ACE Leadership Conference

Rev. Edwin D. Leahy, O.S.B. became the 23rd Headmaster of St. Benedict's Prep in 1972.  He graduated from St. Benedict's Prep in 1963.  He earned a B.A. in philosophy from Seton Hall University in 1968 and a Master’s in Divinity with distinction in 1975 from the Woodstock College at Union Theological Seminary, New York.  In 1966 he took his first vows as a monk of the Benedictine Abbey of Newark and was ordained to the priesthood in 1972.  Fr. Edwin began his work at St. Benedict's Prep in 1967, teaching biology and religion and assisting with the wrestling and football teams.  Following the decision by the then-larger community of monks to suspend the operation of St. Benedict's (effectively close) in 1972, Fr. Edwin, then 26, was chosen by the remaining stalwart group of monks, interested parents, alumni and friends to lead the reopening of the school as soon as was feasible.  Under his direction, the School opened its doors again in 1973 with 89 students and 14 faculty members, including thirteen monks who re-committed themselves to the school’s mission of serving young men from largely low-income families in Newark.

Fr. Edwin’s focus on leading his brother monks in their renewed service to Newark gradually drew more students from inner-city Newark and beyond and won over skeptical alumni to join new friends, including major New Jersey foundations, in supporting the school.  By 1980, the School was serving over 200 students.

At the same time, with firm backing of a strong new board of advisors and alumni donors, he was able to plan a major redevelopment effort of the school’s facilities, a dramatic statement that “St. Benedict’s was back” and determined to continue serving the students and families of Newark for another century.

In 2020, Fr. Edwin responded to the call of young women seeking to continue their education in the Benedictine tradition when their schools closed; and he welcomed their efforts to establish a Girls Prep Division at St. Benedict’s with the admission of 86 girls.

Today, St. Benedict’s operates a co-ed K-6 Elementary Division, a co-ed Middle Division for 7th and 8th grades, a grades 9-12 Boys Prep Division and a grades 9-12 Girls Prep Division. More than 900 students, most from African heritage and Hispanic backgrounds, are served by 70 faculty members.  The School boasts nearly 6,000 alumni who have gone on to become not only leaders in their respective careers, but good fathers, husbands, and citizens. Nearly 100% of the School’s recent graduates go on to college, including Bates, Bowdoin, Boston College, Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Harvard, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Notre Dame, NYU, Penn, Princeton, Rutgers, Stanford, Swarthmore, and the U.S. Naval Academy. 

In 1988, the School completed its first major redevelopment with a $9 million academic-athletic center. That was followed by a $10 million campaign for a new library and the school’s first endowment funds for scholarships and teacher support.  A Field House and a 60-student residence, named Leahy House, were added in 2000, as part of a $50 million+ campaign, completed in 2007, to renovate its oldest buildings and increase endowments for scholarships and teacher support. Today, St. Benedict’s is in the midst of a $100 million comprehensive campaign, Forever Benedict’s, to grow the School’s annual fund and bolster its endowment.

Fr. Edwin’s practice of working directly with students and marshalling an ever broader community to support his approach to educating young men and women, especially young people of color, has gained increasing attention in recent years.  He has been invited to speak to other religious communities such as Catalyst, Liberty University’s Convocation, and the Children’s Miracle Network. In March 2016, 60 Minutes featured Fr. Edwin in its Resurrection of St. Benedict’s segment about the school’s successful impact on education that has inspired educators, philanthropists and volunteers near and far.  A 2014 documentary about St. Benedict’s Prep, The Rule, What Inner City Schools Need to Finally Succeed, has enjoyed wide release and much favorable attention from educators and community leaders. In recognition of his efforts, among other awards, Fr. Edwin received the first Robert F. Kennedy Award for Urban school Leadership from the National Schools that Can organization in 2014.

In 2006-07, he was a Gustav Heningburg Civic Fellow with the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience at Rutgers-Newark. Fr. Edwin was awarded honorary “Doctor of Humane Letters” degrees by Rutgers University, Saint Peter’s University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 2010, he received an honorary “Doctor of Laws” degree from St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN. In 2021, Fr. Edwin received an honorary Fr. Edwin currently serves as President of the Board of the Essex County Schools of Technology.

