CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
CORE PRINCIPLES
Catholic schools shape new leaders
As we begin to celebrate
Catholic Schools Week
on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019,
the theme: “Catholic Schools:
Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed”
defi nitely applies to the academies
and parish schools within
the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Today, the evangelistic
mission of Catholic education
incorporates many priorities
in addition to strengthening
the Catholic Identity within
the academies and parish
schools.
The priorities of Catholic
education include: academic
excellence, building enrollment
and class capacity, sustaining
the academy governance
model, seeking new
ways of funding the academies
and parish school fi nances,
and ensuring that our academies
and parish schools are
preparing their students for
future leadership throughout
the area.
Moreover, academies and
parish schools within the Diocese
of Brooklyn continue to
prioritize strong support for
the New Evangelization.
Catholic Identity
Catholic Identity in our
academies and parish schools
is always a priority here
within the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The centrality of the faith
guides Catholic educators
each day, as they diligently educate
the children of God, who
have been entrusted to our
academies and parish schools
by their parents.
In addition, Catholic academies
and parish school
communities live the faith
through daily prayer and life
in the sacraments. Through
the pastoral assistance plan,
all pastors within the Diocese
of Brooklyn are involved in
the mission of Catholic education
through their presence at
liturgies, prayer services, and
teaching of religion classes.
Our Catholic faith is unlike
other classroom subjects
because it is not purely academic.
Our faith is infused
into all academic areas and
our faith forms us. Pope Francis
Brooklyn Catholic academies and schools offer their students and parents a community built on faith, knowledge, and service.
recognizes this when he
notes that “Catholic schools,
which always strive to join
their work of education with
the explicit proclamation of
the Gospel, are a most valuable
resource for the evangelization
of culture.” (EG.134).
Throughout my years, I
have met many leaders within
our diocese who have been
formed by the faith through
Catholic education. There is
great hope and promise for
the future, as Catholic school
children become the future
leaders of our Church and
country. I fi rmly believe that
“faith” is part of our Catholic
academy and parish school
culture, as is lived each day in
the work done by our priests,
principals, faculty, staff, parents,
and students.
Catholic academies and
parish schools within the Diocese
of Brooklyn have a great
commitment to academic excellence
COURIER L 28 IFE, JAN. 25–31, 2019 M B G
that is rooted in the
faith-based mission of Catholic
education. Over the past
number of years, we have continued
our quest for academic
excellence and 21st-century
learning.
Academic excellence
Without diminishing Catholic
Identity, pursuit of academic
excellence has been a
major priority. Through the
implementation of the New
York State Common Core
Learning Standards and participation
in the New York
State Assessments for ELA
and Math, we have prepared
our students for the educational
challenges that they
will face in secondary school
and college.
Over the next couple of
years, our Academies and Parish
Schools will adopt the Next
Generation Standards in English
Language Arts and Math.
With the support of our local
Catholic Colleges and Universities,
we will guarantee that
our principals and teachers
will be prepared to integrate
this standard into the learning
environments.
Our principals and teachers
have dedicated themselves to
professional development opportunities
to ensure that they
have an understanding of the
necessary tools and resources
to meet the educational needs
of all our students.
Through the generous support
of the St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton Trust, 35 academies and
parish schools have state-ofthe
art Stem Labs. These Stem
Labs (science, technology, engineering,
and math) provide
students in grades kindergarten
through eight with
an opportunity to engage in
hands-on activities to support
the curriculum.
The Artists in Residency
Program in 40 academies and
parish schools provides for
students in grades four, six,
and eight with an educational
opportunity to participate in
the fi ne arts.
Many of the academies
are in the process of attaining
accreditation through AdvancED.
This process allows
the academy community to
assess their learning environment
and be evaluated by an
outside group of educators.
The rigor of the accreditation
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