New: Alliance Catholic Credit Union Make A Difference Scholarship
The Alliance Catholic Foundation Make A Difference Scholarship Program is now underway. The 2023 program will award a total of $20,000 in scholarships to members pursuing Catholic and higher education for the 2023-2024 academic year, and who are committed to making a difference in the lives of others through faith, attitude, and service.
To be eligible for the Make A Difference Scholarship Program, the Applicant and/or Applicant’s Parent or Legal Guardian must be a member of Alliance Catholic Credit Union.
Members can enter one of three levels of scholarships based on the level of education the member will be pursuing in the 2023-2024 academic year:
- Families (one entry per family) with children attending a K-8 Catholic school: Five (5) $1,000 scholarships will be available
- Students attending a Catholic High School: Five (5) $1,000 scholarships will be available
- Students attending a post-secondary educational institution: Two (2) $5,000 scholarships will be available
- The deadline for entries is Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The Assignment:
- Record a video testimonial of someone who has witnessed or benefited from good work you have done in the community. Include a brief written description of the activity and the reason why you chose the person you did for the testimonial.
- For additional rules, details about the program and how to apply, click here.
New: Missionary Renewal Assembly Invitation
Archbishop Vigneron is asking all AOD Catholic school principals to attend the Missionary Renewal Assembly on June 29 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
Priests will gather for the first two days of the Assembly, June 27 and 28. The goal of day three of this Assembly is to foster a sense of unity within the leadership teams of each Family of Parishes (priests, deacons, directors, and principals) so that they may, with the support of the Curia, effectively lead their Families toward being more missionary and carrying out the call of Synod ’16. Full schedule information and registration links are available at aod.org/assembly.Please discuss with your pastor and register by Friday, April 21.
Recordings Available: March 13 Uniform Professional Development Day
Please be mindful of the following items.
- SCECH Form Template
As requested, Dr. Bluestein has created a Google Form Template for principals to collect the SCECH information after each Uniform PD Day. Please be sure to MAKE A COPY first before making any edits. Once you make a copy, you may edit, and share with your teachers. Note that it is currently set up exactly how Shelley Long from MANS has requested. Also note that it is NOT mandatory that you use the Google Form Template if you have already collected the needed information another way (following the SCECH guidelines laid out at the start of the school year); the template is meant to be a helpful tool for those who requested it, with the thought others may benefit from its use.
As a reminder, please upload what you collect from the PD Days into your Google Folder from MANS, and be sure to tally the SCECHs from the PD Days and add them into the appropriate columns in the general (or year-long) PD spreadsheet that MANS created for you.
- Uniform PD Survey
Please complete the PD Survey found at the top of the PD website, https://www.professionaldevelopmentday.org/, and encourage teachers to complete it as well. Your feedback is valued and helps inform future PD decisions.
- Recordings, Resources
All sessions were recorded and the recordings, as well as any other resources, are now available on the PD website.
- Form for Viewing PD Recordings or Archived Recordings
Those who wish to earn SCECHs for viewing the PD recordings or any archived recordings from previous PD days (found under “archive” at the top right of the PD website), will need to complete this form before submitting their total earned SCECHs in the MANS application form at the end of the school year.
SCECH Record-Keeping for Principals
Please recall that Shelley Long with MANS sent each principal an email with the link to the Google Folder created for each school. Please review the important information to ensure your teachers earn SCECHs, especially in regard to the AOD Professional Development Days.
- Google folders (on the spreadsheets) contain links to 10-minute webinar on how to track SCECHs properly, the updated SCECH handbook, & written instructions on how to complete both tabs of the spreadsheet.
- Spreadsheets include AOD earned PD columns; final amount will tally correctly & educators only have to apply one time with MANS.
- Principals must collect & upload to the folder a SEPARATE excel sheet on the details of the AOD UNIFORM Professional Development Days including the following in exact order:
- first name, last name, school name, school city, email address, session title & # of SCECHs session is worth, SCECH verification code for (each session attended).
- Shelley will check in with each school via email mid-year to see if they have questions, concerns, etc.
- Teachers will use online SCECH application shared in May to apply for SCECHs
- All SCECHs processed through MANS are FREE
EANS I and EANS II Purchase Reminder
Many schools have begun to receive its’ EANS II money in class wallet. Please remember that any expenditure you would like to make over $25,000 but under $100,000, you must fill out an EAR (Expenditure Analysis Review) and submit to the College of Consultors. For purchases over $100,000 you must submit the purchase to be reviewed and approved by the College of Consultors during their next scheduled meeting after your submission. You can access EAR form and College of Consultors approval process here. If you have questions regarding your EANS I or EANS II money, please contact your Associate Superintendent.