 

 

Many Parts, One Body: An Ignatian Model for Forming Our Diverse Students' Spiritual Lives - Analise Brower, Director of Mission & Spirituality and Dean of Academics, Washington Jesuit Academy

This session begins with the story of the development of Formation, a unique course at the Washington Jesuit Academy that combines religious education, social-emotional learning, Ignatian traditions of self-reflection, cultural studies, and more. It will delve into how the development of this course can serve as a model for how to adapt and invite collaboration between religious and laity as our school demographics and staffing continue to experience historic shifts. Finally, the session will provide resources for, and support participants’ own creative development of, spiritual and religious education that unites diverse 21st century student and staff populations while remaining true to the charism and character of our religious orders, faith tradition, identities, and school communities.

Forming Student Leaders to Build God’s Kingdom - Sr. Kateri Burbee, SOLT, Principal, Holy Redeemer Catholic School; Laura Ilov, Dean of Students and Academics, Holy Redeemer Catholic School; Sr. MaryRose of the Resurrection, SOLT, Religion Teacher and Campus Minister, Holy Redeemer Catholic School

The goal of this session is to inspire and equip participants to think innovatively about how to build God's Kingdom through student-led evangelization in their schools. 

This session will equip participants to (1) Form a student leadership team, (2) Empower the student leadership team to serve, (3) Engage the student leadership team in preparing grade level retreats Pre-k - 8th, (4) Equipping student leadership team to lead retreats, (5) Giving student leadership team opportunities for ongoing faith formation, prayer, and recollection.

Disputatio: A Framework for Public Discourse in the Dominican Tradition - Nate Friday, Director of Formation, Dominican Veritas Ministries; former Dean of Students, Dominican High School; Amanda Ball, World History Teacher, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Milwaukee; former Teacher, Dominican High School

Oftentimes debates or arguments lack a goal of finding common ground, and instead focus on who was right and who was wrong. This discord carries into the conversation in schools and with students. Debates can quickly become heated as each side passionately argues their point. Anchored in the Catholic faith and emanating from the life of St. Dominic, Disputatio is not like debates of our modern era. Disputatio offers a framework for teachers and students to find the point of convergence of where their views align and collectively seek God’s truth in an age of polarization. Over the past few years, Dominican High School has channeled this practice into the Disputatio Framework for Public Discourse. In this session, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about Disputatio, hear how faculty and staff are utilizing Disputatio in their classrooms, and apply the framework to various disciplines and in their local context.

Building Catholic School Culture through Spiritual Leadership - Jim King, Ph.D., Consultant, Avanti Advisors

This session is designed for those in charge of Catholic schools to assist them with their role as spiritual leader. In a principal’s role as spiritual leader, setting the Catholic culture of a school is a critical responsibility. As the one responsible for a school’s culture, have you overtly considered what the is the culture of the school? Having considered that, what exactly makes a school’s culture distinctly Catholic? Knowing the Faith is important for students, however, having the Faith lived and practiced by the school’s community is imperative. This session will help participants review the culture of one’s own school and help understand how it aligns with the 5 essential elements of a Catholic school culture. Having achieved this, participants will learn how to use the 6 distinct frameworks that will help build up that distinctly Catholic culture of the school. The distinctive points of this session are based on Church documents but presented in a user friendly way to be practically implemented in the school setting.

Called to Vocation - Fr. David Smith, C.S.C., Associate Pastor, St. Joseph Catholic Church; 8th Grade Religion Teacher, St. Joseph Grade School; Melissa Green, Principal, St. Joseph Grade School

In Progress

The Eucharistic Revival and the Catholic School - Timothy P. O’Malley, Academic Director, Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, University of Notre Dame

In this workshop, participants will discover how a Catholic school might incorporate certain dimensions of the Eucharistic Revival into the Catholic school. First, participants will be invited to consider the educational implications of the Church's Eucharistic theology, specifically the language of thanksgiving, sacrifice, presence, and communion. Second, participants will be invited to ponder ways of incorporating this Eucharistic thought into every dimension of a school's curriculum: implicit and explicit alike. This second part will attend to both primary and secondary institutions.

