors! |
Children are invited to join the monthly Drawing God Book Club, where they will have the opportunity to "meet" authors who have written well-known books and stories inspired by their faith. The one-hour Zoom sessions, which are scheduled for August 31, September 21 and October 19, begin at 7:00 p.m. EST and will be recorded in case families need to "tune in" at another time. The initiative is co-sponsored by the C21 Center and the Roche Center at Boston College, as well as the St. Francis of Assisi Research Library. |
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