Extended Access to Protect Young Eyes: Curriculum & Parent App
As indicated in August, based on the need for online safety and digital citizenship, the AOD purchased the Protect Young Eyes Curriculum and Parent App for all schools in the AOD (including the order schools). Due to the confusion with the Virtus platform, however, Chris McKenna has generously offered to extend the access to both the curriculum and the parent app throughout next year, 2023-2024.
Click here for the PYE curriculum; the link can also be found under the Educator’s Tab in Virtus.
If you have any questions, please contract Dr. Bluestein.
Section 97, 97c, 97d Safety Grant Notifications Announced
Recipients of Section 97, 97c, and 97d Safety Grants have begun to see notifications about funding. As a reminder, the grant applications were completed in October 2022. The funding seeks to reduce the impact of high risk factors on students while improving the health, safety, and wellness of all learners. Below are the specific guidelines and allowable expenses under each section of the grant.
From the Department of Finance and Administration: Survey About Food Service at Sacred Heart Major Seminary
We are striving to provide the best food service possible for all who use Sacred Heart Major Seminary's cafeteria and priest dining hall. We have been making several improvements since January 2023.
To help us measure perceptions regarding food quality and service, we ask all who have eaten a meal in the seminary cafeteria or priest dining hall since February 1, 2023 complete this very short survey. Please respond by Friday, April 21, 2023.
Thank you for your time. Please feel free to contact Don Genotti (genotti.donald@aod.org) or Fran Ashe (ashe.fran@aod.org) with any questions.
AOD Tuition Assistance Award Training – Recording Available
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the AOD Tuition Assistance Award Training with FACTS Grant and Aid. A recording is now available. (passcode: u?0sMbp^). You may reference the PowerPoint slides and the quick reference guide from FACTs. If you have any questions, please send them to tas@aod.org.
If you missed the first training session back in January, you can access that recording as well (passcode: Y#5#j2QR).
Jodee Blanco’s Anti-Bullying Program - Schedule Fall Visits
Jodee has recently made visits to our schools presenting her INJJA (It’s Not Just Joking Around) anti-bullying program, and plans are currently being developed to visit more schools in the fall. If you are interested in having her visit your school this fall, please contact Dr. Bluestein.
5-Minute Safety Drill
Spring is coming despite what the weather is doing. With the change in seasons comes cleaning time. This month’s 5-minute drill focuses on instructional staff reviewing their classroom safety items. Elementary schools will spend more time outside in the coming weeks and should have a complete first aid kit with the class while outside the classroom.
- Classroom Safety Checklist: Provided by the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety, this checklist requires the classroom teachers to check that the classroom has all recommended items in place and that everything is functional. This form could be distributed prior to a faculty meeting and ask the staff to bring it to the next faculty meeting.
- Classroom First Aid Kit Checklist: Provided by the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety, this form provides a list of what should be in a classroom first aid kit.
- School Go Kits Checklist: Provided by the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety, this form provides detailed lists for instructional staff, non-instructional staff, and administrators on what should be in their “Go Kits”.
Jodee Blanco’s Crisis Management for Principals – Recording
Those who were unable to attend the March 2 professional development for principals by Jodee Blanco on Crisis Management, may view the recording.
Recording: https://aod.zoom.us/rec/share/YCLVIdEnAQrO4YW4UAClY4jPeehKXiYa8Wp156PYqSyq-6KtWJOtrTlMuZSG-2U.NWVBctfNA8N4bIIZ
Passcode: ieu?+GN1
Jodee Blanco will be making visits to AOD schools this spring and next fall. If you are interested in having her visit your school next fall to implement her INJJA (It’s Not Just Joking Around) anti-bullying curriculum, please reach out to Dr. Bluestein.
Catholic Youth Summer Camp
Please share this poster and postcard with your parish's middle school and high school parents for information about Catholic Youth Summer Camp Great Lakes, located in Brighton, MI. Please share this with families in your parish and invite them to register for a week of camp. See more information at Catholic Youth Summer Camp Great Lakes - CYSC - Catholic Youth Summer Camp.
