AUGUST 2020

VOL. 17 ISSUE VII 

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY AUGUST 2020 

$ 

3 

www.chaldeannews.com 

RAISING THE ROOF 

A NEW CCF CENTER OPENS 

INSIDE 

PREPARING KIDS 

FOR THE CLASSROOM 

DORM LIFE ADAPTS 

DEATH OF THE 

HANDSHAKE

2 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2020

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CONTENTS AUGUST 2020 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 12 ISSUE XII 

14 40 

departments 

6 FROM THE EDITOR 

BY PAUL JONNA 

Commitment 

18 

on the cover 

18 RAISING THE ROOF 

BY SARAH KITTLE 

A New CCF Center Opens 

features 

24 COVID SCHOOL YEAR 

BY CANDACE ABRO 

What grade school will look like in the fall 

26 BACK TO SCHOOL? 

BY PAUL NATINSKY 

Colleges and universities share plans 

for returning to the classroom 

28 NEW DORM LIFE 

BY LISA CIPRIANO 

Social distancing on campus 

special section 

30 OUR ANNUAL SCHOOL GUIDE 

6 YOUR LETTERS 

8 FOUNDATION UPDATE 

10 NOTEWORTHY 

Historic $3 Million Fine Against 

Liquor Distributor 

11 CHALDEAN DIGEST 

12 FAMILY TIME 

BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER 

Preparing kids for the classroom 

14 RELIGION 

Becoming a Nun: Meet Sr. Amanda Foumia 

14 HALHOLE! 

16 OBITUARY 

Anahit Akrawi 

16 IN MEMORIAM 

20 CHALDEAN KIDS ON THE STREET 

What are you looking forward to when 

school returns? 

36 CHALDEANS AROUND THE WORLD 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD 

Chaldeans in Canada: The Pioneers 

38 DOCTOR IS IN 

BY NICHOLAS M. YELDO, MD 

Death of the handshake 

40 EVENTS 

Ordination 

17th Annual Chaldean Community 

Golf Outing 


from the EDITOR 

Commitment 

PAUL JONNA 

ACTING EDITOR 

IN CHIEF 

As we continue to 

restructure our 

lives with all the 

uncertainty during this pandemic, 

we are forced to reconcile 

our commitments, 

to our values, dreams, and 

convictions. Commitment 

requires a high level of dedication, 

especially when we 

are faced with challenges 

and failures. We must remind 

ourselves to view 

things not as they are, but rather 

what they could be, which will lead 

to it becoming what it should be. It 

requires a willingness to do whatever 

is needed to achieve the best possible 

outcome. 

This month’s issue is filled with 

stories of commitment. You cannot 

speak about commitment without 

mentioning our teachers and school 

administrators during this back to 

school edition. Candice Abro pens 

another informative article this 

month that provides how schools 

will attempt to continue through 

this pandemic. From the Archdiocese 

to public schools, each school 

has diligently worked to provide a 

safe environment in which children 

can thrive. While it remains uncertain 

how (or if) school will occur, 

the commitment of our teachers and 

school administrators is unwavering. 

We are fortunate to live in an area 

with amazing professionals that are 

committed to the mental wellness 

and scholastic growth of our children. 

While this will not 

be a typical school year, it 

provides a great real-life lesson 

to our children. Like us, 

our children will also have 

to commit to their growth 

regardless of the challenges. 

This is a historic month 

for the Chaldean Community 

Foundation as it opens 

the 19,000 sq. ft. expansion 

space to serve those with 

behavioral health challenges. 

The CCF’s commitment to this 

project has been steadfast as it continues 

to serve those with disabilities 

with a firm dedication to resolve clients’ 

underlying issues. It is this commitment 

to serving those who cannot 

serve themselves that is the most 

amazing. This expansion is more 

than a building; it is a commitment 

to the serve the community through 

advocacy, acculturation, community 

development and cultural preservation 

for decades to come. A lasting 

institution that represents the community, 

open to all regardless of race, 

religion, national origin or sexual 

orientation. I highly encourage each 

of you to visit the CCF, learn about 

the programs and get involved. Your 

commitment is needed and welcomed. 

This month also brings a true 

story of commitment with Sister 

Amanda’s journey to dedicate her 

life to serve God. Sister Amanda was 

gracious enough to share her journey 

in staying committed to her convictions. 

Her abundant joy in fulfilling 

her purpose shines through, and although 

the road to ecclesiastic service 

is not easy, it’s not about “giving 

Commitment requires a high level of 

dedication, especially when we are faced 

with challenges and failures. We must 

remind ourselves to view things not as they 

are, but rather what they could be, which will 

lead to it becoming what it should be. 

up” material things or a family, it’s 

about the treasure gained when one 

says, “yes!” to God. 

With Gratitude, 

Paul Jonna 

Acting Editor in Chief 

PUBLISHED BY 

Chaldean News, LLC 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

Martin Manna 

EDITORIAL 

ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Paul Jonna 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Sarah Kittle 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Candice Abro 

Danielle Alexander 

Lisa Cipriano 

Robert W. DeKelaita 

Sarah Kittle 

Adhid Miri 

Paul Natinsky 

Nicholas M. Yeldo, MD 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Carolin Hormis 

Alex Lumelsky 

Dany Ashaka with DMA Productions 

ART & PRODUCTION 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Tania Yatooma 

SALES 

Interlink Media 

Sana Navarrette 

Tania Yatooma 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 PER YEAR 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

Story ideas: edit@chaldeannews.com 

Advertisements: ads@chaldeannews.com 

Subscription and all other inquiries: 

info@chaldeannews.com 

Chaldean News 

30095 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 101 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334 

www.chaldeannews.com 

Phone: (248) 851-8600 

Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6); Published 

monthly; Issue Date: August 2020 Subscriptions: 

12 months, $35. 

Publication Address: 

30095 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 101, 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334; 

Permit to mail at periodicals postage rates 

is on file at Farmington Hills Post Office 

Postmaster: Send address changes to 

“The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern Hwy., 

Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334” 

your LETTERS 

Better Balance Is Needed 

Dear Editors, 

Similar to other Chaldeans, I 

have watched the several videos of 

white cops shooting blacks many of 

whom were un-armed. As an attorney, 

I have during my career came 

across incidents where law enforcement 

appeared to abuse their powers. 

I also recall conversations with fellow 

Chaldeans whose focus is that if the 

victim in those cases did not resist police, 

there might not have been any 

shooting. As a small community with 

many members engaged in the often 

dangerous retail store business, it is 

understandable that some of us would 

support law and order positions. 

But, I do think blaming the victim 

misses the point. While it is true that 

in some of those incidents, the victim 

did not behave in an optimal fashion: 

they resisted arrest, fought the police, or 

refused to cooperate, that behavior does 

not merit them getting killed. What often 

happens in those incidents is once 

the victim behavior falls below the ideal, 

the cops are too quick to draw their 

weapons, aim, and shoot to kill. It is as if 

once the black victim misbehave, they 

are de-humanized, with some of the 

police taking this as a license to leach 

utmost animosity towards the victim. 

Take the case of Rayshard Brooks. 

It was a mistake for him to sleep while 

drunk in front of the Wendy’s store 

or to resist arrest, to run and direct a 

Taser toward the police. He might 

have served a couple of years in jail for 

that, but he did not deserve to die for 

that mistake. The police in this case 

interviewed him for about 40 minutes, 

became aware of his address, where he 

works, and that he has no record. They 

knew he had kids and was out trying 

to buy food for his daughter. When 

they tried to handcuff him, he resisted, 

picked up the police Taser and fled. 

The police knew he was drunk and 

lacked judgment. They had his car to 

confiscate and could have arrested him 

easily later. They could even have shot 

at his legs when he flee, but not kill 

him. Yet, they shot three times, twice 

in the back aiming to kill. 

The job of a policeman in our democratic 

country is most difficult. They 

need to apply the law while doing 

their best to preserve the life, liberty 

and happiness of citizens. That balance 

had tilted very much into rush to 

enforcement mentality, at least in the 

incidents we witnessed. So that members 

of the police will always have the 

admiration of all the people, better balance 

needs to be restored. 

Sincerely, 

N. Peter Antone, Attorney and prior 

Professor of Law at MSU Law School 

We encourage letters to the editor from 

readers and subscribers. The opinions 

reflected in these letters are not ours, 

but rather the contributors’. 


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FOUNDATION update 

Chaldean Community Foundation 2020 Academic Scholarship Program 

The CCF’s 2020 Academic Scholarship 

Program will provide 15 scholarships 

to help students meet the escalating 

costs of education. 

w3r Consulting’s STEM Scholarship: 

Two $5,000 scholarships will 

be offered to current undergraduate 

Chaldean students at a Michigan college 

or university enrolled in a program 

in the fields of Science, Technology, 

Engineering or Mathematics. 

Yvonne E. Nona Women’s Scholarship 

Fund: Three $2,500 scholarships 

will be awarded to women pursuing 

higher education at a Michigan 

community college, trade school, 

university or graduate program. 

Open to current undergraduate or 

graduate students. 

Drs. Nathima and Peter Atchoo 

Family Foundation Scholarship Fund: 

Awards six $2,000 scholarships to 

Chaldean students looking to attend a 

Michigan community college, university 

or graduate program in preparation 

for a career in the field of their choice. 

Abdulkarim and Jamila Sesi Memorial 

Scholarship Fund: Awards 

four $2,500 scholarships to candidates 

pursuing higher education, 

including trade school certification 

courses, community college, university, 

and graduate studies. 

Students can apply by visiting 

chaldeanfoundation.org/scholarships-2. 

Candidates must submit all 

supporting documents with their application 

and essay questions. The 

application deadline is Friday, August 

14, 2020 at 5pm. 

