St. AnthOny Of PAduA CAthOliC SChOOl ReCeiveS A Blue RiBBOn

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Catholic Heart
October 2012
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School
Receives a Blue Ribbon Award
In September, U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, announced the names of 269 schools identified
by the U.S. Department of Education as the National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2012. St. Anthony of Padua
Catholic School in The Woodlands, Texas, was among this list. St. Anthony of Padua was selected because
their standardized test scores in reading and math placed the school among the top 15% performing schools in
the nation. Fr. Tom Rafferty, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, made the announcement during Mass in which
all of the student body and staff were present, saying, “This is not only an accomplishment for the
students and staff in the school today, but for all the staff, students and families that have
walked through our halls over the years. It is everyone’s hard work that has brought
about this distinguished recognition.” On behalf of the Catholic Schools Office,
Message from the Cardinal. . . . . . . . . . 2
The Catholic Heart congratulates St. Anthony of Padua on a such a
prestigious recognition.
Our Superintendent’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . 2
In this issue...
Welcome Back to School. . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Catholic Education Legacy . . . . . . . . . . 6
Steps For Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Catholic Heart
2
A Message from Cardinal DiNardo
Dear Friends in Christ,
As we near the season of Thanksgiving, I thank you for your continued commitment to Catholic
school education in the Archdiocese. I find that the academic year progresses rather rapidly and
yet we have already seen so many wonderful accomplishments from the communities that make
up our network of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. It is a privilege and
a blessing to witness the outpouring of support to build up the Catholics schools and enrich the
quality of the curriculum. Whether it is on the field of competition or in the classroom of learning,
our schools strive for excellence and have established a true bond of camaraderie and fellowship
with one another.
It is my hope that as you journey with us in the course of this academic year in the pages ofthis
publication, you will witnesses as well thetouching stories and triumphs of our Catholic school
students. I wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving with the assurances of my remembrance
in prayerful gratitude.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
Our Superintendent’s Corner: Sr. Kevina Keating, CCVI
Dear Friends of Catholic Education:
O
ur 2012-2013 school year is well on its
way and what an exciting year it is! We
have the highest enrollment in thirtythree years (excepting 2005 when we temporarily
took in students affected by hurricane Katrina).
We have a perfect sequence of school
anniversaries: John Paul II–25th, St. Jerome–
50th, St. Joseph–65th, Resurrection–75th, and
Our Lady of Guadalupe–100th!
In September, we got word that St. Anthony of
Padua Catholic School was among the prestigious
National Blue Ribbon School winners, and we are
very proud of that recognition. This school year
also, together with school pastors, principals,
faculties, and boards, we are excited to be
relooking at our Plan for Catholic Schools, Lumen
Pro Via, after three solid years of implementation
and accomplishment, and charting a dynamic
future for the next three to five years.
For the first time in history, the National Catholic
Education Association (NCEA) has asked us to
host its national convention and it will be held
here at the George R. Brown Convention Center,
April 2nd – 4th, 2013. NCEA is the largest private
professional education organization in the world,
representing 200,000 Catholic educators serving
7.6 million students in Catholic elementary
and secondary schools, in religious education
programs, in seminaries and in colleges and
universities.
We thank you for being “the wind beneath our
wings” in all these endeavors, and are very
pleased with your interest and extremely grateful
for your support.
Sincerely,
Sr. Kevina Keating, CCVI
Superintendent of Schools
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
October 2012
The Catholic Heart
3
Catholic Schools Have Spirit, Yes They Do!
Catholic Schools Have Spirit, How ‘Bout You?
St. Anne
Catholic School
ShamROCKED
Cheer Camp
This summer, the St. Anne Catholic
School Cheer Squad made history
with their winning streak at the NCA
Cheer Camp at Our Lady of the Lake
University in San Antonio, Texas.
The 2012-2013 Cheer Squad came
together for a week this summer to
learn new routines, perfect their
stunts, and compete against other
squads from across the state. The Cheer Squad was named the
Camp Chant Champions, Camp Game Time Champions, and Camp Performance
Team Champions. The squad also won two Technical Excellence Awards for
Motions and six Superior Evaluations, as well as the SPOT Award for safety in
spotting and the coveted Herkie Team Award. The Herkie is the most prestigious
award given by the NCA named after NCA founder, L.R. Herkimer. It is awarded to
squads who exemplify the qualities upon which the NCA was founded of leadership, values and teamwork.
Twin Schools Share
a Strong Faith
St. Joseph Regional Catholic School in Baytown
and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School in The
Woodlands are going places – together! St. Anthony
and St. Joseph are entering their second school year
as “twin” schools. Twins are schools that are paired
to share resources and assist each other to grow
spiritually and in practical matters where possible.