Opening Doors with Andre Bessette: Patron Saints and School Charisms - Kate (Nienaber) McGee, Theology Faculty, Father Ryan High School

The first twenty-four attendees in this breakout session will get to paint a modern icon of Saint Joseph to take home. Too often, professional development speakers recommend “best practices” without actually employing them, but today we will access history and Theology—and brainstorm professional development!—using multiple modalities: painting and kinesthetic learning. Meanwhile, we will (re)introduce the biography and charism of the CSC’s first canonized Saint, Andre Bessette, whose love for Saint Joseph built the Oratory, enabled many miracles, and can continue to inspire our work in Catholic schools today. 

Rethinking Prayer: The Best Five Minutes of Your Class - Nicholas Brandt, Director of Campus Ministry and Catholic Identity, John Paul II High School

Feel like your school could improve the way it prays and teaches others to pray? Then, this session is for you! Join us for a hands-on experience where we will learn a template for large group prayer, innovative options for classroom prayer, and even practice the gift of one on one intercessory prayer! You will come back to your campus with new fresh ideas to invigorate the prayer lives of your faculty, staff, and students!

 

Empowering Leaders with Data: Fostering a Transformational Catholic School Culture - Krista Devine, Director of Curriculum and Assessment, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Attendees will learn about the intersection of data utilization and leadership in enhancing the culture within Catholic schools. Leaders from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will discuss how data informs top leader actions, best practices for teaching, instructional groupings, goal setting, and effective communication. Through the implementation of authentic and efficient strategies, Krista and Katie will demonstrate how to create a school and diocesan data culture. In addition, attendees will share and learn from fellow leaders about innovative data-driven ideas and strategies.

Effective Implementation of AI in Catholic Schools - Sam Procopio, Principal, Bishop Blanchet High School

This session will share the experience of Bishop Blanchet High School and our shift from transactional to relational development practices. Participants will leave with a simple, manageable list of steps to authentically connect with donors in their community. This session will share the concept of calculating the cost to raise a donor and how to focus on a handful of key donors and engage new families to your school.

Establishing a Culture of Inclusion in Catholic Elementary Schools - McKenna Corrigan, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Cleveland; Former Principal, St. Ann School; Jeana Reichard, Director of Inclusive Education, St. Ann School

In this session, participants will learn how a low resource elementary school in the  Archdiocese of Chicago has created a culture of inclusion through strong leadership and vision, a passion for serving diverse learners as part of our Catholic mission, maximizing partnerships with service providers, and strong teacher buy-in. Participants will learn how to establish an intervention team, utilizing the talent that already exists within their schools. Participants will also learn how to train teachers in providing quality academic and behavioral interventions and how to encourage professional development opportunities to expand teacher capacity to serve diverse learners. The goal of this session is for participants to understand that students with a variety of unique learning needs have always existed within our Catholic schools, and for school leaders to walk away from this session feeling empowered to bring a spirit of inclusion to their communities. With intentionality, school leaders can support teachers, students, and families in order to make a Catholic education possible for those who seek it.

Caring, Clarity, and Consistency: Tier 1 SEL Practices - Jen Kowieski, Head of School, Saint Columbkille Partnership School; Casey Kunkle, Grade 4 Teacher, Saint Columbkille Partnership School; Laura Fehr, Grade 3 Teacher, Saint Columbkille Partnership School

We know that Tier 1 practices for promoting positive student behavior include building relationships and proactive teaching, modeling, and practicing expectations. In this workshop facilitated by a school leader and classroom teachers, participants will learn about Tier 1 SEL strategies and watch video clips in which Tier 1 strategies are implemented in a classroom setting. Relationship building strategies will include a morning meeting, a closing circle, and instructional time. Expectations based on a school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) will be taught and modeled, as well.

Participants will also have the opportunity to consider their own school setting, identify an opportunity for strengthening Tier 1 practices, and draft a plan of action.