Pictured left to right; Joelle 

Neal (CCF), Melanie Davis 

(City of Sterling Heights), 

Janan Arabo (CCF) 

Census 2020 

As a part of the City of Sterling 

Heights 2020 Census Campaign, the 

city recruited several census ambassadors 

to do things like hang door tag 

reminders and host education events 

throughout the city. However, with 

COVID-19 they were no longer able 

to engage in these activities. The 

Census Bureau provided an option 

to do a virtual phone bank to remind 

residents to complete their Census 

forms. Using a virtual phone bank, 

CCF team members made nearly 

1,800 phone calls to Sterling Heights 

households that have not filled out 

the Census. This resulted in the City 

of Sterling Heights blowing every 

other municipality participating in 

the phone bank out of the water. 

CCF team members were awarded 

a “Nice Neighbor Award” thanks to 

their efforts at the July 21 Sterling 

Heights City Council Meeting. 

Visit 2020census.gov to complete 

your Census, if you haven’t already. 

Wise Program 

The CCF’s most recent WISE program 

graduates enjoyed a day of celebration 

following completion of the course! 

The Wellness Initiative for Senior 

Education (WISE) Program is an evidence-based 

wellness program, which 

empowers older adults to make positive 

and healthy choices. The program 

sessions take place once a week for six 

weeks. Topics include medication use 

and misuse, stress management, the aging 

process, depression, alcoholism and 

prescription drug abuse. 

WISE graduates made the beautiful 

handmade card for the CCF 

team. “Take time to make your soul 

happy!” 

Now Hiring 

The Chaldean Community Foundation 

is seeking qualified candidates to 

fill the following positions: 

• Crisis Case Manager 

• Lead Behavioral Health Case Worker 

• Behavioral Health Therapist-LMSW 

• Lead Case Worker 

• Case Worker 

Visit https://www.chaldeanfoundation.org/careers/ 

to apply. 

Co.Act Detroit Award 

Co.act Detroit, a hub for accelerating 

collaborative action in Southeast 

Michigan’s nonprofit community, announced 

32 grants totaling $1.4 million 

to help regional organizations 

and collaboratives meet their missions 

and to work together on shared 

projects this week. We are happy to 

announce that the CCF was awarded 

$50,000 to continue our great work! 

Hey U Vote 

The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) launched the Hey U Vote campaign 

in 2017 to aid individuals with voter registration. You can register to vote 

at the CCF in their office daily. Call (586) 722-7253 Monday-Friday between 

8:30am-5:00pm for more information. 

Mango Languages 

Create your free profile today at 

https://mangolanguages.com/available-languages/learn-chaldean-aramaic/. 


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A TTORNEYS & C O UNSELORS AT LAW 


noteworthy 

Historic $3 Million Fine for 88 Violations 

Announced Against Liquor Distributor 

Attorney General Dana Nessel and Michigan 

Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) 

Chair Pat Gagliardi secured an unprecedented 

$3 million fine and independent audit 

against NWS Michigan LLC, one of the state’s authorized 

spirits distributors, for 88 violations of the 

Liquor Control Code. 

The violations by NWS Michigan LLC – 

which does business as Republic National Distributing 

Co. (RNDC) – contributed to liquor supply 

shortages throughout the state during the 2019 

holiday season. 

“I appreciate the work of my assistant attorneys 

general and the Michigan Liquor Control 

Commission in reaching this significant settlement, 

which should serve as a strong reminder of 

accountability in the state’s liquor inventory and 

delivery system,” Nessel said. “The State will not 

tolerate vendor mismanagement that results in financial 

hardship which impacts the livelihood of 

liquor retailers across Michigan.” 

The order approving the settlement was signed 

by MLCC Hearings Commissioner Ed Clemente 

Last year, distilled spirit sales in Michigan topped nearly 

$1.5 billion. 

and is believed to be unprecedented in the liquor 

regulatory industry. 

In the historic settlement, RNDC acknowledged 

all 88 violations of the Michigan Liquor 

Control Code that included failure to deliver liquor 

orders, failure to maintain an adequate physical 

plant, and failure to provide records requested by 

the MLCC. In addition to the $3 million fine, the 

order stipulates an independent audit of RNDC’s 

distributing business (with MLCC approving the 

auditor); places RNDC on probation for one year; 

and requires RNDC to submit monthly compliance 

reports to the MLCC during that time. 

“Distributors must abide by the rules or be subject 

to a fine,” said Gagliardi, who looks forward to 

a stronger liquor distribution system, and to a better 

and more productive relationship with RNDC. 

“I am deeply appreciative of the assistance from the 

Attorney General’s office and all of the hard work 

of the MLCC staff in negotiating this agreement.” 

RNDC’s logistical failures began in spring 2019 

and contributed to liquor shortages at Michigan 

liquor stores that extended through the 2019 holiday 

season. During that time the MLCC received 

hundreds of complaints from liquor retailers who 

could not obtain products from RNDC to stock 

their shelves. Retailers reported that RNDC delayed 

or missed deliveries completely, or did not 

deliver the products ordered. They also complained 

of RNDC’s lack of customer service, failure to return 

phone calls and of having to drive to RNDC’s 

warehouse to pick up their products. 

MICHELLE BRYANT ON PIXABAY 

We can’t help you 

edge your lawn. 

But we can help you 

buy a new home. 

BIRMINGHAM 


chaldean DIGEST 

What others are saying about Chaldeans 

Detroit’s Project Green Light Business Surveillance Program 

Sees Renewed Opposition 

Crainsdetroit.com/technology 

Project Green Light is a business 

surveillance program between the 

Detroit police and Detroit business 

owners. The business owners 

agree to have cameras installed 

(at their own expense) which are 

monitored at the police station. 

Green lights are lit outside the 

businesses’ establishment, sending 

a message to reassure customers 

and warn would-be criminals that 

the cops are watching. In a time of 

defunding, some are calling for an 

end to the program. 

The Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce has 

promoted Project Green Light, 

according to the Farmington 

Hills-based chamber’s president, 

Martin Manna. 

“We’ve seen a significant reduction 

in crime, improved response 

times from the DPD, more 

engagement from the community,” 

Manna said. He said many 

Mayor Mike Duggan speaks at an October 2016 Project Green Light event in 

Detroit. The real-time business surveillance program started in January 2016 with 

eight gas stations participating and has grown to around 700 participants, including 

other businesses and apartment buildings. 

businesses did find it cost-prohibitive 

in the beginning, and some 

still don’t participate for that reason. 

But he said he hears positive 

experiences from those that do. 

Manna added in a written 

statement: “While we are supportive 

of appropriate measures 

that keep our city, residents and 

business owners safe and secure, 

we do not in any way support racial 

profiling. All of us must work 

together as a community of one 

— to listen, learn, understand 

and find solutions and approaches 

that work for everyone.” 

THE DETROIT NEWS VIA FLICKR 

Catholic cathedral in Syria 

that survived missile attacks 

reopens after restoration 

Ankawa.com 

A Catholic cathedral that was repeatedly struck 

by missiles amid the Syrian civil war was due to 

reopen Monday following its restoration. The 

Maronite Cathedral of St. Elijah in Aleppo was 

bombarded with missiles on at least three occasions 

between 2012 and 2016, and suffered 

extensive damage when jihadists entered the 

Christian quarter of Al-Jdayde in 2013. 

The restoration was financed largely by the 

foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). 

Thomas Heine-Geldern, executive president of 

ACN International, described the reopening as a 

miracle. Explaining that he was unable to attend 

the reopening due to the coronavirus pandemic, 

Chaldean Patriarch: The Expulsion of Iraqis carried out by the 

USA is “Inhuman and Immoral” 

Agenzia Fides 

The Chaldean Patriarchate, 

led by Patriarch Louis Raphael 

Sako, is following with concern 

the story of Iraqis who have been 

residents of the United States 

of America for a long time and 

are now being sent back to their 

home country because they 

have not yet obtained the necessary 

documents to obtain US 

citizenship, or because accused 

of committing crimes. 

In a statement released on 

Monday, July 20, the Chaldean 

Patriarchate defined this measure 

ordered by the US Administration 

as a form of “inhuman 

and immoral” deportation, because 

it affects people residing in 

the USA for many years, sometimes 

forced to separate from 

their family or bring children 

born in America to Iraq who do 

not speak Arabic, thus exposing 

the whole family to the risk of 

Protesters in the U.S. speaking out against the deportation of Iraqi Christians. 

social isolation and the lack of 

work and livelihoods. The patriarchal 

pronouncement, released 

through the official channels 

of the Chaldean Patriarchate, 

hopes for a rethinking by the 

US Administration, and protects 

the rights and family peace 

of potential Iraqi victims of expulsion. 

On Thursday, July 2, the 

United States Supreme Court 

did not accept the request made 

by a large group of Iraqis to urge 

the blocking of the provisions of 

expulsion and forced return to 

Iraq issued against them by the 

US judicial systems. It involves 

about 1,400 Iraqis residing in 

the United States. 

The restored Maronite Cathedral of St. Elijah in Aleppo, 

Syria. (Aid to the Church in Need via CNA) 

he said: “ACN has been with you throughout 

the most difficult times, and it would have been 

wonderful if we had been able to celebrate together 

today. Sadly, the circumstances do not 

permit this; however, we see the Cathedral of St. 

Elijah and it is a miracle.” 

ACN estimates that only 30,000 Christians 

remain in the city, compared to a pre-war population 

of 180,000. Aleppo was Syria’s most populous 

city before the war, but now is the second 

largest after the capital, Damascus. 

The domed Cathedral of St. Elijah with its 

distinctive twin bell towers was built in 1873, on 

the site of a small 15th-century church. Archbishop 

Joseph Tobij of Aleppo said that the cathedral’s 

restoration had both a symbolic and 

practical significance. “In the symbolic sense, it 

is a message to the parishioners and Christians 

in Aleppo and the world that we are still in this 

country despite our dwindling numbers; the restoration 

of the cathedral is proof of this. Mouths 

must continue to praise God in this place despite 

all the difficulties.” 


FAMILY time 

Preparing Kids 

for the Classroom 

BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER 

School supplies have officially 

taken over the back corner of 

Target again, but unlike most 

school years, checking off supply 

items is not the major back-to-school 

concern. Whether you have little 

ones like me or are sending your big 

babies back to school this fall, we 

have no choice but to prepare them 

for what will inevitably be a very different 

academic year. 

