From the Superintendent's Desk From the Superintendent's ... - Igenti

January 2013
From the Superintendent’s Desk
Mr. Henry Forer
Secretary for Faith Formaon/
Superintendent of Catholic Schools
May the Peace of Christ be with You!
I pray that you had a resul and blessed Christmas season. As we move into the new calendar
year, let us be mindful of the students, families and fellow educators in Conneccut. It is at
mes like these where our faith and prayers are crical to the healing process and provide
stability through the storm. The safety of our students and staff is of utmost importance. This tragedy has caused
our naon to pause and ask many quesons related to mental health care, gun control, the absence of prayer in
our schools, arming principals with guns, school building safety and many other topics. It is impossible to plan for
every possible situaon; however we must be aware of what our response will be in the event of a crisis. All
school communies in the Diocese have been instructed to review site‐based emergency management plans with
their local police/sheriff’s office and walk the campus with their local law enforcement. Schools are to begin
quarterly lockdown drills and review plans annually. The Diocese, in partnership with St. James Cathedral School,
Bishop Moore Catholic High School, Federal Bureau of Invesgaon, Orlando Police Department, and Orange
County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an awareness and mock shooter workshop on February 15, 2013. All of
our efforts are to be proacve in keeping our communies safe and strengthen the good plans that are already in
place.
As we start a new calendar year, people make New Year resoluons. I would ask that you make a New Year
resoluon that is kept! Resolve this year to strengthen and deepen your relaonship with Christ. It is through this
relaonship built on love that our world will be transformed. This past weekend we celebrated the Feast of the
Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the revelaon of God to humankind. This is the tradional celebraon of
the day the Wise Men brought gis to the baby Jesus. The enre Christmas season from December 25 th through
January 6 th is filled with symbols of giving gis to others as an act of love. God gave us the ulmate gi in His son,
Jesus, who inmately connected humanity to the Divine. We are now called to give God the most precious gi we
have in return, the gi of ourselves. It is through that deep, inmate relaonship with Jesus and surrendering to
God’s love for us that we in return give our gi. So, as we move into this new year, please be resolved to give God
your gi each day and be the example you should be for your students.

Mr. James Cooney
Associate
Superintendent
Jim & Joe’s
Accreditation
Corner
Dr. Joseph Belinski
Director of School
Planning
It’s hard to believe that Advent is over, the celebraon of Christmas is behind us, and our students are beginning the second
semester of the 2012‐2013 school year! We hope that everyone had a resul and peace‐filled holiday.
The accreditaon acvity now begins for our schools hosng on‐site Visitaons by the Florida Catholic Conference and the
Southern Associaon of Colleges and Schools (AdvancEd) during the spring. There are four elementary schools scheduled for
Visitaons by the Florida Catholic Conference as follows:
St. Joseph Catholic School, Palm Bay
Ascension Catholic School, Melbourne
February 25, 26, 27, 2013 April 10, 11, 12, 2013
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Melbourne St. Margaret Mary Catholic School, Winter Park
April 16, 17, 18, 2013 April 22, 23, 24, 2013
Santa Fe Catholic High School in Lakeland is scheduled for a Visitaon by a Quality Assurance Review Team of the Southern
Associaon of Colleges and Schools (AdvancEd) on March 21, 22, 2013.
In addion to these on‐site Visitaons, Holy Family and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Schools will conduct Third Year Review
presentaons for Mrs. Mary Camp, Associate Director for Accreditaon for the Florida Catholic Conference, on March 15,
2013. The Third Year Review occurs three years aer the last Florida Catholic Conference on‐site Visitaon, and is considered
to be a mid‐cycle update of the school’s progress with the implementaon of its School Improvement Plan.
Best wishes to these schools as they maintain their momentum of connuous school improvement through the accreditaon
process.
Januar Birhdays
Happy Birthday and may God
bless you with many more!
Mr. Ron Gagnon
Divine Mercy Catholic Academy
Mrs. Maura Cox
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School
Click here for
SAINTS OF THE MONTH
Mr. Mr. Matt Franzino
Santa Fe Catholic High School

