Educating for Eternity

Dear Pastors of Our Catholic Schools,

I hope that you enjoyed the school Halloween and All Saints Day activities last week! I pray that our students look to the Saints as guides and teachers, reminding them that they, too, should pursue sainthood. Thank you for celebrating Mass with our school communities and inspiring them to become the Saints of tomorrow.

Our Annual Diocesan Speech Contest was Thursday, November 2nd at St. James Parish in Davis. This year's theme was based on the seven Catholic Social Teachings. Congratulations to the following winners!

First Place Winner from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School

Second Place Winner from Holy Trinity School

Third Place Winner from Holy Spirit School, Sacramento

Thank you for coming out to support our students at this fantastic event!

We are hosting an Advancement and Development Day with Partners in Mission on November 9th at Our Lady of the Assumption School. You are welcome to join us. Feel free to bring or send any parish committee members that may benefit from this workshop as well! Details are below.

As always, thank you for being our spiritual leaders, for guiding each of us to know and love Jesus Christ, and for building the future of our Catholic Church. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns, questions, or suggestions. May our good and gracious God bless you always!

Warm Regards,

Katie Perata, Ed.D.

Executive Director of Catholic Schools

Diocese of Sacramento

1. Our schools often are involved in service projects during this month of Thanksgiving. What are your students engaged in? Are there parish projects that our schools can assist with? Is there a partner project for the greater community perhaps?

2. Our 5th and 8th grade students completed the ACRE (see below for details). Please be sure your principal shares these results with you.

3. Our schools also continue to focus on the Eucharistic Revival. Schools would love ways to support the parish in their work this year around the Eucharistic Revival. How can our principals and schools support your work and the work of the parish?

• 11/09/23 Advancement and Development Workshop @ Our Lady of the Assumption, Carmichael 9:00 AM-3:00 PM (RSVP to Jhernandez@scd.org)

1. Collaborating with pastors to create intentional opportunities for families and students to experience the strategic pillars of the Eucharistic Revival.
2. Assemble a strategic planning committee, outline the process, and begin initial steps of creating a school strategic plan.

During October, all of our students in grades 5 and 8 completed the Assessment for Catholic Religious Education (ACRE.) The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) has offered assessment instruments designed to strengthen catechetical/religious education programs since the late 1970’s. The ACRE helps schools, parishes, and diocesan leaders evaluate the faith knowledge and attitudes of students in Catholic schools. The data the teachers and principals receive is used to help guide religion instruction, determine additional needed faith-based curriculum resources, and create specific opportunities for pastor involvement as we continue to form committed Christian disciples.

The ACRE is based on the Catholic Church’s expectations for an organic, systematic, and comprehensive education in Christian discipleship. The ACRE assesses both the head and the heart of our youth as it relates to Catholic faith and doctrine. All students in grades 5 and 8 in the Diocese of Sacramento will be taking this assessment. The ACRE has two parts:

■ The intellectual faith knowledge (cognitive domain)

■ Personal religious beliefs, attitudes, practices, and perceptions (affective domain)

These levels of assessment are based on the 5 Tasks of Catechesis and the 4 Pillars of the Catechism. Please be sure that your principal shares these reports with you!

Email: kperata@scd.org
Website: https://www.scd.org/schools
Location: 2011 Broadway, Sacramento, CA, USA
Phone: 916-733-0110