A Systems Approach to Navigating the Science of Reading - Betsy Okello, Ph.D., Faculty, the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program, University of Notre Dame; Ann Bingham, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Academic Director of the Education Program, Holy Cross College

In this session, the facilitators will explain lessons they learned from building the capacity of teacher leaders and school administrators in literacy practices aligned to the science of reading. The facilitators will outline key successes and learnings from their Science of Reading Planning Grant that informed their current Science of Reading Implementation Grant. The facilitators will outline their approach to partnering with three Catholic elementary schools in setting literacy goals and developing the capacity of principals and teacher leaders to advance those goals in their schools. The facilitators will explain how they created a community of practice highlighting the professional knowledge of all participants. The session will also address how the facilitators defined the Science of Reading and helped their participants focus on practices that align with research-based best practices.

Being Salt and Light for the World - Peer Mentoring for Building Inclusion and Catholic Culture - Sean Jorgensen, President, St. Mary Catholic Central High School; Terrence Tyrrell, President, Grand Rapids Central Catholic High School

The move to becoming a fully inclusive school community and welcoming learners from all academic abilities has enormously impacted the school cultures at Grand Rapids Catholic Central and St. Mary Catholic Central. The AMDG and St. Andre Bessette Inclusion programs opened the doors to Catholic education for students with different learning abilities. Integrating a well-developed peer mentoring model is key to the success of these efforts. Student peers not only make full inclusion functionally possible in Catholic school settings where budgets are tight and staffing stretched, but they also provide a vehicle for daily hands-on lessons in compassion, leadership, patience, understanding, and service. School leaders and experienced peer mentors from GRCC and SMCC will speak to the transformative power of inclusion in their school communities and offer a roadmap to participants who seek to make their Catholic school experience accessible to all students and families who seek it.

Building a Data Culture Framework: From System-wide to Each Student - Crystal D. Noel, Academics and Data Specialist, Diocese of Harrisburg; Sarah Kerins, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for School Services, Diocese of Camden; Dr. Mary Elizabeth Muir, Principal, Holy Angels School

This session will feature three Dioceses in a panel format. The panelists will present their journey to date while comparing and contrasting their experiences, and allowing for some planned Q&A of frequently asked questions. Each Diocese will explain their adoption to implementation of a Diocesan common assessment (Renaissance STAR) which can be used for curricular decisions via benchmarking, screening, and progress monitoring of student growth and achievement.

A Walkthrough Tool to Create Positive Change - Stephanie Kane, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools; Tom Novotney, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools Chief Administrator

Join us for an engaging session titled "Building a Walkthrough Tool to Create Change" where we will empower participants to leverage their mission and vision to drive meaningful transformation within their educational institutions. Throughout this session, attendees will learn how to craft an instructional walkthrough tool tailored to their specific context, enabling them to identify areas ripe for growth within their school or system.

Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, participants will gain insights into the importance of aligning their initiatives with their organizational values and goals. By harnessing the power of this walkthrough tool, educators and administrators will be equipped to conduct thorough assessments, pinpointing areas in need of improvement and paving the way for impactful change.

Ultimately, the outcome of this session is to provide attendees with the knowledge and tools necessary to drive positive change within their educational communities, fostering an environment conducive to continuous growth and improvement. Join us in this transformative journey towards building a better future for education.

Hiring Right: Creating Processes for Success - Courtney Relph Kassakhian, Founder, Minerva Educational Consulting

Finding the right person for a role is crucial for the success of your school. In this session, you will learn how to make better hiring decisions based on data instead of going with your gut or falling prey to common biases. We will discuss how to create a strong job description aligned with organizational needs, the importance of using structured interviews, and how to create rubrics before the interview that clearly outline what strong and weak responses are so the hiring team can fairly assess candidates and find the   right person for the position.

The Ministry of Fundraising: Maximizing your resources to implement a sustainable advancement program - Mary Perrotti, Director of Advancement, The Frances Xavier Warde School, Archdiocese of Chicago

This session is designed for school administrators, principals, admission’s directors, development directors and of course, teachers - our best gift officers! This workshop will present strategies for enhancing your school's fundraising, marketing, and communication efforts within the framework of Catholic stewardship and the spirituality of fundraising.