Dr. Jacquelyn Flanigan
Associate Superintendent
Blessings for a happy, healthy and producve 2013!
At our November regional professional development days, teachers were provided the opportunity to work collaboravely
with their colleagues to refine their September unit plan or to develop a new plan. At each regional locaon, I was astounded
by the energy and the level of creavity I saw. The process was quite interesng to watch: the day typically began with a
degree of uncertainty and reluctance but by mid‐morning, the level of energy was palpable! Many, many groups worked
through lunch and at EVERY locaon, groups of teachers completed mulple units. At the Administrator’s day, Peg Portscheller
guided our administrators through the same process, encouraging a full understanding of what teachers were being asked to
do.
The next step on our journey involves Reflecve Pracce:
“Defining Reflecve Pracce
Reflecve pracce, while oen confused with reflecon, is neither a solitary nor a relaxed meditave process. To the
contrary, reflecve pracce is a challenging, demanding, and oen trying process that is most successful as a
collaborave effort. Although the term reflecve pracce is interpreted and understood in different ways, within our
discussion, reflecve pracce is viewed as a means by which praconers can develop a greater level of self‐awareness
about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunies for professional growth
and development.”
from Reflecve Pracce for Educators: Improving Schooling through Professional Development Sage Publicaons,
By now, teachers have had the opportunity to implement those unit plans; likewise, administrators should have had the
opportunity to walk‐through as these plans went into acon. We are now ready to examine, evaluate and reflect on how the
learning objecves were met. In February, we will review effecve strategies that define what a Common Core classroom
“looks like/sounds like.” As part of reflecve pracce, we will discuss what strategies worked and which ones were not as
effecve.
Addionally, as you recall, teachers were asked to provide 1‐3 samples of student work from the unit. When we reconvene in
February, we will work in groups to reflect on student work as part of our focus on assessment. Bear in mind that you may
have already graded this work – that’s perfectly okay! Remember: our goal is not to crique or evaluate a teacher’s pracce or
assessment strategies; rather, to engage in collegial “reflecve pracce” for it is in that reflecon that we become more
effecve.
Professional Development Opportunities
EdWeb.net is offering a FREE webinar, “Common Core Implementation: Tools and Tips” on Thursday, January
17, at 5:00 p.m. For more information, please go to: http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/
RegEv.aspxPIID=EB54D689864F
Please see the attachment regarding limited enrollment for a FREE workshop: “Common Core State Standards:
Making a Successful Transition” to be held Tuesday, January 22, in Land O Lakes, Pasco County. Deadline to
register is January 15. This workshop is offered by The Master Teacher.
EdWeb.net is also offering a webinar for elementary principals for the transition to Common Core Math. We will
be making this transition in the fall, adding Mathematics to English Language Arts. You may wish to consider this
FREE webinar to be held from 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30, for support in this transition. For
more information, go to: http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspxPIID=EB55DB818546

END‐OF‐COURSE EXAM UPDATE!
The Office of Catholic Schools has been in communicaon with James Herzog of the Florida Catholic Conference
regarding the issues reported by several principals about End‐of‐Course exams. These exams are required for
students to earn public high school credit in a certain course, parcularly, Algebra I.
Recently, the School Choice Office sent a memo to private schools regarding the applicaon to administer the EOC
and/or FCAT to non‐public schools with students enrolled that receive a Florida Tax‐Credit Scholarship. This new
legislaon carries a contractual cap of 50 private schools that will be allowed to administer these exams. This cap
is statewide.
We recently received the following update:
“…there is no current opportunity to offer the EOCs at private school campuses during the current school
year. [Parents of] Eighth graders who know they will be transioning from private schools to public high
schools can alert the districts and sign up for June or July “makeup” EOC assessments. And as things
stand for 2013‐2014, 50 private schools can offer EOCs under the new State law.”
Consider the following regarding your 8 th grade students presently taking Algebra I who plan to aend a public
high school:
Find out from your local LEA when the June or July “make‐up” EOC exam will be administered. Private school
students are able to take this exam at this me; however, the parents must be made aware that this situaon
exists and sign their student up by the established deadlines.
If the student does not take and or pass the EOC exam, he/she will not receive high school credit for having
taken Algebra I. Although that student may be placed in the next level math class (i.e. Algebra II or
Geometry), be advised that Florida public high schools students must have Algebra I credit on the transcript in
order to meet graduaon requirements. Without passing the EOC exam, the student will not receive this
credit.
Our schools have no ability to monitor, screen, sign‐up or enroll students for the exam. We are not made
aware of locaons, mes or deadlines as this is strictly a public school opon. Therefore, this is a parent
responsibility. However, it is important that our schools are informed so that we can best serve the needs of
our students.
Should you have any quesons, please contact the Office of Schools. The FCC connues to work toward a more
equitable policy.
Important opportunity for
2013 NCEA Teaching Exceptional
Learners Conference
Title II funds can be used for this event.
Please click here for more information!