Annual Report Profile Checklist and Self-Assessment
Principals, please see this important update regarding your school’s Annual Report Profile and Annual Self-Assessment. All forms and self-assessments must be completed and submitted by May 19. 2023. Please contact Nancy Kuszczak, Coordinator of Accreditation, If you have any questions.
Use 52 Sundays This Lent
We invite you to visit 52Sundays.com throughout Lent for inspiration that can help your family refocus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving throughout the season.
VIRTUS - Clarifying Letter from Msgr. Bugarin
Please read this letter from Msgr. Bugarin for answers to any questions you may have regarding how the Virtus platform/curricula will be used to replace previous Safe Environments curricula, as well as new requirements and modifications to the Protecting God’s Children (PGC) training.
2023-2024 Department of Catholic Schools Calendar for Administrators
The 2023-2024 Department of Catholic Schools Calendar for Administrators and 2023-2024 Calendar Planning Documents have been emailed to principals. You can also access these documents below. Please send a PDF of your school’s 2023-2024 calendar to Erin McNally (mcnally.erin@aod.org) by June 1, 2023. Please save the document as SCHOOLNAME_CITY_2023-2024 School Calendar. If you have any specific calendar questions, please contact your Associate Superintendent.
From the Office of Family Ministry - Unleash the Gospel Resources
The Family Ministry Office has developed several resources to encourage families as they unleash the Gospel in our community! Parishes and schools are invited to use these links to download graphics for bulletins/newsletters, or printed flyers to distribute in-person.
- Archbishop’s Family Challenge: This postcard-sized handout gives families the seven challenges to families from Archbishop Vigneron’s pastoral letter, Unleash the Gospel in easy to understand, real-life examples.
- Compass promotional materials: Compass is a new online database of resources for Catholic parents with suggestions for books, articles, and videos to accompany parents raising children in today’s world.
- 52 Sundays promotional materials: 52 Sundays has gone fully digital and entirely free for 2023! This dynamic guide is designed to accompany families as they reclaim Sundays for faith and family.
Financial Guidance Workshop Zoom Recording
If you were unable to attend one of the Financial Guidance Workshops in December, or would like to review what was covered, please reference this PowerPoint and the zoom recording of Brian Mooney’s presentation. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Zoom Recording (passcode: DmgW7#Ej)
Compass for Parents
The Family Ministry Team at the AOD recently launched a new resource for parents - the Compass website. www.compassforparents.org. Compass is an online catalog with resources for parents to accompany them through the joys and trials of family life. An article about the project can be found here. The catalog already has 150 entries, but it will continue to grow over the next 18 months to include original videos, articles, and content for parents of children at every age from birth through young adulthood. Please share this helpful resource with parents.
Teen Star Curriculum Letter
Please read this important letter from Archbishop Vigneron and Dcn. Sean Costello regarding the Teen Star curriculum and the call to ensure its use in our schools.
Nicole Joyce will provide further information about the curriculum at the “Come and See” opportunities offered January-March 2023. Please note that the “Come and See” date listed within the letter as “Wednesday, February 16” should be Thursday, February 16.
Please contact Dr. Bluestein with any questions.
Discount toward Catechist Certification for Schools & Parishes
Upon collaboration with Sacred Heart Major Seminary regarding Catechist Certification using the program “On Fire for the Faith,” the Seminary has offered to extend a unique discount to schools and parishes. Schools and parishes will be able to register an unlimited amount of staff to complete the program this year at a bulk discount with the following options:
- $300 per school for unlimited # of teachers
- $300 per parish for unlimited # of catechists
OR
- $500 for parish & school combo (catechists/teachers)
If you wish to take advantage of this discount, please contact Mrs. Melissa Pordon at pordon.melissa@shms.edu or 313-868-7031. She will be happy to answer any questions and provide you with a unique school and/or parish code to apply the discount.
Virtus: Empowering God’s Children (Replacing past Safe Environments curricula)
As indicated previously, our Safe Environments program for schools is now going to be hosted by the Virtus online platform titled Empowering God’s Children; school are required to teach 2 lessons per year.
Virtus has provided detailed information on how you may access the materials using the Educators Tab, and how you may also provide access for your teachers. They’ve also provided a short 10-minute recording that you may view and share with teachers once you have given them access to the Educators Tab. The recording contains information regarding the lessons, how to navigate the site to access resources (including resources for parents), and how to report when training has been completed.
Please see the attachment and read the instructions from Virtus carefully.
