Archbishop’s Catechetical Day 2023 | September 18
The topic for this year’s event will be St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.
K-8 principals can reference this flow chart for instructions for the day. Please ask your teachers to register in advance.
K-8 teachers who have completed Ruah Woods training will choose one presentation to attend on September 18:
- IN PERSON presentation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Theology of the Body: A Philosophy of Gift
Presented by Mr. Richard Budd, Director of Marriage and Family Life, Diocese of Lansing
Register HERE
*participants are invited to attend Holy Mass in the seminary chapel and lunch following the presentation
OR
- ZOOM presentation
Theology of the Body: A Compass for the Current Cultural Climate
Presented by Fr. Sean Kilcawley, priest of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska
Register HERE
Teachers who are new to your building and have not completed Ruah Woods training can click HERE to register to attend training at Sacred Heart Major Seminary from 8:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. on September 18. Teachers who do not teach religion may leave after lunch. See this flyer for more details.
New: Teacher PLCs
Principals - We would like to offer teacher PLCs again this year with the opportunity for teachers to earn 25 SCECHs. We are currently looking for teacher-leaders to serve as facilitators, specifically in the following grade-level bands:
Stipends will be provided. Please email Dr. Bluestein with your recommendations by 9/21.
New: Payments for Tuition Assistance Awards
Archdiocesan Tuition Assistance awards will be available for payment later this Fall. To request payment of your students’ awards, please complete the Tuition Assistance Calculation and Check Request form and return it no later than Friday, October 13 to tas@aod.org.
This form must be signed by the principal and returned with a copy of your school’s FACTS Tuition Assistance award report. If you have any questions, please contact tas@aod.org.
New: Spiritual Direction for Principals
Spiritual direction and/or accompaniment is available to all principals this year at no cost to you. Let us know if you are interested by Friday, September 22 by clicking here.
New: Stepping into his Mercy with the Sisters of Life
Join us for a morning of training with the Sisters of Life and learn how you can be an instrument of God’s Mercy for those hurting after an abortion. Administrators: Consider encouraging any counseling staff members (counselors, social workers, Campus Ministers, etc.) to attend. More information, including a schedule and the registration form, can be found here.
New: Come, Encounter Christ for Youth and Families
Sunday, October 22, 2023--Join us at Christ, Our Light! Parish in Troy from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm for an evening filled with dynamic preaching, powerful praise & worship music, opportunities for reconciliation, and adoration of our Lord, Jesus! This evening is for high school youth, middle school youth, and their families! See the flyer here.
Star Assessment – New Link for Roster Upload
If you have not yet uploaded your Star roster to the Renaissance link that was previously provided, you will need to use this new link as the previous link has expired. Please let Dr. Bluestein know when you submit your roster to the new link.
Behavior Threat Assessment Management Training Session RSVP
As announced at the last Principals meeting, the Michigan State Police will conduct a Behavioral Threat Assessment Management (BTAM) training session for the AOD. The training will be in person, on Wednesday, September 27, at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Everyone who attends can earn SCECH’s. You will find a general itinerary of the day and registration form at the end of this email. Please know that space is limited. We ask that schools do not sign up more than four people. Also, any school that signs up should have two people attend. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mike Evoy (evoy.michael@aod.org).
BTAM Training
Wednesday, September 27, 2003
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
- 8:00 a.m. – Gather
- 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Training
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. - Lunch (provided by the Department of Catholic Schools)
- 1 pm – 3:30 pm - Training
- Registration Form
2023-2024 MANS Membership Dues
Welcome to the 2023-24 academic year. For over 50 years, MANS has been connecting and strengthening Michigan's faith-based, non-public schools through exceptional training, resources, and advocacy so they can be student-centered and mission-driven. Please click here to complete and submit payment for your school’s 2023-2024 MANS dues. Please complete and remit payment no later than Friday, December 1, 2023. For questions contact Shelley Long, Administrative Assistant, at 517-372-0012 or slong@m-a-n-s.org.
AOD Seminarian Poster & Brochure Request Form
Please use this link to request posters and brochures, AOD Seminarian Poster & Brochure Request Form.
Please note that if schools do not fill out the form they will receive 2 posters and 2 brochures (this is excluding all-girls schools).
From Monsignor Bugarin: Protecting God's Children Recertification Deadline Extended | Virtus Platform Webinar Video
As the Episcopal Vicar leading the Office of Child and Youth Protection, I am writing today regarding two essential items for those of us in the Archdiocese of Detroit who oversee/manage our mandatory Safe Environment programs in our offices, parishes, schools, and Catholic agencies. Our shared goal: to protect – especially – children and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse.
- The deadline for existing employees and volunteers to complete a Protecting God's Children recertification workshop has been extended until November 1, 2023.
- A recording is now available of the August 16, 2023 webinar to assist local Virtus coordinators and anyone with access to the Virtus platform to help them better understand all that the platform offers us in the area of training and data management.
Click here to learn more about these two items.
MANS Accreditation Services for AOD Schools
Nancy Kuszczak will be leading and coordinating MANS Accreditation activities for AOD schools. Her email address is Kuszczak.Nancy@aod.org. Please contact Nancy for any questions or requests for assistance related to the MANS Accreditation process.
Update from the Office of Health & Safety – Student Accident Report
The phone number to report injuries to Gallagher Bassett has changed on the Student and Adult Accident Report Forms. Please replace your forms with this updated form or download the new forms from www.chsl.com.
Study Day: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions
This national event will take place in Cincinnati on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. The meeting’s theme is titled, “Sign and Pledge of Communion: Masses with Children.” The theme recognizes the baptismal dignity of all the Church’s members. The committee has developed an impressive program of plenary sessions and workshops which address various facets of this topic. Additional information and registration can be found here.
FACTS SIS Teacher Training – Recording Available
Please share the below FACTS SIS Training recording with your teachers. Please note this video requires registration to view. You can access the PowerPoint presentation here.
Link: FACTS + Archdiocese of Detroit Teacher Training
Passcode: Facts2023!
FACT SIS Onsite Training August 2023
Thank you to all who attended the FACTS SIS Training. You can access the training presentation here.
Supplemental Student Accident Insurance Available for Families
Michigan Catholic Conference has additional accidental injury coverage available through Student Assurance Services, Inc. for students ranging from preschool through 12th grade.
Coverage is available 24/7 from the purchase date through July 31, 2024 for only $83 per student! Students already have coverage during school and while participating in athletic events, but accidental injury insurance would extend coverage after school and during breaks, as well.
While most everyone has medical insurance, student accidental injury coverage would cover select out-of-pocket expenses not covered by your current plan like deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance.
Feel free to share this flyer with your school families.
Roster Information for Renaissance
Similar to last year, schools utilizing the FACTS SIS will not need to create a manual .csv file for the Star Renaissance roster. Instead, simply follow last year’s steps from FACTS (selecting the current school year), then skip to section “B” in the steps provided by Renaissance to upload your roster to the Renaissance site.
Schools that are not currently using the FACTS SIS will need to follow all the instructions in the Star Self-Service Import document, using the provided .csv template.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Bluestein.
2023-2024 Calendar for Administrators
Please see the revised 2023-2024 AODCS Calendar for Administrators here.
Star Renaissance
- Testing Windows
- BOY 8/28 - 10/6
- MOY 1/15 - 2/9
- EOY 4/22 - 5/17