Key Takeaways:

Enhancing Annual Giving and Special Events: Learn to cultivate a culture of generosity year-round by integrating principles of stewardship that resonate with your community. We will explore practical tools and techniques to boost donor engagement and recurring contributions and how to integrate special events and giving days into your annual giving program.

Brand Identity and Digital Marketing: Gain insights into digital and communications tools that can expand your reach and impact. We will cover defining your “brand,” social media strategies, content marketing, and ways to be inclusive while remaining true to the ethos of your school.

Stewardship as a Foundation: Understand how to frame all fundraising and marketing efforts within the context of stewardship, ensuring that activities are not only effective in strengthening donor relationships for life gifts but are also rooted in the spirituality of giving.

This session will not only provide you with actionable strategies but also inspire you to approach fundraising with renewed faith and commitment, aligning your efforts with the spiritual mission of your Catholic school.

The President/Principal Model: Partnering in Mission - Robert T. Jordan, President, Seattle Preparatory School; Erin Luby, Ed.D., Principal, Seattle Preparatory School

In this session, participants will hear from a high school President/Principal team about their efforts to animate the mission through partnership, alignment, and collaboration. Topics will include: how they’ve clarified President/Principal roles and responsibilities, created internal governance   structures that align with each role, navigated tensions that can arise in this important relationship, and communicated and modeled their partnership with faculty, staff, and board members. Themes from this session would be transferable to a variety of Catholic school leadership structures, roles, and relationships.

Creating a Culture for Strategic Planning and Leadership Coaching - Tony DeSapio, President, Bishop Blanchet High School

Explore the story of how Bishop Blanchet High School established a consistent long term, strategic planning culture that feeds into annual implementation at the school/department level. Learn more about the process and structure of our long term and annual plans and how they are designed to align with an accreditation cycle and capital campaign. We will share how leadership coaching through 1:1 meetings with school/department leaders supports whole school advancement and individual professional growth. We will also share tips for having leadership coaching 1:1 conversations. Additionally, strategic planning and annual implementation templates will be available.

Building a Culture of Admissions: Accelerating Growth through Community Buy-In - John Gumina, Vice President for Advancement, Communications & Enrollment, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory

Many Catholic schools across the country face tremendous enrollment challenges. And yet, this mission critical responsibility is often left to an admissions staff of one or two people. This session will demonstrate how schools can accelerate dynamic enrollment growth by creating an inclusive culture of admissions at their school. Attendees will learn effective and affordable strategies to create widespread buy-in from faculty and staff and how this new, communitywide admissions team leads to more attractive and effective programming and stronger grass-roots messaging. Through a commitment to collaboration and a strategic investment of time and resources in this critical effort, schools can accelerate consistent application and enrollment increases.

Organizational Culture: How Governance Innovation Can Impact Your School - Kevin Baxter, Ed.D., Director, the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program, University of Notre Dame; John Reyes, Ed.D., Director of Research, Program Evaluation, and Innovation, Roche Center for Catholic Education, Boston College

The culture of a Catholic school is established by strong leadership and the actions and behaviors of all stakeholders. A component that impacts culture, and is often overlooked, is the organizational structure of the school itself. Catholic schools in the United States are continuing to move through a period of great change in the area of governance. Two examples are the decreasing relevance of the parish based model in K-8 elementary schools and the increasing incidence of the president/principal model in high schools. Diocesan governance, limited jurisdiction school boards and networked models of schools are all increasingly common forms of Catholic school governance. But to what end?

This session will review the various forms of Catholic school governance and highlight the strengths and challenges that are present in each. It will also engage participants to consider the key question of the effectiveness of different models and explore research approaches that may begin to answer that question.

What Really Matters? Discerning Today’s Emergency From Tomorrow’s Crisis - James Melone, Ed.D., Head of School Saint Patrick Academy

We all desire to be effective and efficient, in both our professional and personal lives. While there are no shortage of books that outline time management strategies, many of us still find ourselves struggling to complete each week’s continuously growing to-do list. School leaders often recognize the basic premises of importance and urgency and do their best to manage both simultaneously, but many fail to look beyond the challenges of one day and see the problems of the future. Failure to make the shift from putting out fires to setting the grander vision can ultimately cause schools to struggle, finances to be shorted, morale to suffer, and the school’s vision to rarely extend beyond the next emergency.