Despite their geographic distance the two schools
are united through one very important factor – their
Catholic faith.
The two schools work closely together and share
resources in many areas, including faith based activities, staff development, technology, and fundraising.
“St. Joseph School appreciates the many gifts and
talents that the St. Anthony of Padua family has shared
with our faith community,” states Dr. Ann Mullins,
principal of St. Joseph. “Their kindness has been an
important asset in the growth of our students.”
www.choosecatholicschools.org
In addition, the St. Anne Mascots received Superior Evaluations and earned a
placement on the All-American Team.
John Paul II
Catholic School
Gets the Spirit
The John Paul II Saints Athletic
program has added a new group
this year. For the first time in their
25 year history, the Saints have
cheerleaders. JPII cheerleaders
attended the FCC (Fellowship of
Christian Cheerleaders) Camp this
summer with over 200 cheerleaders. They showed outstanding sportsmanship and truly worked together as a
team! JPII’s very own Stephanie Thomas won the Tumble Jam on the first evening.
Three of the cheerleaders were named ALL STARS, Isabel Hoffman, Stephanie
Thomas, and Amanda Stoner. During the camp, the cheerleaders were evaluated
on a cheer, including a group jump and stunt, which earned a superior ribbon!
JPII cheerleaders earned 2nd Place in the overall Camp Championship and were
given a bid to compete at Nationals.
On the other hand, St. Anthony’s principal, Renee’
B. Nunez, recognizes the blessings in giving, “Living
our lives as Disciples of Christ calls us to be there for
others. We are very blessed to be able to spread the
love to our twin and teach both of our student bodies
the meaning of discipleship.” Both schools look
forward to a future filled with mutual enrichment as
they learn and grow together!
for local area non-profits including: GenerationOne,
The Way Station, Houston Arboretum, Buffalo Bayou
Partnership, The Salvation Army Harbor Light
Center, and the Houston Food Bank. The students
were accompanied by Regis faculty members, Ms.
Lauren Stallings and Mrs. Patricia Sung; the Reverend
Genevieve Razim, a Regis parent; and two CUSE
representatives.
The Regis School of
the Sacred Heart &
Duchesne Academy
of the Sacred Heart
Learn the Importance
of Inter-faith Service
Commenting on the students’ dedication to the
service projects the Reverend Razim said, “It was
deeply gratifying getting to know the compassionate and self-motivated Regis and Duchesne students
on this retreat. Their willingness to engage in each
ministry, to listen and observe with a loving heart the
people and situations they encountered, to work hard
at assigned tasks and reflect on their experiences
made it all worthwhile to me. They earned every one
of those 22 hours!”
With an eye to learning, long before the end of
summer, The Regis School’s Social Awareness
Committee teamed up with sister-school Duchesne
Academy to sponsor a joint Summer Service Retreat.
This retreat was organized in partnership with the
Cathedral Urban Service Experience (CUSE) from
Christ Church Cathedral, a ministry of the Episcopal
Diocese. For three days in June, 17 students from
Regis and Duchesne made downtown Houston their
home, spending each day serving the inner city communities, reflecting on the service projects, and enjoying some down time during the evenings. Each participant, earned 22 service hours as they volunteered
The Catholic Heart
4
Welcome Back to
Queen of
Peace Catholic
School learns
about Pure
Fashion
This fall, the young ladies
at Queen of Peace Catholic
School will learn to carry
themselves with dignity
and confidence, through
their participation in the
Pure Fashion Modeling
Program. The modeling
training ministry, an outreach program of the
lay apostolic movement Regnum Christi, will be
launching in early October for young teen girls. This
unique faith-based program for style, culture, and
fashion teaches young ladies to become competent
leaders who live the virtues of modesty and purity
in their schools and communities. Queen of Peace
Catholic School is excited to begin the program and
looks forward to a wonderful experience.
St. Helen Catholic School
Goes for A Green Three-peat!
Pearland Beautiful and worked in the school
garden on a Saturday as part of the Earth Day
project. The Girl Scouts earned their Bronze Award
with their work for the compost bin. Environmental
Leadership students completed a service project at
Galveston Island for dunes restoration. Way to go St.
Helen Catholic School!
Hats off to Assumption
Catholic School
To raise awareness and funds for children battling
cancer, Assumption Catholic School’s Student Council
sponsored a Caps for Kids “Cap Day.” Caps for Kids
is a non-profit organization that helps to provide
caps autographed by celebrities and athletes to
young cancer patients in hospitals across the country.