My husband and I made the decision 

early-on to be open yet also 

reassuring concerning the 

pandemic with our children, 

doing our best not to instill 

fear. We work together to 

help our kids understand both 

why they need to do their part 

to help prevent the spread of 

Covid-19 and what these efforts 

should look like once 

school starts. 

Social Distancing 

With “social distancing” being 

a new term to all of us this 

spring, we decided to lean on good 

‘ol Google for help in explaining it 

to our young ones. Our son (almost 

3) really got a kick out of not only 

watching Grover from Sesame Street 

(“Grover and Social Distancing” 

on YouTube) show him the “good” 

of being far away and “bad” of being 

too close to someone but also 

testing it out himself. While out in 

public, we remind him to be “good 

like Grover” and maintain space to 

practice for preschool. My daughter 

(5), who does understand the concept 

of viruses and germs, enjoyed 

another YouTube video by Cincinnati 

Children’s Hospital Medical 

Center titled “What is Social Distancing?” 

that provides catchy visuals 

and examples to emphasize the 

idea that those who socially distance 

are heroes. When we discuss school, 

we talk to her about how she should 

continue being a “hero” whenever 

possible. 

For older elementary-aged children, 

KinderCare.com suggests 

adults prepare students by using a 

six-foot-long piece of ribbon or string 

and place it on the floor so kids can 

learn how far six feet is. Next, the 

educational program company suggests 

removing the ribbon or string 

and have each family member guess 

how long six feet is. The closest guess 

is the winner (perhaps receiving a 

new, fun mask as a prize!), and the 

idea that this is the distance children 

should keep between others at school 

when possibly should be emphasized. 

Another suggestion of theirs 

is to have kids cut out people from 

magazines and draw a scene (maybe 

a classroom, school hallway or playground!) 

on a piece of paper. Glue or 

tape the people into positions in the 

scene that keep them as far apart as 

possible to signify social distancing. 

Middle schoolers and up should 

be able to understand the concepts of 

flattening the curve and raising the 

line, and there are plenty of resources 

out there to help. One, in particular, 

I found useful for this age group was a 

YouTube video by Lifebridge Health in 

Maryland titled “Beating Coronavirus: 

Flattening the Curve, Raising the 

Line.” Once children and teenagers 

seem to be getting a handle on what 

social distancing is, as well as the importance 

of it, it is not a bad idea to discuss 

how lunch time, recess and afterschool 

care/activities should look if the 

goal is to maintain as much distance 

from others as possible. I keep reiterating 

to my children that now is not the 

time to share food or beverages– even 

with their cousins or besties! 

Mask Wearing 

Although maintaining six feet of 

distance from others is the ideal scenario, 

it certainly won’t be the case 

all the time, especially on the bus or 

while carpooling to and from school. 

And that’s where wearing 

masks come into play. 

Our pediatrician from 

University of Michigan (U 

of M) Hospital suggested we 

have our kids practice wearing 

masks as much as possible even at 

home, so it’s not new, uncomfortable 

or scary once school begins. I found 

these other five tips for helping kids 

(over the age of two) wear masks by U 

of M helpful, as well: 

• Let them pick it out: Allow kids 

to choose their color, fabric or decorations 

for their mask. 

• Teach children how to wear it 

properly: Children should cover the 

nose, chin and mouth fully, and, if 

using cloth masks, they should wash 

them after every use. 

• Be a mask role model: Wear 

your mask and continue emphasizing 

how it keeps both you and others safe. 

• Make play masks for stuffed animals 

or dolls: Help children, using 

materials around the house, create 

masks for their special toys. 

• Follow a plan and offer rewards: 

Find what motivates your child, and 

set fun goals or small rewards if needed. 

Hand Washing 

One of the best ways to prevent the 

spread of germs is washing hands; 

however, handwashing is definitely 

not something that comes naturally 

to children (and, if I’m being honest 

here, even some adults), so it needs 

to not only be taught but also occasionally 

revisited. Knowing this, to 

practice for the school year, I printed 

out a handwashing visual from the 

World Health Organization, discussed 

it with our kids and hung it up 

in each bathroom as a reminder. Funcolored 

soap and silly hand washing 

songs certainly help! 

Cough and Sneeze Covering 

As we’ve all heard, Covid-19 spreads 

mainly from person to person, typically 

through respiratory droplets 

from talking, as well as coughing and 

sneezing. To provide a visual for our 

kids, my husband and I used BoogieWipes.com’s 

Coughing and Sneezing 

Activity where we took the kids 

outside, put some flour in their hands 

and had them fake cough and sneeze 

to see how far the flour travelled. We 

told them that germs do the same 

thing, but they’re invisible. We then 

discussed why elbows are better than 

hands when it comes to blocking the 

germs since we don’t use our elbows to 

touch and pick up things. 

Danielle Alexander is a mother of two, 

owner of tutoring/freelance writing/ 

editing company Edify LLC and 

editorial coordinator for Birmingham 

Life and West Bloomfield Lifestyle 

Magazines. She’s praying for a safe 

school year. 


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RELIGION 

halhole! 

Becoming a Nun: Heeding a Higher Call 


Who knows for sure what they want to be when 

they grow up? For a fortunate few, a chosen vocation 

is clear early in life. Such was the case 

with Sr. Amanda Foumia. 

Sr. Amanda didn’t have a favorite teacher in elementary 

school that was a nun who inspired her to join the 

convent – in fact, she wasn’t taught by nuns at all. She 

did, however, enjoy going to church at St. Thomas and 

loved Eucharistic adoration. Even as an adolescent, she 

had a special love for the Blessed Mother and a personal 

devotion to the rosary, where she found “a gift of many 

graces,” thus leading to a deeper love of the Lord. 

Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center (ECRC) 

played a key role in Sr. Amanda’s life. They offered retreats 

and theology classes that appealed to her. It was 

a priest, Fr. Emmanuel Reyes, now retired, who asked a 

teenaged Amanda, “Have you ever considered becoming 

a nun?” A seed was planted in her heart, and her life was 

forever changed. That is when the process began. 

For the next four or five years, Sr. Amanda prayed 

and looked for signs that she was 

on the right path. Each day the 

Holy Spirit led her closer to a life 

in service, nudging her to “think 

about it.” A young woman with 

a special love to serve those in 

need and most vulnerable found 

a natural path to the convent. 

She is not presumed to have arrived 

at the doorstep already a 

saint—or even possessed with 

an outstanding character. What 

is anticipated is that she has the 

necessary disposition to persevere 

in the path of virtue, and to 

grow and mature in that path. 

Sr. Amanda was ready and willing to grow and mature 

in her faith. A life of service looked promising to a teenager 

who was looking for meaning in her own life. “If you 

remain rooted in prayer, what is in your heart will come 

out of your mouth,” she explains. 

Sr. Amanda was 19 when she decided that she was 

called to service as a Sister. Living as a Sister means 

changing your life entirely. Every part of your life takes 

on a new and different meaning as you learn to live a religious 

life. It comes from a yearning to be close to God and 

to walk in His ways. It also means serious prayer and study 

and preparation for full-time active ministry in the world. 

The process begins with serious conversation (or discernment) 

with a vocation director, a Sister who is specially 

trained to help someone discern whether God is calling 

her to be a Sister. For Sr. Amanda, Sr. Therese Shekwana 

at St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church served this 

role. Fr. Frank Kallabat (Bishop Francis) was pastor and 

helped during the discernment process. This discernment 

is mutual – a woman discerns and the vocation director 

and the religious community discern with her to see if this 

is where she belongs. Sr. Amanda felt called to her home 

parish at St. Thomas, the people and the Chaldean community 

in Metro Detroit, home to the largest population 

of Chaldean Catholics outside the Middle East. 

Sr. Amanda with middle schoolers on a field trip to 

Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 2019. 

Postulancy is the first step toward becoming a nun. A 

postulate takes the time to get to know the community 

and they get to know her. She takes part in all of the daily 

prayers and activities of the convent and attends classes 

to enlarge her knowledge of religious subjects including 

Scripture, the Catechism, Church documents, theology, 

and philosophy. 

It is a gradual transition over the course of a year from 

the lay life to the life of the novitiate. At the end of the 

year, if both the Sister and the Community discern that 

it is God’s will for her to continue, she receives the habit 

and enters the Novitiate for two years. 

Sr. Amanda was 22 when she entered the convent and 

23 when she became a Novice. Her two younger brothers 

were happy for her. They could see that their sister’s decision 

brought her joy. “When you are called, you just know 

and I can’t explain it but you know God has called you,” 

explains Sr. Amanda, paraphrasing her inspirational mentor, 

Mother Teresa. 

Mother Teresa was an inspiration to countless millions 

for her lifelong devotion to the 

neediest and most vulnerable of 

the world. The selflessness and 

sacrifice with which she lived her 

own life made her a role model 

for Sr. Amanda. Finding her inspiration 

in Catholic teachings, 

Mother Teresa always placed our 

common humanity above religious 

divisions. 

A Sister is a novice for two 

years. During this time, she continues 

her religious studies and 

human formation. The process 

of becoming a Sister took 9 years 

for Sr. Amanda. This may sound 

like a long time, but it is a huge commitment and one 

that changes you daily. “I’m not the same person I was 

when I started,” says Sr. Amanda. “The process of formation 

never ends.” 

A Novice wears a crown of flowers, like the excited 

bride rushing to her groom. She studies the vows, along 

with the other novices. An entire year is given to the 

study of and work on the interior life, and another year is 

dedicated to introducing the Novice to the apostolic life 

of the community. It is such an important time in the life 

of a young religious, no studies or activities are undertaken 

during the first year which do not have as their primary 

purpose the formation of the Novices. 

At the end of the two years, if the Sister and the community 

discern that it is God’s will, she professes vows of 

Chastity, Poverty and Obedience. Now she wears a crown 

of leaves. The blush is gone off the rose, the “honeymoon” 

is over, but she has steadfast commitment to her God, her 

community and her calling. 