In this workshop, school leaders will review time management strategies, identify how delegating creates mutual accountability, and develop their own strategies to carve out the essential time for long-term planning. By allocating the necessary time for larger visionary planning, school leaders can help drive substantive change and improvement to grow school culture, fundraising, and enrollment. 

Fostering Community Through Partnership and Programming - Jennifer Rose, President, Guadalupe Regional Middle School

In this session, participants will discover practical strategies this tuition-free Catholic middle school utilizes to increase enrollment and enhance community engagement. The school leveraged existing partnerships to gain valuable insights into targeted marketing, collaborative initiatives, recruitment, and community outreach such as “Priest Lunch and Learn” and “Saturday Workshops.” The session will concentrate on practical approaches that align with the school's mission to promote educational equity, social justice, and service to underserved communities.

Catalyzing Community with Love: Tapping into Father Figures in Urban Cleveland - Christian Dallavis, Ph.D., Regional Superintendent, Partnership Schools; Academic Dean, St. Thomas Aquinas; Parent Volunteer, St. Thomas Aquinas; Parent Volunteer, St. Thomas Aquinas Cleveland

Join an inspiring panel discussion featuring a remarkable group from St. Thomas Aquinas (STA) Catholic School in Cleveland, Ohio. STAnd Together is a vibrant community of dads, stepdads, granddads, and father figures dedicated to enriching the school environment and fostering deep community ties. Through daily engagement in the school—from mentoring and tutoring to organizing inclusive family events such as Donuts with Dad and Movie Nights—these men are pivotal in driving student success, growing enrollment, and enhancing school culture. This session will share their impactful strategies and stories, offering insights into how Catholic school leaders can harness the unique strengths of fathers and father figures within their communities. Learn how the STAnd Together initiative not only supports academic and socio-emotional growth but also challenges stereotypes and redefines fatherhood in the school setting. Discover how you, too, can create a thriving, inclusive school culture that celebrates and utilizes the invaluable contributions of dads and father figures.

Leading a School Culture Reset - Rachel Elliott, ACE Academic Supervisor, University of Notre Dame; Carissa Maddox, Coordinator of Adult Formation & Leadership Development, Notre Dame ACE Academies, University of Notre Dame; Kimberlee Gorr, Ed.D., Director of Catholic School Leadership, Diocese of Cheyenne. 

The Notre Dame ACE Academies (NDAA) have supported multiple schools in improvement efforts spanning different dioceses. In their work, they have partnered with schools facing serious discipline challenges often related to profound inconsistencies in expectations, language, and follow-through across the school. At one such school, teaching and learning had come to a standstill in many classrooms until the leader took decisive steps to bring faculty together and reset. During this session, participants will hear how a school leader, supported by a regional director and members of the NDAA team, developed a plan, called a midyear audible, and stepped out in faith to reimagine the culture at this school. Participants will learn how the leader solicited teacher voice to build a PBIS behavior matrix, developed a plan for implementation which included both the leader and faculty teaching it, and how a morning assembly was strategically used to begin this important work.

Since school administrators, counselors, teachers, and religious mentors are affected by high-profile sports programs, it seemed imperative to know how they perceive high school athletics. Their perceptions, positive or negative, about the value of Catholic high school sports programs might critically affect not only the continued draw and future success of those programs, but also the contribution of athletics to the schools’ Catholic identity and broader religious and academically focused mission.

This session will explore the perceptions of Catholic high school administrators, counselors, and teachers about the positive effect of athletics on Catholic school culture as well as some emerging issues in Catholic high school athletics.