Margie’s Technology Tips
Margie Aguilar
Director of Instruconal Technology
Creave Website for the Classroom
A skill that is taught by teachers since a very young age is organizaon. LiveBinders
can help teachers and students with organizaonal skills. Simply put, Livebinders is a
web‐based 3‐ring binder. There are many reasons why this is such a handy tool for
teachers and students, but the basic uses are: collect and control resources, organize links, pdf's, and other documents
neatly and easily; share documents with others and using them for presentaons; collect binders that others have
created; and share your work with other for collaboraon. Best of all, it's FREE to register and get started! Students can
use binders as digital porolios where they can organize and store their documents, pdf’s, web links, PowerPoints, and
any others web content they find online. Teachers can collect and organize web links and documents for students to use
during any lesson so that students could work independently. Also, groups or enre classes could use a LiveBinder to
collaborate on any number of projects. To start using this awesome website visit hp://www.livebinders.com/ .
APP of the Month
Project Noah was created to provide people of all ages with a simple, easy‐to‐use way to share their
experiences with wildlife. By encouraging students to share their observaons and contribute to Project Noah
missions, teachers not only help students to reconnect with nature, but provide them with real opportunies
to make a difference. Hundreds of educators are using Project Noah right now to help solve real‐world
problems and achieve key learning objecves. It is very simple and free. Teachers go to hp://www.projectnoah.org/
educaon and sign up, aer they register then they set up the classroom. To download the app, go to iTunes at hps://
itunes.apple.com/us/app/project‐noah/id417339475mt=8 .
Resources for
T W P C U
and throughout the Year
Please click on the dates below to view the
Office of Faith Formaon’s eBullen
December 26, 2012
January 2, 2013
January 9, 2013
2013
What does God require of us
(cf. Micah 6:6-8)
Please click here

Mr. Jon Arguello
Director of Markeng
Economies of scale, strategies that work and efforts that are compounded
I’d like to tell you all a story about my friend Salvatore Guinta. Sal and I served in the 173 rd Airborne Brigade in Afghanistan in
2005‐2006. While we were there we both earned combat badges and service awards. We both spent many nights in the
mountains of Afghanistan and both drank our share of Afghan tea. However Sal also picked up a memento of the war that I did
not—the Medal of Honor—the first living recipient of a Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.
Now while we wore the same uniform, Sal was a team leader in an infantry platoon and I was a photojournalist. I could charge
up a hill if I had too, but I would never be able to strike the fear in the hearts of the Taliban while charging up a hill the way Sal
did. In fact, very few people on the planet could. The strength of the United States Army isn’t one Salvatore Guinta, it’s
thousands of soldiers wearing the same uniform trained to the highest standards that make up the greatest army in history. I’ll
get back to that in a minute.
As I’ve visited schools across our Diocese, I have begun to grasp exactly how wonderful a job I really have. Essenally I’ve been
tasked with bringing the great things we are doing across 37 schools to light. Believe me when I say it’s a lot of work. The schools
I have visited have been amazing and I am filled with pride at the opportunity to highlight your achievements.
In years past, these achievements may not have been needed to be publicized in order to create demand for the schools. A
school didn’t really need a markeng plan. The value of a Catholic school educaon had a solid presence in society. Today, let’s
just say there is no point in arguing against three things: history, reality and me.
The first point of my army story was to express to you that as hard‐working and commied as administrators, teachers and
faculty are, they can’t do everything and much less can they do everything alone. We can’t all be Sal Guintas. Because of that, it’s
almost unfair to ask principals or their staff to perform the research, develop the materials, seek the vendors and come up with a
markeng plan that has the strategic foundaon to keep their schools filled with young minds and hearts to educate.
The second point is that, like the army, one of our compeve advantages is our collecve strength. Because many of the needs
across the Diocese are shared among the many schools, we need to take advantage of economies of scale. Because our budgets
are not like those of other organizaons, we can’t pay adversing firms to implement huge campaigns—most of the me we
can’t even have them do our logos. This leads to band‐aid adversing and markeng. Each school spends markeng dollars to
plug the hole in the dam as is needed and in the cheapest way possible. That is not working well across the Diocese.
I have been working to provide all the schools with a low‐cost, professional soluon that will work with your budgets and
provide the customer service our schools need. It is not free and there are financial commitments, but I can guarantee you that it
will be worth every penny. Lile Bobby’s aunt’s friend who works at Starbuck’s but has an arsc mind, is not enough to create
the professional identy we need to market our schools effecvely today.
By taking advantage of our collecve purchasing power and implemenng a more solid Diocesan markeng plan, we compound
the effect of our efforts. Not everyone can be a Sal Guinta, but together we can more effecvely reach our Diocesan audience
and keep each of our individual schools full while fulfilling our mission of educang our children and teaching God’s word to
future generaons.

