Prayer for Ukraine God of infinite mercy and goodness, with grateful hearts we pray to you today for Peace. You offer us your peace continually (Jn.14:27) and constantly remind us that peacemakers are blessed, “for they shall be called children of God” (Mt.5:9). May your voice resound in the hearts of all, as you call us to follow the path of reconciliation and peace, and to be merciful as you are merciful.
We pray to you for the people of the Ukraine who are experiencing conflicts and deaths. Bless the leaders with wisdom, vision and perseverance needed to build together a world of justice and solidarity, and to break down walls of hostility and division.
To you we entrust all families and pray that they may never yield to discouragement and despair, but become heralds of new hope to one another in this challenging time.
May you continue to inspire all of us to oneness of heart and mind, to work generously for the common good, to respect the dignity of every person and the fundamental rights which have their origin in the image and likeness of God impressed upon every human being.
Grant eternal rest to the dead and quick recovery to the wounded, we pray through Christ our Lord, Amen!
Prayer adapted from: Pope JPII’s Prayer for Peace, shared by St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, Calgary
New and Updated Announcements
From Vic Michaels: COVID-19 Guidance and Protocols
The MDHHS and the CDC have updated their indoor mask use guidance and rescinded the order requiring masks on school busses. We have updated the AOD Document to reflect all changes effective 3/03/2022. We will continue to keep you apprised of any additional updates.
International and Domestic travel quarantine guidelines – updated 3/15/2022.
Upon return from International Travel
Vaccinated students and staff do not need to quarantine upon return but should monitor for symptoms for 14 days.
Unvaccinated students and staff are to quarantine for five days post-travel. They may return to campus on day six. Students and staff should continue monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19 and wear a well-fitting mask once they return to campus on days 6-10.
Upon return from Domestic Travel
Fully vaccinated or unvaccinated students and staff do not need to quarantine.
New: Consecration of Ukraine and Russia
Pope Francis—united to all the Bishops and Catholic faithful around the world—will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Friday, the feast of the Annunciation, Friday, March 25. Read more here.
Reminder: Childcare Stabilization Grants
Childcare Stabilization Grant Funds need to be returned to MDE. Laura sent an email to principals with instructions. Please ensure that your business manager is aware of this as well. We will not be able to accept second round funds either.
New: Catholic High School League welcomes five Toledo Catholic Schools as full members effective fall 2023
Catholic High School League (CHSL) and representatives from Toledo Central Catholic High School, Notre Dame Academy, St. Francis de Sales School, St. John’s Jesuit, and St. Ursula Academy to formally announce the five schools’ acceptance as full members into the Detroit-based league, commencing with the fall sports season of the 2023-24 school year. Continue reading
New: FREE Federal Programs Webinars
Catapult Learning is hosting a virtual training program that will raise the comfort level of the school leader in navigating the ins and outs of federal education programs for their students and teachers. Continue reading
New: Professional Learning Survey: Michigan Equitable Services Collaborative (MESC)
Please complete the 2021-2022 Non-public School Professional Learning Needs Assessment by April 15, 2022. The results of this survey will inform the professional learning plans (including AOD Uniform PD Days) for the 2022-2023 academic year. Continue reading
Updated:Let MI Kids Learn Petition Gathering Campaign
We are eager to share with you details about the Let MI Kids Learn signature campaign that has the potential to positively impact the education of many students in the state of Michigan. We plan to gather 340,000 signatures to establish “Student Opportunity Scholarships” so that parents can access funding to meet their child’s educational needs. Archbishop Vigneron and his brother bishops from throughout Michigan are supportive of this initiative. Continue reading
March 14 Uniform Professional Development Day
Many thanks to all who attended the PD Day! Please encourage teachers and staff to complete the survey so that we can understand what went well and what can be improved in the future.
The recordings will be posted to the PD website as soon as they are available.
Remember to collect your teachers’ information for each AOD PD Day and upload it to the folder Shelley Long shared with you last semester. For details on how to collect this information, see the next school mail item titled “SCECH Process.”
Share this form with teachers to earn SCECHs (or hours toward catechist renewal) for viewing recorded sessions.
Teachers will be responsible to complete the MANS application form at the end of the school year. That will be shared closer to May.
Principals are required to collect all the necessary information for the Uniform PD Day on an Excel sheet. On the Excel sheet, remember to include the following information in the following order:
first name, last name, school name, school city, PIC code, email address, title of session(s) attended and SCECH verification code.
For the star session that offers an additional 2 SCECHs for a completed Unit Plan aligned to the focus skills, please remember to add a column titled “Unit Plan” to distinguish between teachers who only attend the live session and teachers who both attend live and bring a completed unit plan to review.
MANS has already created and shared your school’s unique folder where you will be responsible to upload the completed Excel sheet within two weeks of the Uniform PD Day.