Leading Cultural Change: Empowering Collective Responsibility around Shared Core Values - Megan Scheid, Principal, St. Charles Catholic School

Leading change through culture requires a combination of leadership skills, effective communication, and a genuine commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive school environment that engages all stakeholders to actively contribute towards a shared mission. By clearly articulating and animating the desired culture, leaders can help to create a culture that drives organizational success. This session will share an approach to empowering all stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, and families) in the process to develop a strong, shared culture, and identify the leader’s role in guiding and providing support throughout the change process.

Cultivating Confianza, Conexión and Comunidad with Latino Families- Katy Lichon, Director, Catholic School Advantage and English as a New Language, University of Notre Dame; Jocelyn Smith, Ed.D., Assistant Clinical Professor, English as a New Language; Coordinator, Latino Enrollment Institute; Coordinator, Adelante, University of Notre Dame

Join us for an engaging session focused on strengthening bonds and fostering a sense of belonging among Latino families in Catholic schools. We recognize the importance of building confidence (confianza), establishing meaningful connections (conexión), and nurturing a supportive community (comunidad) to ensure that schools are a place of belonging and thriving. We will explore best practices for effectively engaging Latino families as active members of their child's education. Additionally, this session will explore the ways in which Catholic schools and the Church stand to be transformed by Latino families through gifts that they bring to communities, and the myriad of ways in which the Catholic School Advantage is equally the Latino Family Advantage.

Connecting the Parish and School Through Eucharistic Art - Zack Okello, Art Teacher, Holy Cross Catholic School

In this session, the presenter will share ideas on how he connected the Parish and School through Eucharistic art. In this session, the attendees will be able to learn how to build a strong community between their Parish and School.

High School Admissions - exposure, EXposure, EXPOSURE - Jose "Gonzo" Gonzalez, Director of High School Readiness, Independence Mission Schools

Many schools are understaffed and overwhelmed when it comes to helping their middle school students and families navigate the High School Admissions Process. This session will discuss the Independence Mission Schools of Philadelphia model of going from High School Placement Support to High School Readiness Guidance. Topics will include: Initiating the High School Exposure Process, Parent Academies, Educational & Community Partnerships, and Marketing your HS Readiness program to support your enrollment goals.

Stay Rooted, Grow Always: Strengthen your Mission -- and Save the Church -- by Putting Students in Charge - Fr. Chris Beretta, O.S.F.S., Principal, Salesianum School; Stephen Adams, Director of Salesian Leadership, Salesianum School

Students grow best when they are challenged, engaged, and connected. Catholic schools have a unique opportunity to form students not only as learners, but as leaders entrusted with real responsibility for the school’s mission, identity, and culture. The greater the risk in terms of responsibility given, the more transformative the reward -- not only for the students themselves, but for school communities as a whole. This interactive session provides opportunities to share ideas and work collaboratively with like-minded colleagues to further develop student-led programming in our schools of practice. The group will explore the importance of student leadership not only as a hallmark of Catholic identity in our schools, but as necessary experiences for a generation who will soon be entrusted with the future of our Church.  

Parent Relationships: Managing Constructive Conflict - Faustin Weber, President, Prince of Peace School

It happens. Sometimes parents lose perspective. How do we handle these situations? Do we allow families to berate us or our staff? For how long? How do we re-direct? 

This workshop will simulate difficult conversations, using those present to role play situations we might find ourselves in. I will propose where we must draw the lines and suggest language we can have "on the ready" should these situations occur. We don't work FOR parents. We work WITH them.

Shaping the Culture of AI in Catholic Schools - Lewis Poché, Associate Director, Higher-Powered Learning, University of Notre Dame

What's the culture within your school or diocese regarding using Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Do educators and students use it thoughtfully and appropriately to support learning? As Catholic school educators, we "welcome the opportunity of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in our times" (To Teach As Jesus Did). In 2024, "in our times" refers to an age where technology, specifically AI technology, has drastically changed education and will continue to do so. Students and teachers deserve opportunities to become AI Literate to support and enhance learning and to navigate a world immersed in AI technology. This presentation will give an overview of the benefits and risks of AI in Catholic education, including navigating the ethical landscape of AI and leveraging AI tools for planning, pedagogy, and assessment. This session will share the present state of AI in Catholic Education and provide the right next steps to work toward AI Literacy for your organization.