'Welcome back!' to a new school year
Monday, August 29, 2011
Kim Pryzbylski
“Welcome Back!” is the phrase that was repeated thousands of times this past week as the new school year began. Pastors, principals, teachers and support staff all welcomed students and parents to another year of Catholic education. Indeed, the Archdiocese of Miami Catholic school community welcomed over 33,000 students this past week.
Catholic schools have the unique opportunity to partner with parents, the primary educators of their children. Together we — pastors, administrators, and teachers — seek daily to support parents and to infuse Catholic and Gospel values into the teaching and learning process. All of us are committed to ensuring that our schools are authentically Catholic. This is carried out through:
- the teaching of religion and Gospel values at all grade levels;
- prayer and worship opportunities on a regular basis;
- visual images of our Catholic faith throughout the building;
- providing opportunities for Community Service Learning Programs;
- building community among students, faculty, administration, and parents.
Extensive research over many years has shown that parents choose Catholic schools for the education of their children for one or more of the following reasons:
- religious values;
- academic quality;
- structure, safety, and discipline.
We in the Archdiocese of Miami are committed to ensuring the best of all the above for our students and their families.
As your new Senior Director of Faith Formation/Superintendent of Schools, I have heard wonderful comments about our supportive pastors, talented administrators and caring and professional teachers in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties. I look forward to working with all of you in the months ahead.
Please be assured that I am committed to both high quality Catholic schools and effective catechetical programs. Having served as a Catholic school teacher in five dioceses, principal, assistant superintendent, and then superintendent in the Dioceses of Gary, Ind., and Monterey, Calif., I have been blessed to work with individuals who consistently seek to “Teach as Jesus Did.”
The Department of Faith Formation includes:
- Office of Adult Formation/Lay Ministry: Cheryl Whapham, director, Rogelio Zelada, and Fior Ramirez
- Office of Catechesis: Jahaira Hidalgo
- Office of Catholic Schools: Kristen Hughes, associate superintendent, Adina Victor, Hope Sadowski, Domenick Russo, Angela Russo.
- Joining the Department of Faith Formation are Dr. Donald Edwards, associate superintendent of Schools, and Peter Ductram, director of Catechesis.
All of us look forward to meeting and working with you for the benefit of our students.
I would love to hear from you on how your Catholic school or faith formation program influenced you in choosing the education for your children.
I would love to hear from you on how your Catholic school or faith formation program influenced you in choosing the education for your children.
Comments from readers
Welcome to the Archdiocese of Miami!
After 42 years in the Archdiocese of Miami Catholic Schools, I can only compliment the wonderful opportunities that our students received to better themselves. I have seen the big heart of so many individuals that have strived very heart to teach the faith first as well as academics and discipline. I think we all pride on the sucess of our students in all walks of life and we rejoice and look back and say, he/she is one of ours.
As we begin a new school year, let us ask the good Lord to bless our students, their parents and all of us who are so committed and believe in the value of Catholic education.
May the Lord bless your future endeavors and all of ours.
In faith, hope and charity,
Carlota E. Morales, Ed. D.
Principal
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School