St. Paul is in the News

Follow this link to an article in this week's Michigan Catholic about our blanket project.
http://www.aodonline.org/AODOnline/News+++Publications+2203/Michigan+Catholic+News+12203/2008+15937/080829Love.htm

Have a blessed and safe Labor Day weekend - I'll see everyone on Tuesday!

Teachers are Learners, too

On Wednesday, the teachers spent the day learning to work with our new "Edline" service, which will provide parents with high-quality information about their children's progress in school through bi-weekly progress reports. Edline will also allow us to post homework on a master calendar, and provide much more information to our parents. We're excited about learning this new program! We also learned how to use the updated version of our grading software, GradeQuick Web. The teachers were pleased to know that they can now easily record grades at home, or anywhere else they have an Internet connection.

We're ready to go for the first day of school!

Come Garden!

To help maintain our beautiful grounds and to get ready for the opening weekend of St. Paul’s 175th anniversary, we are looking for Parishioners to help do some fall clean up around the church and the school on Saturday September 06, 2008 after the 8:15 A.M. Mass.

It would be a great help if you could bring your own gardening tools. If anyone is thinning out their hostas or ferns we would be glad to take them. We have some areas around the church and school where we could use them to fill in some bare spots.

After the clean up join us for coffee and donuts.

Contact David M Calcaterra 313-882-7195

St. Paul Students on Summer Vacation

How many of you have ever unexpectedly run into a colleague or neighbor or fellow student while you were on vacation, far from home? Wasn't it a pleasant surprise? Two of our little girls (preschool classmates) had that experience this summer, while traveling to Mackinac. They ran into each other on the street, and posed for this absolutely darling photo! (Don't you love the curls???)

Teachers' Blogs

As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, five of our teachers received a grant to participate in the "Michigan Tech Champions" project. As part of that project, the teachers will be incorporating blogs, wikis, and podcasts into their classrooms. As they are created, I will be including information on my blog about their projects. The first link is posted in the right sidebar: you'll find the link to Mrs. Shaum's Writing Blog for the 6th graders. I'd encourage you to take a look at her blog, and at the high quality of writing exhibited by her students from previous years. I know this year's class will be even better!

Beginning of the Year Staff Retreat

Yesterday over 50 St. Paul parish, school, and Religious Education staff met at the beautiful Capuchin Retreat Center in Washington Michigan for a day of prayer and reflection as we begin this new school year. Sr. Mary Finn, hvm, a professor from Sacred Heart Major Seminary, was our retreat leader as we focused on the ministry of St. Paul as teacher and disciple. Our reflection focused on seeing the good in others, and seeing in others what they do not see in themselves. The weather was perfect, the setting unbelievably peaceful and serene, and I know that all of us are coming back to St. Paul renewed in spirit!

Catholic Blogs

I started using Google Reader several months ago to track some blogs that I find interesting, and one of them is the very popular Whispers in the Loggia - a blog devoted to Catholic news and information. I highly recommend this blog for excellent information about timely topics. This morning's posting addresses the recent Meet the Press interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Tom Brokaw regarding Catholic teaching on abortion. You'll find the full text of the interview, along with responses from the USCCB.

First Day of School - for the Teachers

Today the faculty and staff came together for our first in-service of the 2008-2009 school year. It's always a great time - a time to reconnect after 3 months apart, to catch up with old friends and to meet new ones. In this first picture, Msgr. Halfpenny chats with Mrs. McShane prior to our opening prayer service.

Five of our teachers were chosen for the Michigan "Tech Champions" project, and spent two days this summer in meetings to learn how to integrate technology effectively into the classrooms. The grant for the project includes consultant support, so we will have a technology consultant working with our teachers on projects this year. Our Tech Champions team included, from left to right, Angela Biske, Carrie Morris, Beth Shaum, Kristen Wojcik, and Kirsten LeBlanc. These dedicated teachers learned about using blogs, podcasts, wikis, and more to integrate technology fully into classroom teaching.

Last, but certainly not least, we welcomed three new teachers to our St. Paul community. Pictured below, they are (from left to right): Ms. Maureen Murphy, our new fourth grade teacher, Ms. Marietta Leon, our new third grade teacher, and Ms. Stephanie Ring, our new Music teacher. All three are graduates of Michigan State University's College of Education, with its year-long graduate student teaching program.


Today was also our Mentor/New Family Reception. A big thank you to Mrs. McShane and Mrs. Skowronski for all their efforts to match up new families with our volunteer mentor families. I know all of the families greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet a friendly face and a listening ear, and to tour the school. As a reminder, class lists will be available on Wednesday at noon (because tomorrow - Tuesday - all of the faculty and staff will be on retreat at the Capuchin Retreat Center in Washington, Michigan). Please pray for the success of our retreat!

Welcome to 08-09 School Year

It's hard to believe, but summer is winding down, and the 2008-2009 school year is about to begin. Tomorrow, the teachers gather for the first of three days of prayer, in-service, fellowship, and business meetings. We have lots to do! Our first order of business is to pray together, and to welcome each other back from a lovely summer vacation. We'll welcome our three new staff members (more about them tomorrow), and then begin to take care of all the "nuts and bolts" that need to be managed to start a school year.

I hope that everyone has had a safe, relaxing summer vacation, and that you're looking forward to the start of a new school year. I know I am! I'll share a couple of pictures with you from my summer - they're from my daughter's bridal shower, a lovely garden party (I'll be the mother of the bride in October).

Julie is in pink, and her younger sister Megan is in black/white.

Celebrate Service

This year's theme for Catholic schools across the nation is "Celebrate Service." Our families at St. Paul certainly exemplify this theme! On Saturday, August 17, Fr. Muma (our new associate pastor) learned of the death of his brother in Cameroon. Although Fr. Muma is not able to travel home for the funeral, he needed 50 blankets to send to Cameroon for all of the visitors who will arrive for the three days of the funeral. Sarah Blake (a St. Paul grad) offered to make the blankets - but time was short. I sent out an email blast to all of our families, and on Friday morning more than 50 St. Paul moms and students showed up to help make the blankets. Our local JoAnn Fabrics store provided a 40% discount on the fleece they needed, and within 90 minutes they had created the blankets.
Please join us Thursday evening, August 28, at 7 p.m. for a Memorial Mass honoring the life of Fr. Muma's brother.