During this time, the Sister renews her vows each year, 

for a total of five years; the sixth year she takes her final 

vows. All the while, the Sister receives guidance in the 

actual living of her vows. This guidance is both spiritual 

Continued on page 17 

birth 

Luke Salim Hanna 

Congratulations to Justin and Nora 

(Youkhana) Hanna on the birth of 

their son Luke Salim Hanna. Luke 

arrived on July 18, 2020 at 3:01 PM, 

weighing in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. 

anniversary 

Byron James and 

Sandra Sue Yono 

Happy 50th wedding anniversary to 

Byron James and Sandra Sue Yono, 

married August 30, 1970 at St. Joes 

Church in Southfield. Currently living 

in Canton, the Yonos are dearly 

loved by their children Brian, Michael 

and Christy and by their grandchildren 

Samantha, Nicholas, Anthony 

and Graham. 


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in MEMORIAM 

Anahit Akrawi 

May 17, 1936- Apr 25, 2020 

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the loss of our 

beloved Anahit Akrawi. 

Beloved wife of the late Hanna Toma Akrawi and 

loving mother of Sana Azzoo, Dhafir (Claudette) 

Akrawi, Sawsan (Hilmi) Kashat, Suadad (Andre) Atallah, 

Mahir Akrawi, Amer (Niran) Akrawi, and Thamir 

Akrawi. Humble grandmother of 10 grandchildren. 

You are wholeheartedly loved and will be greatly 

missed. Your legacy will forever live within our hearts. 

May you rest in eternal peace. 

RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 

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- Jun 22, 2020 

Continued from page 14 

and apostolic, doctrinal and practical. She 

may begin to pursue any degrees necessary and 

begins to participate regularly in the community’s 

apostolate. At the end of six years, if a 

Sister feels this is the life she is called to and is 

able to make a lifetime commitment, she will 

profess her final vows. 

After a decade of maturing into a better 

person, a better sister, this modest, humble 

warrior of Christ took her Final Vow on the 

eve of Pentecost, May 19, 2018. On this date, 

Sr. Amanda wore the final crown – the crown 

of thorns. This crown represents the suffering 

that comes along with serving the Lord. It is 

death to oneself and life to Christ, which represents 

the suffering of the thorns that come 

along with serving in the Lord’s vineyard. 

Sr. Amanda believes it was the beginning 

of a lifelong effort to be “in formation for the 

rest of my life.” As a religious Sister, her life 

consists of a balance between prayer, community 

life and serving the apostolic vocation. 

“We’re not social workers,” she states, quoting 

Mother Teresa, “We are contemplatives in the 

heart of the world.” 

Sr. Amanda received her theology degree 

this April, although there was no graduation ceremony 

due to COVID-19. She plans to pursue a 

teaching degree in order to better serve her community 

and if it is part of the Lord’s plan, to be 

a teacher in a Catholic school. She enjoys working 

with children preparing for their First Holy 

Communion; the joy of preparing children to 

receive Jesus for the first time is a great gift. 

The decision to live as a Sister is a commitment 

to God, her community and the people. 

Sr. Amanda feels there was no “giving up” of 

anything important, while the decision gained 

her the treasure of a life steeped in God’s love 

and mercy. A key verse in her conversion was 

the Bible verse from the Book of Matthew, 

Chapter 19, Verse 29: “And everyone who 

has left houses or brothers or sisters or father 

or mother or wife or children or lands, for My 

name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and 

inherit eternal life.” 


A New Chaldean Community Foundation Raises Its Roof 


At 15 Mile and Ryan Roads in 

Sterling Heights sits a monument 

to Chaldean culture, 

its limestone arches shining in the 

sun. It’s a beacon to the immigrant 

community that sees the Chaldean 

Community Foundation as a friendly 

place to ask for help. Ever since 

their doors first opened in 2011, the 

need has been greater than capacity. 

That’s about to change. 

The new façade may look like a 

larger version of the previous but the 

interior area has gained nearly three 

times the square footage. From the 

expansive new lobby that overlooks 

an interior courtyard to the full-court 

gymnasium to the completely staffed 

medical clinic, an entire community 

exists within the building. Everything 

in front of you and to the 

left once you walk through the front 

doors is brand new. It didn’t exist 

even a year ago, except in a floorplan. 

The Chaldean Community Foundation 

(CCF) was born out of the 

minds of a handful of visionaries who 

wanted to keep the faith, culture and 

traditions of their homeland alive 

while embracing the opportunities 

that America had to offer. They 

wanted to share their blessings with 

others that followed, and to help new 

Americans assimilate well enough to 

be independent of social services. 

The president of CCF, Martin 

Manna, explains, “Originally we 

wanted to help new arrivals navigate 

the waters, help them with visa applications 

and citizenship classes. 

But the need was greater than that.” 

The majority of clients (80 percent) 

are from Iraq, a country that has 

been ravaged by war for two decades. 

Programs such behavioral health and 

personal development help clients 

heal the inside while career services, 

scholarships and affordable housing 

help them build up the outside. 

There will always be a need for these 

services. 

The original building, which was 

the second home of the CCF, still exists 

and remains basically the same. 

The problem wasn’t the building; it’s 

just that it wasn’t big enough. Saroki 

Architecture won the bid to design 

the addition, and they seamlessly 

married the two buildings, keeping 

the significant arch design. The addition 

looks like it has always been 

there. 

Some big names are 

going up on signage in 

the new space. The Konja 

Family Art Studio is a big 

bright room designed with 

lots of natural light for 

art therapy classes. Painting, 

dance and music will 

be taught and encouraged 

as a way to communicate 

feelings. Students will be 

trained to tap into their 

emotions, work through 

them and finally release 

them as artistic expression. That is 

where true art is born. 

Thomas M. Denha Main Street 

celebrates the legacy of a man who 

knew the value of family and community. 

The street is reminiscent of 

a simpler time, with your neighborhood 

barbershop in SuperCuts, the 

friendly bankers of Level One, and 

the well-stocked corner store, Wild 

Bill’s Café. Filling more than one 

role, these stores will serve as training 

centers as well as retail stores. 

Students will have the opportunity 

to job shadow, developing appropriate 

work habits and specific job competencies. 

At the heart of the new CCF 

building is the Life Skills Wellness 

Center. It is the dream of many, including 

Susan Kattula, who started 

as a case manager taking life history 

information from newly arriving 

refugees and immigrants. Clients 

with disabilities face additional challenges, 

and Kattula saw the need to 

offer life skills training for the special 

needs individuals she worked with so 

closely. The new program is a result 

of her and her team’s tireless work to 

create services not accessible due to 

cultural barriers. 

The CCF “Breaking Barriers” 

team understands the need to provide 

programs to engage special needs clients 

and their families. Programs can 

help to build creativity, confidence, 

focus and collaboration. Individuals 

with special needs benefit from art, 

music and dance programming that 

is specifically developed to engage 

them. It has been proven for example 

that music can positively influence 

an individual’s behavior by affecting 

the brain through sound waves, 

thereby impacting other bodily 

structures. 

Research has shown that traumatic 

stress has negative effects on 

overall health and well-being. Traumatic 

exposure has been linked to 

higher rates of psychological and 

physical health problems. Individuals 

as study participants who completed 

artwork as a mode of expression 

reported more enjoyment and 

were more likely to participate. 

The Life Skill Wellness Center 

will offer programming, education 

and training to those with 

developmental and intellectual 

disabilities. The program will 

specifically offer skill-building 

activities designed to foster increased 

independence. The goal 

is successful functioning and 

productive workers, at home as 

well as in the community. 

Classes offered include Daily 

Living Skills, a series of basic 

activities performed by individuals 

on a daily basis necessary for 

independent living at home or in the 

community. Subjects include personal 

hygiene, dressing, and eating. 

Another series offers classes in basic 

communication skills, transportation, 

meal preparation, shopping, 

housework, managing medications, 

avoiding conflict, managing personal 

finances and leisure activities. 


Personal skills training will help 

students develop self-awareness, 

self-confidence, socially responsible 

behavior, good interpersonal skills, 

independence, decision making, and 

communication skills. 

Since the CCF serves the immigrant 

community, acculturation classes 

are very important. Socialization is 

in the lesson plan, with role playing as 

a tool. Support and respite for caregivers 

is a priority as well. The new gymnasium 

sponsored by Wireless Vision 

will provide not only a space for recreational 

programs and fitness classes for 

clients, but also a place for caregivers 

to unwind and recharge. 

The place to really chill, though, 

is the Leila and Johnny Kello Courtyard. 

In the middle of facility where 

east meets west sits the open-air 

courtyard which includes comfortable 

seating for optimal socialization 

as well as meditation and mindfulness. 

A gas flame representative of 

the ‘eternal flame’ will burn for John 

Loussia and allow a space for contemplation 

and introspection with 

the courtyard. The garden services 

the sight as well as the soul. 

Everything has been well thought 

out for maximum care. With Ascension 

doctors providing services onsite, 

clients are encouraged to take 

control of their own health and 

create a plan to ensure that health 

continues. Mental health and physical 

health are treated as equal; each 

affects the body in the same measure. 

Behavioral Health services include 

therapy and group work. 

The new CCF Center will open 

in August.

chaldean (kids) on the STREET 

What are you looking forward to 

about returning to school? 

I’m looking forward to all the new 

opportunities high school will bring. 

Adding to that, I’m excited to meet 

new people and have new classes. It 

will also be nice to see some friends 

who I haven’t seen since the beginning 

of the pandemic. 

– Ferris Dally Jr., 14, 

Farmington Hills 

I’m most excited to get to see my 

school friends and also to be able to 

learn. I didn’t really enjoy online learning 

and I rather not have to take APUSH 

online so I’m looking forward to actually 

learning in a school setting again. 

– Alex Rabban, 15, 

West Bloomfield 

I want to go back to school and see 

my friends and teachers again. I want 

to go back because online learning 

was not very helpful. I want to be creative 

and do projects with my friends. I 

miss helping my teachers after school 

and playing at recess. 