Students donated $1.00 and were allowed to wear a
favorite cap to school for the day. The Student Council
surpassed their $100 fund-raising goal, and hopes to
make “Cap Day” an annual tradition at Assumption.
St. Cecilia Continues to
Enter the Digital Age
St. Helen Catholic School in Pearland has been recognized for a third time as a Green Ribbon School!
It is one of 63 schools in the nation to receive this
distinction for its “green” activities during the
school year 2011-2012 and the only school in the
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. St. Helen is also
recognized as one of the founding members of the
Green Ribbon Schools program.
To earn this award, the school posted activities and
photos for each of the four cornerstones—EcoCampus, Nature Adventures, Health and Fitness,
and Natural Classrooms. The school’s activities are
posted on the website www.greenribbonschools.org.
At St. Helen, the students recycle paper and plastic.
Many teachers use the outdoors as a natural classroom. Accomplishments last year included the Earth
Day program and essay contest. Kindergarten and
1st grade sang earth-friendly songs; Environmental
Leadership students presented skits and PowerPoint
presentations. Many families participated in Keep
St. Edward Catholic
School Celebrates
Parents and Pastries
The Parent Teacher Organization led by President
Amy Hatten, at St. Edward Catholic School in Spring,
hosted a bounteous morning breakfast complete with
fresh fruit, a variety of delightful juices and plenty of
pastries for their Annual Parents and Pastries in the
newly renovated Parish Life Center. Marti Broussard
coordinated the happy affair with approximately 120
parents and children enjoying some time together
before the beginning of the school day.
St. Mary of the Purification
is on the move!
The faculty, staff, students and parents of St. Mary
of the Purification Montessori School have accepted
the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge.
The school has incorporated exercise into its daily
routine by beginning each morning with thirty
minutes of dancing before classes start. The cafeteria has added healthy items to the menu including
low fat milk. Nutrition classes for students are taking
place in science classes and adult nutrition courses
are being offered for parents. Not only has the
increased activity been well received by the parents,
but St. Mary’s students have said that they can’t wait
to get to school in the morning to start the day off
with dance.
A classroom set of I-Pads arrived at St. Cecilia
School this year to enhance the learning environment. After an in-service, teachers began scrolling
the apps to find items that will energize their curriculum, activate their students’ participation in
the learning process, and promote differentiated
instruction. Students are very excited about this new
learning tool, especially since some of them are
already so familiar with the technology.
October 2012
The Catholic Heart
5
School
St. Michael Catholic
School Looks Forward
to a Bright Future
Catholic Schools Share what’s new
for the 2012/2013 new school year!
The Catholic School
Cooperatives say
Thank You!
St. Helen Catholic School
Educator Receives Sally
Landram Excellence
in Education Award
Rachel Bacilla of St. Helen Catholic School in
Pearland was awarded the Sally Landram Excellence
in Education Award. The award, which is graciously
sponsored by the John W. and Alida Considine
Foundation, honors a Catholic school educator who
exemplifies excellence and professional dedication. The award is presented annually to an educator in the network of Catholic schools who carries
on the legacy of excellence in Catholic education as
demonstrated by former Superintendent of Catholic
Schools, the late Sally Landram, for whom the award
is named.
The new academic year held some major surprises
for the students of St. Michael Catholic School. Over
the summer construction continued on their new
school building, expected to open in early 2013, and
the progress made so far has the students shouting
for joy! The students are also excited about exploring their academic theme for the school year, The
gift you have received, give as gift. As part of this
theme, the students will focus on the lives of the
Saints who, through their lives and witness, help us
live our own life in a virtuous and faith filled way.
Focusing on the gifts, or charisms, of several saints
each month, the students will discover the gifts that
God has given to them and learn to put them at the
service of others.
St. Christopher Catholic
School Plants the
Seeds of Service
St. Augustine Catholic School (pictured on top),
St. Pius V Catholic School in Pasadena (pictured in
the center) and St. Peter the Apostle (pictured on
the bottom) are 3 of the 5 members of the Catholic
School Cooperative that received a new computer lab,
iPad cart and Mimio interactive portable whiteboards
all courtesy of the Kinder Foundation. Resurrection
Catholic School and St. Francis of Assisi are the other
2 beneficiaries. All of the schools are very grateful to
the Kinder Foundation for providing the tools to help
their students start off the year successfully.
