It Takes a Village Sr. Carol Shively, OSU, Superintendent of Catholic Schools There is an African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child,” and every person in our schools’ village has been needed to provide the highest level of Catholic education possible for the past two years. For two and a half years, COVID-19 and its many strains, have held us to creating new ways to partner with parents and meet the daily challenges of forming and educating our students. Pope Francis describes our schools as, “a path that leads to the three languages that a mature person needs to know: the language of the mind, the language of the heart, and the language of the hands. All in harmony. In other words, think of what you feel and do; listen to what you think and what you do; and do well what you think and do.The three languages, in harmony and together.” Our villages have met each challenge with success and most times with a smile. Our village includes the many educators and staff at the schools that you may not be fully aware of each day. The team includes cafeteria personnel, maintenance and housekeeping staff, school counselors, and paraprofessionals who interact with the students daily. Our pastors, chaplains, teachers, and administrators complete the daily circle of care. Each principal in our schools is qualified and State certified for their position. Academic rigor has been enhanced with diocesan Atlas Curriculum Mapping software, International Baccalaureate® (IB), and Ray Dass Test Preparation. The spiritual life of the village is being developed and reinvigorated by the implementation of the Franciscan at Home Catechetical Institute program thanks to the Director of Faith Formation, Delia Barr.
There are multiple charts in this report this year to help present the areas of great success and the areas that need improvement. One that is particularly distressing to me is the decline in enrollment. As you can see, our enrollment has sharply declined, especially during the COVID-19 closure. All of us are ambassadors of welcome to new families by inviting them to look at Catholic education. Come and see what is truly different than any other school in northern Louisiana. For our schools to be able to recruit the best teachers, we must have students. I am offering a challenge for all Catholic school and all diocesan families, that for the next 24 months, every family introduces a new family to our schools. No longer can the old adage, “we can’t afford Catholic schools” be an acceptable response. We need to demonstrate how Catholics can afford not to partner with the Catholic Church to inform their children. Bishop Malone has said on hundreds of occasions that for any Catholic family wishing to put their children in our schools who need tuition assistance, he will provide support in partnership with the local pastors. New families can also AUGUST 2022
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