– Esmeralda Yousif, 10, 

Farmington Hills 

I miss my friends so much...I can’t wait 

to see them so we can play together 

again. I can’t wait to meet my new 

teacher too and see Mrs. Tait (my 2nd 

grade teacher). 

– Charlotte Shounia, 8, 

Commerce Township 

I’m excited to see my friends and play 

at recess. I hope we get to go back to 

school and play. 

– Khloe Zerki, 7, Waterford 

I’m looking forward to going back to 

school so I can keep myself busy at all 

times. I am also looking forward to getting 

good grades in each of my classes. 

Lastly, I hope to meet new people there 

so I could become more social. 

– Gianna Gumma, 11, 


I’m most looking forward to gym class, 

and seeing all my friends! I’ve missed 

being at school and celebrating all the 

fun holidays with my classmates. 

– Cameron Abro, 6, 


I can’t wait to go back to school. I’m 

very excited to see my teacher, friends, 

and play at recess. 

– Lucas Zeer, 6, 



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Through therapy, you can change self-destructive 

behaviors and habits, resolve painful feelings, 

improve your relationships, and share your 

feelings and experiences. Individuals often 

seek therapy for help with issues that may be 

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For Your Best Health. 

In therapy your trilingual therapist will help you 

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relationship with your therapist is confidential and 

our common therapeutic goal for those we engage 

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CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 

3601 15 MILE ROAD 

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 

WWW.CHALDEANFOUNDATION.ORG 

(586) 722-7253 

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COVID School Year 

BY CANDICE ABRO 

What will school look like this upcoming 

fall is a question that many parents, 

teachers, and students across the country 

are asking. Will schools open up for in-person teaching 

in the fall? Will students and staff have to wear 

a mask? How will schools keep students socially distant? 

What happens if someone in the building gets 

COVID-19? The list of questions goes on and on, 

and many of the answers are still unknown. 

As many are eager to get their kids back to 

school, others are making the decision to homeschool. 

Schools are working on putting plans in 

place to get students and staff back to school safely. 

This upcoming school year will not look like any 

other school year; every school in the state of Michigan 

will have to follow the requirements set by Governor 

Whitmer’s Return to School Roadmap. 

The roadmap outlines the requirements and 

recommendations that schools must follow in order 

to open up. We must be in phase 4 to allow 

for schools to open up for in-person instruction. If 

we revert to phase 3, schools will be required to go 

back to distance learning. For phase 4, every school 

must meet the following guidelines: 

• All school staff will need to wear a mask at 

all times. 

• Students in grades 6th-12th grade will need 

to wear a face mask at all times, students in grades 

K-5th will not have to wear a face mask in the 

classroom but will when they are not in the classroom 

(hallway, restrooms, bus, etc.). 

• Schools need to provide adequate hygiene to 

support proper hand-washing behaviors. 

• Schools have to implement a screening measure 

for staff and students; it is up to the school 

to create a plan (taking student temperatures every 

day or answering screening questions). 

• No indoor school assemblies. 

• Students who ride the bus will need to wear a 

mask on the bus. They will need to use hand sanitizer 

before entering the bus and will need to be 

socially distanced from one another. 

In addition to these guidelines, there are many 

recommendations such as distancing students’ 

desks at least 6 feet apart, having students eat in 

their classrooms, and limiting shared materials between 

students. Each school in the state of Michigan 

is required to come up with their own plan using 

the Return to School Roadmap as a guideline. 

As a kindergarten teacher myself, I’ve been 

working with our school on making the necessary 

changes for the upcoming school year. Our school, 

a local parochial school in the Archdiocese of Detroit, 

has a task force of staff working on a plan for 

a safe school year. Within our school plan, we have 

made the required changes and have used many of 

the recommended suggestions. Some of the things 

we will be doing as a school that differ from a normal 

school year include: 

We must be in phase 4 to allow for schools to open up for 

in-person instruction. If we revert to phase 3, schools will be 

required to go back to distance learning. 

• Disinfectant caddies for each classroom 

which will contain disinfectant, gloves, disposable 

masks, paper towel, & hand sanitizer. 

• Decals throughout the building (social distancing 

reminders, wash hands/cover mouth reminders, 

hallway lane dividers, etc.). 

• Drinking fountains turned off and only using 

bottle fillers for water bottles. 

• Using acrylic dividers for classrooms. 

• Limiting visitors entering the building. 

• Social distancing within the classroom. 

If students do get a fever they must be fever-free 

for 72 hours to return to school rather than the 24- 

hour rule. 

Even with all of these changes, my concern 

as a teacher is my class of 5-year-old students. In 

my classroom, I will be limiting what supplies students 

share. Students will have their own supply 

bins, book bins, caddies, manipulatives and only 

using toys that can be disinfected which means 

no soft play. 

However, even with all of these changes one 

of the biggest questions is what will happen if a 

student or staff member needs to be quarantined. 

Our school is providing an online platform for 

students who have to be quarantined, and also 

to prepare if we do go into distance learning for 

the school year. 

This platform will be used by the school for 

students use, and it will include videos of lessons, 

assignments, and activities that align with what 

students are doing in the classroom. Teachers will 

also be working in cohorts - each teacher will have 

a teaching partner to work with (which is typical 

for most schools pre-COVID). 

There are still many unanswered questions and 

issues we will be working on throughout the school 

year but one thing that will not change is the school’s 

biggest concern and effort is to keep students safe. 

Candace, a Kindergarten teacher at St. Regis Catholic 

School, is a contributing writer to the CN. 


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Back to School: COVID-19 

Challenges Lesson Plans 

BY PAUL NATINSKY 

As we head toward fall in what 

have been dubbed “uncertain 

times,” Michigan and 

its schools face an uncertain return 

to halls of learning. 

The MI Safe Schools Return to 

School Roadmap and its six-phase 

“MI Safe Start” protocols serve as the 

overarching guidance for individual 

K-12 schools and districts. In following 

the Roadmap, school districts 

would create a plan for reopening and 

adhere to mandated safety protocols 

marked “required” in the Roadmap. 

The first three phases provide 

for distance-only learning. They are 

lumped together in the Roadmap 

and don’t seem very differentiated. 

Phases 4 through 6 provide for inperson 

instruction and gradually 

loosen spacing and other restrictions. 

In Phase 4, the most restrictive inperson 

reopening phase, students and 

teachers are required to wear face coverings 

(with some medically based exceptions). 

Students from multiple classrooms 

cannot combine for assemblies 

or other events. Hygiene supplies and 

instruction are required as is a beefed up 

cleaning schedule using EPA-approved 

disinfectants, which ranges from wiping 

down classrooms after every class 

to cleaning light switches, bathrooms, 

doors and other “frequently touched 

surfaces” every four hours. 

However, spacing requirements 

inside classrooms, special areas within 

schools to quarantine students, 

and rules governing when students 

and teachers can return to school 

after testing positive for COVID-19 

or exhibiting symptoms appear under 

“strongly recommended” or “recommended” 

measures. Cooperation 

with local public health department 

protocols and guidelines is listed as 

“required,” but it is unclear how that 

coordination will take place. 

Athletics is governed by a list 

of “required” restrictions that limit 

contact between athletes, call for 

separate water bottles for athletes 

and social distancing and face coverings 

for spectators, among other 

provisions. 

“The West Bloomfield School 

District will be following the ‘required’ 

and ‘strongly recommended’ 

protocols for each of the MI Safe 

Start Phases,” said Superintendent 

Gerald Hill, PhD. 

The first requirement listed for 

returning to in-person instruction 

under Phase 4 states that, “The number 

of new cases and deaths has fallen 

for a period of time, but overall case 

levels are still high.” 

At press time, daily reports of 

new cases were in the hundreds and 

tagged as rising in Johns Hopkins 

University data. Other requirements 

for a Phase 4 reopen regarding hospital 

capacity and disease tracking and 

testing are equally vague. 

Recent studies 

show that students 

have likely suffered 

significant learning 

loss during this 

period of remote 

schooling. 

Money 

Michigan’s School Aid Fund is facing 

a whopping $1.2 billion shortfall, 

mostly from to a drop in sales tax 

revenues for big-ticket items during 

the recession that began in February. 

That is about $600 per student. 

Adding insult to injury, one estimate 

pegs the cost of extra personal 

protective equipment, daily deep 

cleaning, screening and other costs at 

almost $2 million, or about $500 per 

student for an average-sized school district. 

These shortfalls and added costs 

come during an era in which schools 

have taken a budget beating already. 

“We know that safety protocols 

come with costs,” stated Gov. 

Gretchen Whitmer in the forward to 

the Roadmap. “Thus, we will be investing 

a significant amount of federal 

funds to support schools in the implementation 

of the required safety 

protocols outlined in the Roadmap 

and to address other needs resulting 

from COVID-19.” 

“If our state and nation are serious 

about opening schools safely for 

the fall, additional resources, not 

budget cuts, are imperative,” said 

West Bloomfield’s Hill. “The federal 

government must pass additional 

stimulus legislation that backfills the 

loss of state and local revenue caused 

by the recession. Schoolchildren and 

teachers cannot be expected to learn 

and work safely and productively 

in stripped down learning environments. 

One of the keys to a successful 

economic recovery is an appropriate 

investment in K - 12 public 

schools. Our future, and our children’s 

health and safety are at stake.” 

Crash Course 

Like many K-12 school districts 

across the state, West Bloomfield was 

not set up to provide distance learning 

when Michigan schools shut 

down in mid-March. At press time, 

the district was finalizing its plans 

for blended distance and in-person 

learning, a program called Classroom 

to Cloud, and refining a remote-only 

option, called Lakers Online. 