Students at St. Christopher Catholic School have taken
their learning outside. Before school let out for the
summer, students planted a garden and will spend the
fall caring for their vegetables and herbs. When their
harvest is ready, the school will provide fresh produce
for the Parish’s Food Pantry.
www.choosecatholicschools.org
St. Vincent de Paul School 3rd grade student participants in the Incarnate Word Cross Country middle
school track meet take a moment to smile. These participants were two of the youngest runners and finished 38 and 39 out of over 100 middle school runners.
Celebrating our Legacy of Catholic Education
Around the Archdiocese, there are so many reasons to celebrate Catholic education and in this issue we congratulate all our school communities who
are celebrating a major anniversary of providing the education of mind, heart & spirit to the many, many students who have passed through their doors.
John Paul II Catholic School – 25 Years
John Paul II Catholic
School in West Houston
has a lot to celebrate in
this its 25th year. It’s
always a blessing when
alumni come back to
a school to share their
stories and the positive
influence their alma
mater had on their lives.
Two very special JPII
Alums, Fr. Jonathan Raia, of St. William’s Parish in Round Rock, TX ,
and his brother Michael Raia joined the current students for an Opening
School Mass to begin the anniversary year in prayer and thanksgiving.
John Paul II Catholic school has been leading its students to bright futures
for 25 years and hopes to continue its tradition long into the future.
St. Jerome Catholic School – 50 Years
The St. Jerome Catholic School community is thrilled to mark its 50th
year and to invite
the Archdiocesan
community to its
Anniversary and
Reunion Celebration
on Saturday, November
3rd. Festivities will
include a 4:00pm Open
House and Blessing of
the School followed
by a 5:30pm Mass.
St. Joseph Catholic School – Baytown –
65 years
St. Joseph Catholic
School in Baytown is
celebrating its 65th year
of preparing students for
bright academic futures.
Founded in 1948, St.
Joseph is going strong
and as a regional school
serving multiple areas
and parishes, it is a place
where its students can feel at home and know that they are welcomed.
Resurrection Catholic School – 75 years
From September 13-16th, Resurrection Catholic School was a whirlwind
of activity and faith-filled spirit as they welcomed in the school’s 75th
anniversary with Mass, a gala, and a reunion. It was a time for the
whole Parish and school community to come together in celebration.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School –
100 Years
Opening its doors in 1912, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School has
provided the education of mind, heart, and spirit to generations of
students and their families. The OLG community opened the academic
year by proudly celebrating 100 years of Catholic education.
&
Present the
8th Annual
Supporting
Catholic Education
Join us on Saturday,
February 2, 2013
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
1111 St. Joseph Pkwy, Houston, TX 77002
For race information visit
steps4students.org
Or call 713-652-4417
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Pope John XXIII High
School is
Named to
National
Catholic
High School
Honor Roll
The Cardinal Newman
Society announced on
September 20, 2012
that Pope John XXIII
High School, the only
Catholic high school
in Katy, was named to
its National Catholic High School Honor Roll. Pope
John XXIII High School is one of only seven high
schools in the nation honored for its Excellence in
Catholic Identity, and the only recognized school in
the Houston area.
“This is a great honor for us and our whole commu-
nity,” said Principal, Tim Petersen. “We are dedicated
to providing our students with a quality Catholic environment to learn, grow, and become educated in all
aspects of life, both in and out of the classroom. This
national recognition affirms that we are fulfilling our
mission to prepare the hearts and minds of our students to serve God and others.”
Recognized schools are evaluated based on their
campus ministry activities, including the number of
all-school religious services, the number of theology courses offered, the qualifications of the theology instructors, and the presence of appropriate civic
themes in religious studies courses as well as the
appropriate treatment of theology and Catholic social
teachings in civics classes. Congratulations to Pope
John XXIII Community on this great achievement.
O’Connell College
Preparatory School
Expands Science Program
A new hands-on science program is debuting at O’Connell College Preparatory School in
Galveston. Through the generosity of the Treasure
Ball Association, new equipment has been added
to the labs for all science programs. Microscopes,
new physics labs, telescopes, and Elmo document
cameras are some of the new additions to the science
program this year. “We are so fortunate to be able to
expand our science programs in such an exponential
way,” said Board President Wayne Mallia. According
to school administration, these new additions and
labs will offer amazing opportunities to O’Connell
students that will serve to ignite a passion for science
and better prepare them for higher education.
THE CATHOLIC HEART is a quarterly publication produced by the Development
Department of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. All Catholic schools located within
the Archdiocese are welcome to submit information for publication.
For submission guidelines and deadlines, please contact Leslie Barrera in the Development
Department: (713) 652-8257 or e-mail at [email protected].
If you would like to view this publication on-line, please go to www.choosecatholicschools.org
and click on the Awareness Campaign tab at the top of the page.