Florida Catholic | Catholic Schools ‘Light the Way’ of Faith

Diocese of Venice Catholic schools light the way of faith.

Diocese of Venice Catholic
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VENICE | Students, teachers and faithful throughout the Diocese of Venice will celebrate Catholic education during Catholic Schools Week, which runs Jan. 27-Feb. 1.

Sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the annual event celebrates the unique contributions of Catholic schools. Each year, Catholic schools organize a week of fun, faith-filled events and recognize the students, parents, teachers, staff and all who support Catholic education.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Catholic Schools Light the Way.” Schools in the Diocese of Venice not only exhibit academic excellence, but also shine the light of the living faith.

FOCUS ON FAITH

To start the 2007-2008 academic year, Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass with students at all of the diocese’s schools, as he did in 2006. The bishop encouraged students not only to study hard, but also to learn about their patron saints, who can be seen as heroes of the faith.

Faith is the focus of all diocesan Catholic schools, said Rosemary Bratton, superintendent of schools.

“Our purpose is faith formation. The most important thing is the teaching of our Catholic faith and preparing our students to be good Catholic leaders in our community,” she said. “Everything we teach is faith-based. We talk about the Catholic faith in all subjects. (For example), we talk about Catholic role models in science, social studies and math.”

Catholic school teachers also receive training in teaching the faith. New teachers attend a Catholic identity program that focuses on different aspects of Catholicism. The diocesan office of catechectical ministry recently introduced a new parish catechist and schoolteacher formation program called “Into the Fields.” Participants complete spiritual exercises, learn practical teaching skills and receive a complete review of the Catholic faith.

Last summer, six teachers and four administrators attended classes focused on Catholic school leadership and strengthening the Catholic identity of schools. The group attended classes at Barry University in Miami and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., through Project RICE — Revitalizing Catholic Identity through Catholic Education.

The program is funded by a bequest from Marie V. Gendron to the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Gendron left the gift for the general benefit of Catholic education in the state of Florida. The state’s seven diocesan superintendents of schools, aided by Adrian Dominican Sister Marguerite Renuart, secured an $875,000 grant that will be distributed in installments over five years.

Project RICE is composed of a discernment process, a principal’s institute and a master’s degree program.

Incarnation School principal Sister Monica Paul Fraser, Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, N.Y., is leading the discernment process in which teachers discover whether they have a calling to Catholic school leadership. The second component of the grant is an institute for new principals in which they learn what it means spiritually, educationally and managerially to be the principal of a Catholic school. The final piece of the grant involves funding to attend a Catholic university to receive a master’s or specialist degree in Catholic school administration.

FAITH IN ACTION

Catholic school students not only learn about the faith, they also learn to live it.

Last month, students from St. John Neumann High School in Naples hosted a Christmas party for the children at the Salvizar Migrant Camp in Bonita Springs. Other students brought holiday cheer to residents at Harbor Chase Nursing Home in Naples.

At Incarnation School in Sarasota, the kindergarten class recently sponsored a walk-a-thon for childhood cancer research. The students were inspired by their classmate, Kaitlin Cardin, who underwent chemotherapy. The school raised $5,000 for the cause.

Adults can continue learning to live the faith not only through parish formation programs, but also at the Blessed Edmund Rice School for Pastoral Ministry. The Rice School prepares laypeople for ministry through formal education in theology.

Students can earn a diploma or a master’s degree in pastoral theology through the school’s association with Barry University in Miami. Students include laypeople who want to learn more about their faith and those discerning a call to the diaconate.

Rice School assistant professor Sister Sallie Latkovich, Congregation of St. Joseph, said the school prepares the faithful to serve the church according to their own gifts. “Whatever ministry they feel called to, our degree gives them the theological and the practical background,” she said.

The Rice School is also unique because teachers bring the classroom to the students. Although the Rice School office and library are just outside Port Charlotte, classes are offered in parishes throughout the diocese each semester.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Venice are also committed to excellence in academics.

All teachers are certified and licensed by the state of Florida and receive ongoing professional and catechetical education, Bratton said. The diocesan elementary and high schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Students score well above average on standardized tests, which include the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development, Bratton added.

Many students from diocesan schools are honored in the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. High school students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. In October, nearly 20 seventh-graders from St. Ann School in Naples were recognized in Duke University’s academic talent identification program, which measures aptitude and abilities that exceed grade-level expectation.

The diocesan education department regularly assesses the quality of the school curriculum. Each year, the department reviews the materials used in a particular subject area. During 2006-2007, the schools’ science curriculum was revised, and students have been using new books and resources this year. The social studies curriculum is currently being revised.

The schools also stay on top of the latest technology that helps students learn. Each school has its own technology committee, Bratton said. At St. Charles Borromeo School in Port Charlotte, students have access to laptops and classrooms are equipped with interactive, digital white boards.

New technology that improves communication between schools and parents has also been installed. Many schools are equipped with ParentLink, Bratton said, which uses the Internet and telephone to keep parents updated about students’ grades, assignments and other information. ParentLink can also be used to contact parents in case of an emergency.

REACHING OUT TO ALL

The Diocese of Venice school system is also unique because it includes two schools for students with special learning needs.

The Dreams Are Free School at Bishop Nevins Academy is on the same campus as St. Martha School in Sarasota and serves students in first through eighth grade. In Fort Myers, Father Anglim Academy at Dreams Are Free shares a campus with St. Francis Xavier School and serves students from 6 to 19 years old. Being on the campuses of other Catholic schools allows for the sharing of resources and increased student interaction, Bratton said.

Diocesan schools, including the Dreams Are Free schools, also offer tuition assistance. About 200 students currently receive scholarships.

Some students who graduate from Catholic schools in the Diocese of Venice return as teachers to continue handing on the faith they received.

“They received a wonderful Catholic education,” Bratton said. “They, in turn, will pass on a wonderful Catholic education.”

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