The new strategy is designed to be 

flexible and meet the challenges presented 

by a changed environment for 

in-person learning and a newly minted 

necessity and demand for distance 

learning. “The hybrid option of Classroom 

to Cloud, which will be implemented 

if we are in the MI Safe Start 

Phase 4, requires significant investments 

in PPE (face masks, hand sanitizers, 

etc.) as well as less efficient space 

utilization due to social distancing on 

school buses and in schools (which 

necessitates smaller groups of children 

in classes),” said Hill. “Additionally, 

because students will also be working 

remotely, we are providing Chromebooks 

for each student to use at home 

in addition to the Chromebooks that 

will be used during face-to-face instruction 

when they are at school.” 

Teachers 

Remaining in play are issues regarding 

teachers, who have a list of safety 

and work process concerns, and parents 

who decide to keep their children 

home this fall. 

Time Magazine reported in early 

July, “About 20 percent of teachers 

said they aren’t likely to return 

to teaching if schools reopen in the 

fall, according to a USA Today/Ipsos 

poll conducted in late May.” 

The Magazine reported that Ed- 

Week Research Center surveys conducted 

around the same time found 

that, “more than 10 percent of teachers 

are more likely to leave the profession 

now than they were before the pandemic, 

and 65 percent of educators said 

they want school buildings to remain 

closed to slow the spread of the virus.” 

Students 

Still, the undisputed goal among all 

parties is to return children to school 

as soon as it is safe to do so. The 

Michigan chapter of the American 

Academy of Pediatrics urges “in-person 

education to the maximum extent 

possible,” according to an email 

on school reopening. 

“In our offices we have seen large 

discrepancies in available at home 

learning support…which increase 

the achievement gap (especially 

with) younger and special needs 

children,” the email reads. “School 

closures have put mental and social 

health at risk (for students) and that 

affects their educational trajectories.” 

Schools also provide meals, personal 

health services, mental health support 

and a better environment for 

English learners, AAP notes. 

Time reported that “…the pressure 

to reopen schools is strong. 

Recent studies show that students 

have likely suffered significant learning 

loss during this period of remote 

schooling, worsening the achievement 

gap between affluent and lowincome 

students…Dr. Anthony Fauci, 

the country’s top infectious disease 

expert, agrees. ‘I feel very strongly we 

need to do whatever we can to get 

the children back to school,’ he said 

during testimony before the Senate 

on June 30,” reported the magazine. 

With regard to the fears about 

spreading COVID-19, the doctors 

refer to data suggesting elementary 

and pre-school kids are at low risk 

of contracting the virus and they are 

“less likely to be primary vectors for 

the spread.” 

For children, the benefits of being 

in school might outweigh the risks 

to their health, but older teachers 

administrators, custodians and others 

who work in school buildings fall 

into higher risk groups for both infection 

and death. 

The state has provided a framework 

and schools are working on 

plans, but money, logistics and developing 

science regarding COVID-19 

leave much work to do in an increasingly 

short window. 


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New Dorm Life 

BY LISA CIPRIANO 

Just as all of our lives have changed 

due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 

life in college residence halls will 

be more than a bit different for both 

new and returning students this fall. 

Social distancing, wearing face 

masks and quarantining, concepts that 

were foreign to us less than six months 

ago, are now part of our daily lives and 

that will be no different in college 

dorms for the foreseeable future. 

How will social distancing be 

done in such close living quarters? 

It’s already being done by students 

who live on campus year-round and 

will continue on a larger scale with 

the influx of new and returning students 

this fall. 

It’s a challenge,” said Director of 

Residence Life at Central Michigan 

Masks are not required among dorm mates in shared sleeping areas. 

But in common areas, social distancing by six feet and mask wearing 

are not only essential, but mandatory. 

University, Kathleen Gardner. “In 

everything we’ve done, we’ve tried to 

follow guidelines put out by the Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention, 

the American College Health 

Association and we’ve worked in tandem 

with the university emergency 

management team,” she explained. 

Michigan State University, the 

state’s largest university in terms of enrollment, 

is utilizing both government 

and its own world-renowned medical 

resources and expertise for guidance. 

“We have worked really hard 

with our partners at the university 

physician’s office and the Ingham 

County Health Department as well 

as the CDC to make sure that we’re 

providing the safest experience possible 

for not just our students, but for 

our faculty and staff as well,” said Kat 

Cooper, Chief Communications Officer 

for Residential and Hospitality 

Services at Michigan State University. 

In fact, MSU has the benefit of 

having a renowned, Harvard educated 

infectious disease researcher in its 

President, Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. 

The University of Michigan is 

tapping into its own unique and 

world-renowned medical expertise 

and resources as well. 

“We’re very fortunate at U of M 

to have outstanding public health 

expertise,” explained Senior Associate 

Director at University of Michigan’s 

Housing Administration, Amir 

Baghdadchi. “We’ve worked with 

the university chief health officer, 

the executive director of our university 

health service and we’ve had our 

doctors walking our residence halls, 

looking at floor plans and figuring 

out what makes sense here,” Baghdadchi 

said. 

Overall, what the experts have 

found to make sense directly mirrors 

what the general public has been 

advised to do since the start of the 

COVID-19 outbreak. 

At all three universities, each 

dorm room is considered a family 

unit. Masks are not required among 

dorm mates in shared sleeping areas. 

But in common areas, social distancing 

by six feet and mask wearing as 

not only essential, but mandatory. 

“Students who are living together 

in a single room, that’s considered 

a single household unit. So, no 

physical distancing or facemasks are 

required. Outside of their rooms will 

be considered a public space where 

face masks will be required along 

with physical distancing, said Baghdadchi. 

We’re also asking students to 

quarantine for 14 days before arriving 

on campus,” he added. 

Another overall recommendation 

from health experts is that residence 

hall occupancy be reduced, if 

possible, to help accommodate better 

physical distancing. 

“Once students move in together, 

that becomes like your family. It’s 

the person that you live with. It’s 

not going to be someone that you’ll 

be able to be six feet from every moment 

of every day, but we want to be 

able to give students enough space so 

they don’t have to be up against each 

other all of the time. So, we took a 

handful of rooms in the north neighborhood 

and made those single occupancy 

rooms,” said Carson. 

CMU has the ability to make residence 

hall occupancy management 

a major focus to help mitigate any 

potential spread of the virus and ease 

the minds of the concerned students 

and parents. 

“In looking at the guidelines put 

out there by various associations, we 

need to reduce the amount of students 

in each living unit. It’s a bit tight, but 

we do have the space to be able to do 

that. We feel that’s important to offer 

that option to help address some 

of the concerns that our students and 

families have about returning to campus,” 

Gardner explained. 

In accordance with ACHA 

guidelines, all three universities all 

have set aside separate residence 

halls to isolate, monitor and provide 

care for students who are feeling ill or 

test positive for the virus. 

Reducing dorm room occupancy 

also reduces the amount of social interaction 

is common areas, like dining 

halls which are currently and will continue 

to operate at 50 percent capacity, 

like Michigan’s restaurants under Governor 

Gretchen Whitmer’s executive 

order. They’re also offering students 

more ‘to go’ options to further help reduce 

dining hall occupancy. 

All of these new procedures and 

requirements require students’ cooperation, 

and both new and returning 

students will be briefed on what to 

expect and consistently reminded of 

what’s expected of them this fall. 

“We’re doing a lot of communication 

with them right now on how the 

fall will be different. We’re in the process 

of making some videos that will 

go out to students so that they can really 

see what fall will look like before 

they get here, so they can start to set 

those expectations,” said Carson. 

Stressing a sense of responsibility 

and community is a major focus in 

the effort to keep students and faculty 

safe at U of M this fall. 

“Every one of these students 

knows that reopening for the fall and 

a residential experience depends on 

shared responsibility. They already 

know exactly what’s at stake and why 

mask wearing and physical distancing 

are important. And, they’ll be plenty 

of signage around campus reminding 

them of that and what the expectations 

are,” Baghdadchi explained. 

Despite the seemingly daunting 

situation ahead of them, through 

following the basic guidelines, adapting 

to a changing environment and 

stressing the importance of responsibility, 

the universities are optimistic 

about a successful year ahead. 

“I think it’s going to be a challenge. 

But, I have full confidence that 

if we put all of our energy and intelligence 

behind this, we can have a 

great fall,” concluded Carson. 



ack to SCHOOL 2020-2021 

As of press time, schools are planning to have in-person class or a hybrid of 

in-class and distance learning in the fall; this may change if an Executive 

Order is issued prohibiting in-person classes. 

Private Schools 

Bloomfield Christian School 

Elementary, Middle and High School 

3570 Telegraph Road 

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 

(248) 499-7800 

BloomfieldChristian.com 

Formerly known as the Christian 

Leadership Academy, this K-12th grade 

interdenominational, classical-curriculum 

school was founded in 1994. The 

school’s mission is teaching students to 

know, reason, discern and apply truth 

using Scripture and the classical liberal 

arts. Seventh- and eighth-graders learn 

Latin. Students have steadily scored 

higher than average on standardized tests 

for college. 

Brookfield Academy 

Elementary School 

2965 Walnut Lake Road 

West Bloomfield, MI 48323 

(248) 626-6665 

BrookfieldAcademy.net 

Brookfield Academy was founded in 

1964 by Dr. and Mrs. David Weinberg as 

the first Montessori school in Michigan. 

The academy has campuses in West 

Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester Hills and 

Livonia. West Bloomfield, Troy, and 

Rochester Hills locations serve students 

in grades pre-K to fifth grade, while the 

Livonia location caters to infants until 

the third grade. Brookfield Academy has 

been honored by the Michigan legislature 

and Untied States Congress for excellent 

academic achievements and involvement 

in early education for children. 

Cranbrook Schools 


39221 Woodward 


(248) 645-3000 

Schools.Cranbrook.edu 

Founded in 1922, Cranbrook is located 

on a beautiful 319-acre campus 

considered a masterpiece of American 

architecture. In 1989, it was designated 

as a National Historic Landmark. 

Cranbrook has 1,661 students in 

2016/2017, including a few hundred 

boarders. Cranbrook Kingswood Upper 

School has been named an Exemplary 

School by the U.S. Department of 

Education due to its academic excellence. 

