Upcoming Opportunities

Greetings!

There are two upcoming opportunities for all Catholics in the Archdiocese to grow in faith together, and I ask that you continue to promote both within your school communities.

The first is ASCEND: A Eucharistic Revival, taking place at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue on May 16. Join Catholics from across Western Washington for a day of faith-strengthening, spiritual enrichment, and sacramental participation, all oriented toward deepening belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and drawing attendees into a closer relationship with God through His Son. Click here to learn more and to register.

The second is an invitation to join Archbishop Etienne, Bishop Schuster, and thousands of the faithful on August 15 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma for a beautiful outdoor Mass celebrating the Solemnity of the Assumption, our belief that Mary, the Mother of God, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. This promises to be a magnificent celebration of faith, hope, and love. Admission is free and all are welcome, though tickets are required. Click here to learn more and register.

Thank you for sharing and actively promoting these events within your community.

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Our Thursday morning meetings will continue to cover important topics in the weeks ahead.

This week's agenda includes updates on diocesan leave and HR policies, followed by a presentation from an Amazon representative on a cost-saving opportunity that all schools will be asked to adopt in the coming year.

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A reminder that our final Principal Meeting of the year is scheduled for May 14. Archbishop Etienne will join us to celebrate Mass at 9:00 a.m., after which we will honor those stepping down from their roles as principal at the end of the year and close out a meaningful year together. Please register today!

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

4/30/2026 - HR Updates with Pam Schwartz

5/7/2026 - Amazon Prime Diocese with John Sullivan

5/14/2026 - All Principal Meeting at the Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center

Upcoming Events

May 14, 2026

All Principals Meeting

Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center

May 15, 2026

GRACE End of Year Meeting

Online

June 19, 2026

Juneteenth - Chancery Closed

July 3, 2026

Chancery Closed

July 29, 2026

New Principal/Pastor Retreat

August 3, 2026

New Principal Orientation

Seattle University

MISSION & CATHOLIC IDENTITY

Agape Service Project

Middle and high school students can still sign up for the Agape Service Project this summer to serve local farmworker families in Whatcom County and grow in faith and community. Registration closes on May 1. For registration information, please click here or contact Agape coordinator Jennifer Lautenbach at jennifer.lautenbach@seattlearch.org.

ACRE

Have your registered your students for ACRE? The ACRE religion assessment window for all 5th and 8th graders in the Archdiocese of Seattle is now open and closes on April 30, 2026. See registration information and register here!

2026-2027 Care Solace Registration

We are blessed to partner with the Care Solace mental health care navigation service to support the mental health care needs of our students, families, and school staff. The cost of this service for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year will remain at $4 per student and is based upon your current (Spring 2026) enrollment numbers. We invite both new and returning schools to register using this form by April 27.

ASCEND Eucharistic Revival - Student Invitation

We need your help in inviting all middle school and high school students to attend the ASCEND Eucharistic Revival on May 16th at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Please click here for an invitation to share with your students, along with a special welcome video from Bishop Schuster.

Student Presentation Opportunity

Eric Reinhard is a 23 year-old Canadian Catholic recording artist seeking to schedule school performances within the Archdiocese of Seattle in mid-November, 2026. Through a dynamic blend of music and personal storytelling, Eric's live presentations address mental wellbeing from a faith-centered perspective. Learn more here!

GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP

Personnel & Policy Notes for the Week of 04/27/26

Updates this week: Information from the benefits department regarding changes to hourly employee's benefit payments; Resources from Thursday's presentation by King County Sexual Assault Resource Center.

Click here to read more.

University BLC Program Applications

Apply Now! Deadlines are approaching for our University partners opportunities. See the list with areas for teachers, leaders, pastors and more. PACE and CSTC included. Click here!

Fulcrum Ed. Leadership Grant - Upcoming Deadline!

Deadline is today, April 28th for the Fulcrum Educational Leadership Grant for those applying to one of our 9 Catholic university partners in Educational Leadership and/or principal certification. Click here!

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Early Learning Weekly Newsletter

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

GRACE Spring Workshop Resources

Find all resources to the GRACE Spring meeting (and all meetings from this last school year) in our shared folder.

Accreditation Member Registration 2026

Accreditation Team Registration for 2026-27 is now open. Please sign up if you are interested in joining an accreditation team as a delegate for 2026-27.

OPERATIONAL VITALITY

CSTC Teacher Request Form

Placements have started! Fill out the form to request a Seattle University CSTC teacher for the 2026-27 school year. Contact Chris Smith, smithc31@seattleu.edu with questions.

PACE Teacher Request Form

Placements have started! Fill out the form to request a University of Portland PACE teacher for the 2026-27 school year. Contact Ryan Darmody, darmody@up.edu with questions.

Benefits for Certain School Staff

A new approach to collecting employee contributions to Health Insurance Premiums will start soon. See the attached note from Benefits and Payroll. Please make sure you understand the transition.

Want to Save Big?

Amazon has offered a new purchasing program to save your school costs. Please email John Sullivan if you are interested! (sullivanj@seattlearch.org) Join the 5/7 Principals' Meeting to learn more.

2026-2027 Budget Season

Please share your 2026/2027 Budget with John Sullivan. Please include your assumptions and your Three to Five Year Plan.

7th Grade Awards

Pins and Ribbons will be available at the May 14th All Principals Meeting. If you'd like to order ahead, please use the link. Contact Synthiea (synthiea.kaldi@seattlearch.org) if you have any questions.

Resumes from Recruitment Events - Updated 4.27.2026

Resumes from last week's big Spokane event have been added to our recruitment folder from our events for the 2025-2026 school year. Bookmark this page!

Fulcrum

New Student Tuition Assistance Grant Program for 2026-27 - Now Open!

We are now accepting New Student Tuition Assistance Program grant requests for the 2026-2027 school year. This program is open to all schools that participate in the Fulcrum Foundation Tuition Assistance Grant Program, commonly known as TAP.

This program is different than TAP in that families do not apply for the program on their own. Schools administer this program at the local level and determine whether a family qualifies using a form provided by Fulcrum. Students can be awarded a tuition assistance grant of $1,000 through this program if they meet the following criteria:

Student is new to the school and not a transfer from another Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Student will be in grade K-8 for the 2026-2027 school year.
Student was not awarded a Fulcrum TAP grant for 2026-2027.

After a school has determined that a family qualifies, they will submit the form to Fulcrum via email. Grants in the amount of $1,000 each are then approved by Fulcrum on a first-come, first-served basis until a school has met its max number of grants (3) or program funding has been exhausted for the year ($74,000 total). We will accept grant requests from schools through September 30, 2026.

Please contact Josh Jinkens, Fulcrum’s Programs Coordinator, at josh.jinkens@fulcrumfoundation.org, for the grant request form, and/or any questions.

News & Resources

Puget Sound Council of Math Teachers

The Puget Sound Council of Math Teachers would like to invite you to our spring dinner meeting on Monday, May 11 at 5:00PM at St. Madeleine Sophie in Bellevue.

Enjoy dinner and a talk by Dr. Nancy Hertzog, UW Education Professor, on Gifted Education: Pedagogy of Growth and Challenge.

For more information, email Angela Ensminger at aensminger@stmadsophie.org.

First Communion Clothing Available

If you have families seeking clothing for their child's First Communion (dresses, suits, veils, and shoes), please contact Amy Hall (hall.amy@fulcrumfoundation.org). Fulcrum has a contact who has collected hundreds of like-new items for distribution to anyone in need.

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