November 15, 2004

1.    Marymount University Graduate Programs in Catholic School Leadership:  Are you an aspiring Catholic school administrator?  Marymount University offers graduate programs in Catholic School leadership designed to provide the values and perspectives essential to fostering Catholic unity and identity within a school community.  Marymount offers a 36 credit Master of Education degree, as well as a graduate certificate option.
        Marymount University is an independent, comprehensive Catholic university combining the liberal arts tradition with career preparation.  For further information and an application, contact:
                        Marymount University
                        2807 North Glebe Rd.
                        Arlington, VA    22207
                        Graduate Admissions:  (703) 284-5901
                        grad.admissions@marymount.edu

2.    Bernard C. Harris Memorial Scholarship:  Twelve years ago William Harris established the Bernard C. Harris Memorial Scholarship.  Mr. Harris, founder of the Bernard C. Harris Publishing Company, was a long-time supporter of Catholic education.
        Guidance Counselors can visit www.bcharrispub.com/scholarship to obtain program information and forms.  Counselors can use the site to review guidelines and get helpful "how-to" information.  The site also enables them to quickly and easily print multiple applications to ensure a high level of student participation.

3.    Educational Foundations for Today's Schools:  This seminar is specifically designed to provide participants with an understanding of how and why successful educational foundations work and give a step-by-step process for creating a productive, perpetual foundation for schools.  Or, if schools already have a foundation, this day will help strengthen school foundations and make them more effective.
        This meeting will be held in Columbus on January 19.  Anyone having further questions can call 1-800-735-3503.

4.    Weekly Religion Ideas, November 17, 2004, Standard III:  D-15
        For Teachers - Thanksgiving is a good time to reflect on God's love and protection.  This comes to us in many ways:  through the people in our lives, through prayer, through the kindness of strangers, through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, through the reception of the sacraments and use of sacramentals.  What is needed is faith to "see" God's assistance in all these ways.  God is never very far from us although it may seem that way.  So all these little "reminders" that we have in our Catholic Tradition of statues, prayers to Mary and the saints, the Sign of the Cross, holy water, the parish church, the rosary, blessings, shrines, etc...depend on the faith we have as we encounter and use them.

        For the Classroom - Creating a prayer service, a thank you booklet or a thank you bulletin board would be a good activity to do.  The "Thank you God for giving us__ song to the "Song of Thanksgiving" by Darryl Ducote or the "We Gather Together" song would all be appropriate to sing in a prayer service on Thanksgiving.  Praying Psalm 145, Psalm 136, or Psalm 67 with a reading from Collossians 3:  15-17 would be good to use.  Then pray for the following:  leaders of the Church, leaders of your community and parish, parents and family, friends and those who are needy at this time of year, those who are fighting wars, who are in prisons, etc...that all may have some reason to thank God for faith, life, family, friends and country.
        Regarding sacramentals; have the students look around their homes for medals, scapulars, statues, images of Jesus, Mary and the saints, pictures, crucifixes, holy water, prayer books or cards, missals asking their parents and grandparents about how they used them and why.  Remind them of the blessings that we receive on Ash Wednesday with blessed ashes, on Palm Sunday with blessed palms, with holy oils used in the reception of some of the sacraments, incense used to bless persons at a Eucharistic Liturgy of prayer service, the Paschal Candle on Easter, blessed candles on the feast of St. Blaise and February 2, the holy water in holy water fonts or in the Baptismal font, the blessing of a church, the priest's blessing and the blessing of animals on Oct. 4.  These are common blessings we experience from time to time.  Even the sacred actions we do at Mass like stand, kneel and process can all be an aid to our worship and devotion to God.  We are a sacramental people and believe all things can remind us of God's presence, love and protection.

    Resources - The following can be used for prayer services.  Give Thanks and Praise, Bless This Day, Creativities all by Patricia Mathson and all from Ave Maria Press.  Catholic Update CO793 on "Sacramentals".  Let Us Gather by Deborah McCann from Twenty-Third Publications has many prayer services.  The one for Thanksgiving is on pp. 56-57.  Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers published by the USCCB.  The Thanksgiving prayer is on p. 200.  The Family Life Office mails seasonal prayers to the parish.  Principals also receive these prayers.

5.    Call for Programs for the 2005 OCEA Convention:  Presentations "by educators, for educators" always have been at the heart of the OCEA Convention.  Since its beginning, the OCEA has been a place where Catholic educators can share their experiences and learn from one another.
        Please consider offering a presentation for your peers by completing the "Call for Programs."  The OCEA staff will select presentations from among the proposals we receive.  Out attempt is to build a program that addresses the wide array of interests represented by those who attend the convention.
        As in 2003, the 2005 OCEA program includes keynote talks, presentations by nationally and regionally known speakers, and presentations by Catholic educators like yourself.  If you are selected as a presenter for the 2005 OCEA, we will notify you at a later date.  Presenters will receive:
            a complimentary registration to the OCEA Convention (a $100 value)
            a stipend of $75 for the session (to be shared among the presenters)
            duplication of handouts (done in our office, in advance of the convention)
    You may submit a nomination form on your own or as part of a team composed of one or more co-presenters.  "Call for Programs" nomination forms must be submitted by FEBRUARY 28.
    Thank you!  If you have questions, please call Carolyn Jurkowitz at 614-224-7147 or e-mail her at cjurkowi@cdeducation.org.
    Please click here to access the "Call for Programs" nomination form
http://www.cdeducation.org/ocea/cfp.html.

6.    Race and Intolerance:  The DOE and Ohio Dominican University will offer a three graduate credit course which will focus on race and intolerance.  Classes will meet at DeSales High School from 4 pm until 7 pm beginning January 20, 2003.  Facilitator for the program is Steve Ulry, a member of St. Francis DeSales High School social studies department.
        Click here for more information
http://alphonsus.cdeducation.org/evds/education/Flyers/Race%20and%20Intolerance.doc

 7.    Full-time Activities Assistant Position:  Saint Raphael's Residence for the Elderly is looking for a person interested in working as an assistant activities director.  A college degree is not necessary.  Specific details of the position can be obtained by calling Sister Michelle at 614-486-0436.

Send Comments to office@cdeducation.org

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