Cranbrook has also shown excellence 

through extracurricular activities. 

Detroit Country Day School 


22305 W. 13 Mile Road 

Beverly Hills, MI 48025 

(248) 646-7717 

Dcds.edu 

For more than 100 years, the core 

commitment of Detroit Country Day has 

been academic excellence for grades 

pre-K-12 on several campuses in 

Bloomfield Hills and Beverly Hills. Onehundred 

percent of high school graduates 

are accepted into accredited four-year 

colleges and universities. Country Day 

offers a liberal arts-based education, 

more than 30 athletic programs, and 

impressive fine and performing arts 

programs. 

Eton Academy 


1755 Melton Road 

Birmingham, MI 48009 

(248) 642-1150 

EtonAcademy.org 

Opened in 1980, Eton is designed 

exclusively for students with reading, 

attention and other learning challenges in 

grades K-12. The school offers classes in 

both group and individual settings. This 

school year, Eton Academy will work with 

approximately 200 students. The school 

offers an Independent Study Program 

that features one-to-one instruction on 

a schedule designed for each student. 

There are also several summer camps 

including drama and dance. Eton has 

gained substantial support from the North 

Central Association of Colleges and 

Schools and the Independent School 

Association of the Central States. 

The International Academy 

High School 

1020 E. Square Lake Road 


(248) 341-5900 

IAToday.org 

The International Academy is a nationally 

recognized all International Baccalaureate 

public high school serving 1,300 

students from 14 Oakland County 

school districts and students living in 

surrounding counties. The International 

Academy is one school with three 

campuses: IA East in Troy, IA Okma in 

Bloomfield Hills and IA West in White 

Lake. In 2014, 66 International Academy 

students achieved National Merit status 

representing 22 percent of the senior 

class. 

Japhet School 

Elementary and Middle School 

839 S. Crooks Road 

Clawson, MI 48017 

(248) 585-9150 

JaphetSchool.org 

Japhet serves ethnically diverse students 

in preschool through eighth grade. 

Rolling admission means students 

are admitted through the school year. 

The school is accredited through the 

Independent Schools Association of 

the Central States. Japhet was the first 

independent school in the country — and 

the first school in Michigan — to receive 

a National Schools of Character Award, 

presented to schools that encourage 

the social and ethical development 

of students while maintaining strong 

academic standards. Class sizes are 

small, less than 20 students. 

Lakes Area Montessori Center 

Preschool through Elementary 

8605 Richardson Road 

Walled Lake, MI 48390 

(248) 360-0500 

LakesAreaMontessori.com 

Lakes Area Montessori is a toddler, 

preschool, kindergarten and elementary 

school housed in a specially constructed 

building on two acres. The school is 

directed by professional educators 

and staffed by Montessori teachers. 

Children as young as 18 months are 

accommodated and full-day kindergarten 

is offered. The non-graded curriculum 

has a strong academic focus on science, 

mathematics, language arts, geometry, 

history, geography, art, music and 

Spanish. 

Montessori School Rochester 


3976 S. Livernois Rd. 

Rochester Hills MI 48307 

(248) 453-5757 

TheMontessoriSchoolRochester.com 

Montessori works with children from 

toddler years through the age of 12. The 

school follows the philosophy of allowing 

children to follow their greatest interests 

and learn about their immediate world 

at their own pace. Appreciation for the 

arts is facilitated with visiting artists, 

musicians and storytellers. 

The Lower Roeper School 


41190 Woodward Avenue 


The Upper Roeper School 

Middle and High School 

1051 Oakland Avenue 


(248) 203-7300 

Roeper.org 

Roeper is a unique coeducational 

school community for gifted children 

in preschool through grade 12 with 

campuses in Bloomfield Hills and 

Birmingham. The first school opened 

in 1941. The school enrolls more than 

570 students and is organized into three 

divisions starting with children as young 

as 2 ½. The mission is to educate the 

whole child in an emotionally supportive, 

intellectually engaging environment. 

Catholic Schools 

Academy of the Sacred Heart 


1250 Kensington Road 


(248) 646-8900 

ashmi.org 

One of 22 Sacred Heart schools in the 

United States, the 44-acre campus includes 

an Early Childhood Program through Grade 

4; the Knights of the Sacred Heart (boys 

in grades 5-8), and the Middle School and 

Upper School that is home to the Gazelles 

(girls in grades 5-12). The high school is 

also known for its outstanding lacrosse 

team, 17 state championships (including 

the 2016 high school tennis team), and its 

31,000-square-foot field house. 

All Saints Catholic School 


48735 Warren Road 

Canton, MI, 48187 

(734) 459-2490 

AllSaintsCS.com 

Accredited by the Michigan Nonpublic 

Schools Accrediting Association, this co-ed 

school has more than 500 students. Special 

classes are taught by teachers from the 

Livonia Public School Share Time Program 

and include foreign language instruction, 

faith mentoring and the monthly outreach to 

disadvantaged communities and organizations. 

Highlights at All Saints are student 

service projects and small class sizes. 

Austin Catholic Academy 

Co-Ed High School 

25925 23 Mile Road 

Chesterfield, MI 48051 

(586) 200-0143 

AustinCatholicAcademy.org 

Created under the auspices of the 

Archdiocese of Detroit and sponsor parishes, 

Austin Catholic Academy is the only co-ed 

Catholic high school in Northern Macomb 

County. Opened in 2011, administrators 

hope to eventually serve about 500 students. 

The Augustinian education includes rigorous 

college preparatory academics, spiritual 

growth, service to the community and 

extracurricular activities. Last school year 

Austin opened a media center. 

Bishop Foley Catholic High School 

Co-Ed High School 

32000 N. Campbell Road 

Madison Heights, MI 48071 

(248) 585-1210 

BishopFoley.org 

Bishop Foley is a co-educational high school 

with advanced national accreditation through 

North Central Association of Colleges and 

Secondary Schools. Founded in 1965, 

it has an enrollment of 400 students and 

offers a wide range of opportunities in 

academics and athletics. The school has a 

full-time Campus Ministry Director to foster 

spiritual activities and teacher and peer 

tutoring. Bishop Foley has amassed more 

than 50 athletic championships and has a 

dual enrollment program with the University 

of Detroit Mercy for Engineering and 

Leadership classes. 


Bishop Kelley Catholic School 


926 W. Nepessing Street 

Lapeer, MI 48446 

(810) 664-5011 

BishopKelleyLapeer.org 

All faiths are welcome at this co-ed school 

instituted by the Immaculate Conception 

Parish community and accredited by the 

Michigan Non-Public School Accrediting 

Association. The school, which boasts 

a family-type atmosphere, was founded 

in 1950 and has about 230 students. 

There is also a preschool for children as 

young as 3. The school is affiliated with 

Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer. 

Brother Rice 

All Boys High School 

7101 Lahser Road 


(248) 833-2000 

BrRice.edu 

Founded in 1960 by the Congregation 

of Christian Brothers of Ireland, Brother 

Rice is a private, fully accredited, four-year 

Catholic college preparatory school for 

young men. Brother Rice High School 

fosters the spiritual, intellectual, cultural 

and moral development of its students. The 

Brother Rice community promotes excellence 

through an environment conducive to life-long 

personal growth, and responsible, moral 

decision making in a Christian atmosphere. 

The Brother Rice student body is 

composed of over 600 young men with 

a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic 

backgrounds, talents and interests. Each 

student is a unique contributor to the 

Brother Rice family. 

De La Salle Collegiate 


14600 Common Road 

Warren, MI 48088 

(586) 778-2207 

DeLaSalleHS.com 

Inspired by the tradition of St. John Baptist 

de La Salle, this school is dedicated to the 

Catholic education of its diverse students, 

including the poor and disadvantaged. The 

college preparatory school was founded in 

1926. Clubs and activities range from choir 

to robotics. It’s a Class A MHSAA member 

school and also a member of the Catholic 

League Central Division. 

Detroit Catholic Central High School 


27225 Wixom Road 

Novi, MI 48374 

(248) 596-3810 

CatholicCentral.net 

The school dates to 1928 and has 

relocated a number of times, settling into 

its current home on 60 acres in Novi in 

2005. The school philosophy is that while 

textbooks are important (it has more than 

a dozen AP courses and is accredited 

through the North Central Association of 

Colleges and Schools), much knowledge 

can be learned only in prayer. Each student 

is required to complete Christian Service 

and at least 95 percent of graduates go 

onto college. 

Detroit Cristo Rey 

Co-ed High School 

5679 W. Vernor Highway 

Detroit, MI 48209 

(313) 843-2747 

DetroitCristoRey.org 

Detroit Cristo Rey opened in 2008 as the 

only co-ed Catholic school in the city of 

Detroit. The most distinctive feature of this 

school is its corporate work-study program, 

which allows students to spend one day 

per week on real-life work experience in a 

businesses or organization in Metro Detroit. 

Across the network, 96 percent of seniors 

graduated and were accepted to college. 

The school strives to “break the cycle of 

poverty” in Detroit by offering a collegeprep 

education to low-income, center-city 

students. 

Divine Child 


25001 Herbert Weier 

Dearborn, MI 48128 

(313) 562-1090 

dces.info 

Divine Child 


1001 N. Silvery Lane 

Dearborn, MI 48128 

(313) 562-1990 

DivineChildHighSchool.org 

Divine Child is a co-ed parish school 

founded in 1958. Equipped with 34 

classrooms, a chapel, library, and 500-seat 

auditorium, it’s the largest co-ed Catholic 

high school in Michigan. With more than 

30 extracurricular activities and AP-level 

courses available, 97 percent of students 

attend college. The elementary and middle 

schools offer many activities including 

scouting. For athletes, there are 52 teams 

in 24 sports. 

Everest Collegiate High School 

and Academy 


5935 Clarkston Road 

Clarkston, MI 48348 

(248) 241-9040 

Everest-Clarkston.org 

Everest, which offers pre-K through 

high school, uses the Integral Formation 

method of education, which is built upon 

the Christian view of the person and 

focuses on forming all dimensions of the 

person – their intellectual, human, spiritual 

and apostolic capacities. In 2012, Everest 

Collegiate was awarded a spot on the Top 

50 Catholic Schools list. The school shares 

most high school athletics with Our Lady of 

the Lakes. 

