PASTOR NEWSLETTER WINTER 2018 SPIRITUALITY CONFERENCE DAY On September 25, 2018, nearly 3,000 of our elementary school teachers and principals throughout the Archdiocese of New York gathered with Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Walsh to begin the school year with a Mass of the Holy Spirit concelebrated by several of our pastors and seminarians. This annual event, the “Spirituality Conference Day,” was held at the Westchester County Center and concluded with a keynote address on the power of Catholic educators delivered by Fr. Stephen Norton of St. Benedict’s Church in the Bronx. Spirituality Conference at Westchester County Center Dear Pastors, During this exciting time of year, having paused to thank God New York for a celebration of faith and a contemplation of our for our many blessings over the Thanksgiving break while mission to deliver a Christ‑centered education. The Biannual looking ahead with anticipation to Christmas, our schools Principals Meeting included a rousing address to principals, have much to celebrate. Our students displayed increased which drew a direct correlation between their job and the performance on state exams for the fourth consecutive year man who taught the world everything we need to know to thanks to their hard work and the leadership of our principals accomplish that mission. and teachers. With thanks for your partnership and prayers for As His Eminence is fond of saying, along with preparing our continued success, students for high school and college, we must always be mindful of our mission to “get them into Heaven.” To that Timothy J. McNiff, Ed.D end, the first part of the school year featured two events Superintendent of Schools that heightened awareness of our faith‑based mission: The Archdiocese of New York Spirituality Day Conference brought together the entire staff and faculty of the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of WINTER 2018 PASTOR NEWSLETTER 1 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: OUR RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES The 2017–18 New York State Education Department Examination results show that Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York outperformed New York State and New York City Schools in performance growth over each of the past four years. In addition: Growth in Prociency from 2017–2018 I’m so proud of our 100 significant progress this 90 “ year. Teachers using 80 targeted data to identify the 70 7.0% needs of individual students 6.1% 60 5.8% 6.0% has once again produced 5.4% 50 4.9% strong scores in both math 4.3% 4.3% 40 and English Language Arts! 30 20 10 0 ELA MATH ARCHIOCESE OF NEW YORK NY STATE NY PUBLIC NY CHARTER ARCHIOCESE OF NY CHARTER SCHOOLS SCHOOLS SCHOOLS NEW YORK DR. SUSAN B. MILLER Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Staff Development 100 PERCENT OF GRADE 3–8 STUDENTS MEETING OR ECEEDING Catholic school students outpaced PROFICIENCY STANDARDS —ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK New York State and New York City 90 public school students in terms of 80 the percentage of students meeting 2015 2016 2017 2018 or exceeding proficiency standards 70 in both Mathematics and English 60 Language Arts (ELA). 55.3% 50 49.3% 49.5% 99% of those graduates have plans 40 44.1% 42.5% 37.4% 38.7% to pursue college or post‑secondary 34.0% 30 education. 20 10 0 ELA MATH 2 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN NEW YORK AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY Every Catholic school student CATHOLIC DIOCESES WITH receives a faith-filled, academically excellent education that forms 176 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS them in mind, body and spirit. STUDENTS SCHOOLS PROFESSIONAL STAFF TOTAL ENROLLMENT IN 6,352 Catholic schools: FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 5,158 elementary; PROFESSIONAL STAFF NUMBERED 1,194 secondary. 1,835,376 153,289 1,274,162 in elementary/ middle schools 561,214 16 New Schools Opened; in secondary 110 Consolidated Or Closed. schools 97.4% 1,872 LAITY schools have a waiting (Lay women: 74.8% Top Dioceses with the list for admission. Lay men: 22.6%) Largest Enrollments: Los Angeles U Chicago U Philadelphia New York U Cincinnati U Cleveland St. Louis U Brooklyn U Boston New Orleans Based on the average STUDENT DIVERSITY public school per pupil cost of $11,454, Catholic schools 20.8% are 2.6% racial minorities, provide more than RELIGIOUS CLERGY 21 billion dollars a year 17.4% are (Sisters: 1.6%; Brothers: 0.5%; Hispanic/ savings for the nation. Clergy: 0.5%) Latino National Secondary School Graduation Rates* Catholic 99.2% Non-Catholic enrollment is Other Religious 97.5% 349,139 Non-Sectarian 93.9% which is 19.0% of the total Public Schools 84.1% The Student/ (*actual high school diplomas awarded) enrollment. Teacher Ratio Is 12:1. 29 states and the District of Columbia have legislation that provides some form of financial assistance to parents to help them choose a private or faith-based education for their children. Currently there are 62 publicly-financed programs (vouchers, scholarships, education savings accounts and tax relief) assisting more than 1.5 million families with financial resources that enable them to exercise choice in their selection of a school for their children. WINTER 2018 PASTOR NEWSLETTER 3 ADVISORY COUNCIL SR. JUNE CLARE TRACY, O.P., ED.D. Timothy Cardinal Dolan visiting St. Raymond Elementary School in Bronx during their 150th Anniversary Celebration. Executive Director, Office of Catholic Identity CATHOLIC IDENTITY FORMED IN THE PARISH, STRENGTHENED IN THE CLASSROOM ARCHDIOCESAN CATHOLIC IDENTITY ADVISORY COUNCIL The objectives and strategies of the The Values Infusion Program, Fr. Joseph Bisignano Catholic Identity domain of Pathways Safe Environment Lessons and Fr. Thomas Byrnes to Excellence II continue to be anti‑bullying curriculum have all been implemented, specifically in the uploaded to the superintendent’s Deacon Robert Gontcharuk area of the chaplaincy program. This website. These resources are now Msgr. Thomas Kelly initiative serves the needs of numerous available for all schools. regional schools by providing priests to Fr. Robert McKeon enhance pastoral services. In order to give our younger students Fr. Joseph McLafferty a better understanding of their Fr. Michael McLoughlin A meeting with the Priest’s Advisory catholic identity and strengthen their Council held in October featured relationship with Jesus Christ, Religion Rev. Brian McWeeney discussion centered on Catholic Pacing Guides have been updated Fr. Stephen Norton identity within the schools and ways of to include Kindergarten, as well as inviting/welcoming priests and pastors grades 1 and 2. into our buildings. BI ANNUAL PRINCIPALS MEETING CATECHIST CERTIFICATION 2017–2018 Principals/Teachers Completing Level 1 Catechist Certification: 1,333 Principals/Teachers Completing Level 2 Catechist Certification: 1,185 Msgr. Edmund Whalen delivers the profound Honoring Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union keynote address, “Christ the Teacher” for 163 years of service to the Archdiocese of New York FOLLOW US FOR IMPORTANT UPDATES ON OUR SCHOOLS @CatholicSchoolsArchdioceseNewYork @nycatholicschools @ArchNY_Schools @DrTimothyMcNiff 4 CATHOLICSCHOOLSNY.ORG.