Phyllis Mann
Administrave Assistant to the Superintendent
Cerficaon Corner
A few reminders about Master Inservice Program (MIP) points –
If you are new to the Diocese of Orlando and have Master Inservice Program points earned in a public district in the State of Florida (or a
school belonging to the Florida Council of Independent Schools [FCIS]) and are renewing your cerficate in 2013, you should contact your
public district now asking them to transfer your MIP points to me at the Diocese of Orlando. Once your points are in house, they can be
combined with the points earned in the Diocese, verified by Mr. Forer, our Superintendent, and sent to the FDOE as valid points towards
your renewal. Now is the me to make your call and have your points transferred for renewal purposes.
Although your cerficate may say it is valid from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2013, the FDOE will not accept MIP points that were earned prior to
the issuance of your cerficate. For example, your cerficate may have an issue date of October 12, 2008 so only points earned from that
date forward can be counted towards your renewal. Please be aware that this could be an issue for some if you were counng everything
earned from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2013 and had no extra points for wiggle room. Again, if you have quesons, please contact me by email
or phone for your MIP point status. Word on the street is that on‐line recerficaon is really easy and fast!
When you are calculang your MIP point totals, a good rule of thumb is that a one‐day workshop is worth 5 or 6 points per day depending on
how you complete the Individual Inservice Aendance Log (Form 3B). Your hours are counted as you list the mes you aended each
workshop acvity. If you receive a cerficate from the workshop lisng the number of hours of credit, then we honor that number even if it
is more than the daily rate of 5 or 6 hours. Without the cerficate, we have to be guided by what you list as acvity hours.
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas break and I look forward to working with you this New Year 2013!
ASCENSION TEACHERS HONORED FOR CARE OF EARTH
by LINDA CALDWELL
of the Florida Catholic staff
Students at Ascension Catholic School are geng tough on trash. Recognizing the need to reduce, recycle and reuse, the
students spent Earth Week this past April cung back on the amount of trash they generated. During that one week they
reduced their waste from 10 garbage bags down to just 2.5 bags.
Kae Aquila and Mary Conners, pre‐school teachers spearheaded the Earth Week efforts and a number of other school‐wide
projects and their efforts to save the planet garnered them the 2012 St. Francis Care for Creaon Award presented by the
Naonal Council of Catholic Women.
On Dec. 19, Henry Forer, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Orlando, presented the school with a plaque
and banner commemorang the honor before an all‐school Mass. The St. Francis Care for Creaon Award strives to
recognize Catholic schools that demonstrate exceponal commitment to reducing the impact of climate change through
prayer, educaon and acon.
“Today we are celebrang the good things that you are doing at Ascension Catholic School,” Forer said to the students. “We
are here to especially recognize two people and their efforts in helping you learn about God and God’s creaon.”
To conserve resources, the school also organized a “lights out day” in which the school operated wherever possible with the
lights off. The children also collected 6,473 plasc grocery bags during Recycle Day and held a backpack/blanket drive and
collected personal items for the needy.
“It is great to be recognized by a naonal organizaon for doing good for others because that is our mission at Ascension,”
said Doug Workman, Principal. “Academics are wonderful. All of our spiritual works are wonderful, but service to other
people is what the Catholic Church is all about. We are very proud that our teachers step up and take individual acon. If
everyone took one lile project, one lile corner of their world and took such an iniave, what a wonderful place the world
would be.”