2019-01-18-Catholic Schools Week

Recently, while reflecting on the core beliefs that flow from our Catholic Schools mission statement, I began thinking about the continued changes that life brings. Even as we strive to live out our guiding state- ments, there are challenges and changes that we can never anticipate in today’s world. When it was first crafted, little did we re- alize the magnitude of the statement, “Our Catholic schools recognize the importance of a safe, supportive and nurturing environ- ment for our students that will assure stu- dent achievement.” Today more than ever, a supportive and nurturing learning envi- ronment for our students includes having a comprehensive safety plan considerate of current events. This past year, we expanded our own focused response to campus safety. To date, every administrator, teacher and student has been trained in the ALICE program. On a lighter note, we sent 600 high school students to Washington, D.C., last January for the annual March for Life, and this very weekend we are back with just as many, if not more.What a tremendous wit- ness to life and its sanctity these students are giving!Their participation embodies an- other belief statement of ours: “Our Cath- olic Schools focus on the moral and ethical development of all students in accordance with Christ’s teachings, while preparing them to be citizens of the world.” Supplement to The Catholic Week — JANUARY 18, 2019 See MISSION, Page A-2 Check with your local school for the various activities planned Jan. 27 - Feb. 2 ‘I NNOVATION AND TRADITION ’ Catholic Schools look to the future while acknowledging past achievements By CAROL ZIMMERMANN Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — If anyone could rest on their laurels, it’s Catholic schools for all they have accom- plished in their U.S. history, educating in the faith and teaching children of all backgrounds in cities and rural areas across the country. Acknowledging these past achievements alone might not be enough to propel these schools into the future, but it’s an important first step because it recognizes the need to tap into — and promote and market — the spir- it of the early Catholic schools and their founders and to adapt that creativity and innovation to today’s world. “The future of Catholic education: It’s bright. It’s bright as long as our Catholic educators, our church, our leaders, have an open mind” and make sure what they do, how they teach and interact with young peo- ple is relevant, said Barbara McGraw Edmondson, chief leadership and program officer at the National Catholic Educational Association. She said it’s also crucial for Catholic schools’ future that educators and church leaders understand and not shy away from the culture young people live in today. “We need to step right in and show them the way to navigate a very complex world,” she added. Despite change, our mission stays the same See INNOVATION, Page A-16 I NNOVATION AND TRADITION IN A RCHDIOCESE OF M OBILE SCHOOLS TOP LEFT: Students in Ms. Reese’s Pre-K class at St. Joseph Catholic School in Tuskegee explore the world. Photo by Mable Moon CENTER: Ffith-graders at St. Mary Catholic School have a “book tasting” to help them decide what they want to read for the school’s book club. Photo by Kyndel Edens RIGHT: McGill-Toolen Catholic High School seniors use models of land forms to create topographic maps. Photo by Kim Dunne