Gesu Catholic School 


17139 Oak Drive 


(313) 863-4677 

GesuSchool.UDMercy.edu 

Gesu is an award-winning co-ed school 

with about 250 students in grades pre-K 

through 8. Gesu students are known to 

give back to the environment by recycling 

and tending their own garden-to-harvest 

crops. The school was established in 

1925 and is accredited by the Michigan 

Nonpublic Schools Accreditation 

Association. Gesu has been recognized by 

the Skillman Foundation as an improving 

school. Facilities include an on-site learning 

center, renovated computer lab and 

updated library. 

Guardian Angels 

Preschool, Elementary and Middle School 

521 E. 14 Mile Road 

Clawson, MI 48017 

(248) 588-5545 

GASchool.com 

A Blue Ribbon School, Guardian Angels 

students have scored well above the 

national average and are as much as three 

full grades ahead of other students at 

their same level. Unique features of the 

school include a science lab, a greenroom 

and Spanish instruction for all grades. 

The school has about 300 students. 

An extended day program is available. 

Guardian Angels has created a new full-day 

service for their preschoolers. 

Holy Family Regional School 


North Campus Grades K-3 

1240 Inglewood 

Rochester, MI 48307 

(248) 656-1234 

South Campus Grades 4-8 

2633 John R Road 

Rochester Hills, MI 48307 

(248) 299-3798 

HolyFam.org 

Holy Family educates children at two 

campuses: kindergarten (full or halfday) 

through grade three in Rochester, and 

grades four through eight in Rochester 

Hills. The school has an impressive 

computer lab, and all students in grades 

6-8 receive Spanish instruction. Unique 

programs include Talent Development and 

Special Services for those who need extra 

help. There is also the Young 5 Program as 

an alternative to kindergarten. 

Holy Name 


680 Harmon St. 


(248) 644-2722 

school.hnchurch.org 

A Blue Ribbon school since 2008, Holy 

Name provides unique classes for boys 

and girls in grades K-8, and also has a 

preschool. A variety of teaching techniques 

are used to meet the different learning 

styles of its students. Facilities include a 

media center, music and art rooms and a 

technology lab. The Holy Name Hurricanes 

have an outstanding athletic department. 

The school is accredited by the Michigan 

Association of Non-Public Schools and 

offers after-school enrichment programs. 

Immaculate Conception 

Co-Ed Elementary and Middle School 

7043 Church Road 

Ira Township, MI 48023 

(586) 725-0078 

ICCatholic.org 

For more than a century and a half, 

Immaculate Conception, set on the shores 

of Anchor Bay, has served the northeast 

Macomb County and St. Clair County 

communities. It has more than 180 students 

and a low teacher to student ratio. Detroit 

Archbishop Allen Vigneron is an alumni. 

Loyola High School 

All-Boys High School 

15325 Pinehurst St. 


(313) 861-2407 

Loyolahsdetroit.org 

A Catholic scschool fronthool in the Jesuit 

tradition, Loyola began as a concerned 

response to a pressing need in Detroit and 

its surrounding communities. With strong 

involvement of parents and staff at every 

step of the way, its graduates – truly “Men 

for Others” – demonstrate the level of academic, 

physical, social, and spiritual growth 

first envisioned by the school’s founders. 

Now in its 23nd year, Loyola remains committed 

to its original mission. It is a strong 

community of students, parents, and staff. 

Marian 

All-Girls High School 

7225 Lahser Road 


(248) 644-1750 

Marian-HS.org 

Founded in 1959, Marian is a prestigious 

college-prep high school for young 

women with about 500 students. It offers 

17 advanced placement courses and 

19 honors classes. The Class of 2015 

was 100 percent college-bound. Marian 

athletic teams have been recognized 

as state champions on 24 occasions. 

Marian is located next to Brother Rice 

and is accredited by the North Central 

Association of Colleges and Schools. The 

student-teacher ratio is 16:1. 

Mercy 




(248) 476-8020 

mhsmi.org 

More than 13,000 students have graduated 

from Mercy throughout its 60-year history. 

After graduation, 99 percent of Mercy’s 

young women attend college – and 88 

percent get into their first choice. The 

school, which has a student body of 750, 

upholds a strong tradition of competitive 

athletics in more than 17 sports and 

facilities that include a gymnasium, indoor 

swimming pool, full-size track, two fields, 

and two enclosed softball diamonds. Mercy 

is designated as an Exemplary Private 

High School by the U.S. Department of 

Education. 





Notre Dame Marist Academy – Lower 

Division 


1425 Giddings Rd. 

Pontiac, MI 48340 

(248) 373-2573 

Notre Dame Marist Academy – Middle 

Division 

Middle School 

1300 Giddings Road 

Pontiac, MI 48340 

(248) 373-5371 

Notre Dame Preparatory School 


1300 Giddings Road 

Pontiac, MI 48340-2108 

(248) 373-5300 

ndpma.org 

Notre Dame has a co-ed and 

economically diverse student body with a 

population of about 1,000. As a college 

preparatory school it offers a variety of 

advanced-placement classes and myriad 

clubs and organizations; graduating classes 

routinely earn more than $10 million in 

scholarships. The school is operated by 

the Marist Fathers & Brothers. It is the only 

Catholic school in Michigan that offers 

the International Baccalaureate course of 

study to students from junior kindergarten 

through 12th grade. 

Our Lady of Good Counsel 


1151 William Street 

Plymouth, MI 48170 

(734) 453-3053 

IAmOLGC.com 

Good Counsel has 545 students, 25 

teachers and a 1:17 student-teacher ratio. 

Most teachers have advanced degrees 

and the school is accredited by the 

Michigan Nonpublic Schools Accrediting 

Association. The school is more than 

60 years old and offers extracurricular 

activities from chess to yearbook. It has 

captured championships in several CYO 

sports. Our Lady of Good Counsel has 

a school partnership with a junior high in 

Nanjing, China. 

Our Lady of the Lakes 


5495 Dixie Highway 

Waterford, MI 48329 

(248) 623-0340 

ollonline.org 

Our Lady of the Lakes Parish School is the 

only K-12 Catholic School on one campus 

in Oakland County. Founded in 1956, 

the school serves more than 650 co-ed 

students and touts itself as an affordable 

option. The school offers up a foreign 

exchange student program and a drama 

club. Students can earn extra credit by 

working in the office or library. The college 

preparatory curriculum includes seven AP 

classes. 

Our Lady of Refuge 


3750 Commerce Road 

Orchard Lake, MI 48324 

(248) 682-3422 

Olr-School.net 

Our Lady of Refuge offers a Christcentered 

education for students from pre-K 

(3-5 year olds) through eighth grade. It 

offers a fully accredited core curriculum 

complemented by classes in Spanish, 

music, art, computer skills and physical 

education, as well as a wide range of 

sports and school activities. Before- and 

after-school programs are available to meet 

the needs of working parents. 

Our Lady Star of the Sea 


467 Fairford Road 

Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236 

(313) 884-1070 

StarSchoolGrossePointe.org 

Star of the Sea offers a wide range of 

academic and elective programs for 

preschool through eighth grade. Among 

its amenities are a computer lab and 

an extensive arts and music program. 

Students score highly in most IOWA basic 

skills tests. 

Our Lady of Sorrows 


24040 Raphael Road 


(248) 476-0977 

OLSorrows.com 

Our Lady of Sorrows is one of the largest 

elementary schools in the Archdiocese of 

Detroit. Accredited by the Michigan Non- 

Public School Accrediting Association, 

it offers preschool, half- and full-day 

kindergarten, and grades 1-8. The school 

has 33 classroom teachers, six classroom 

aides, school counselor, technology 

coordinator, media specialist, development 

room teacher, and shared-time teachers 

and a speech therapist from Farmington 

Public Schools. 

Our Lady of Victory Catholic School 


132 Orchard Drive 

Northville, MI 48167 

(248) 349-3610 

OLVNorthville.org/school 

This co-ed parish school has about 445 

students with a maximum classroom size 

of 26. On test scores, students perform 

well above the national averages and 

above the average of other schools in the 

Archdiocese of Detroit. Students also 

participate in a special CARE project 

(Christ’s Arms Reaching Everyone) to 

benefit the community. Preschool and afterschool 

faith programs are available. 

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs 


32460 Pierce Road 

Beverly Hills, MI 48025 

(248) 642-2616 

OlqmCatholicSchool.org 

Accredited by the Michigan Non-Public 

Schools Accrediting Association, Our 

Lady has a college-prep curriculum from 

early childhood programs through grade 

eight. OLQM, which dates to 1954, 

provides after-school latchkey for working 

parents and a student/teacher ratio of 

22:1. Competitive and intramural sports 

teams are available, as are band, choir and 

scouting. Transportation is provided via 

Birmingham District buses. 

Regina 


13900 Masonic Boulevard 


(586) 585-0500 

ReginaHS.com 

Open since 1956, Regina has a number 

of endearing traditions for its 463 young 

women. It is accredited by the North 

Central Association of Colleges and 

Secondary Schools and has 38 certified 

educators, 70 percent holding master 

degrees or beyond. Virtually all graduates 

go onto higher learning. Regina is classified 

as a Class A School and offers 23 Honors 

and nine Advanced Placement classes. 

Its brother school, De La Salle, unifies 

with Regina to create a well-balanced and 

positive environment. 

Shrine 



Royal Oak, MI 48073 

(248) 549-2925 

ShrineSchools.com 

Shrine offers elementary, middle and high 

schools and is affiliated with the landmark 

Shrine of the Little Flower Church. The 

grade school is a Michigan Blue Ribbon 

School and has about 600 students. The 

attached middle school with about 175 

students is known as the Academy. The 

co-ed high school has about 275 students, 

participates in the Michigan High School 

Athletic Association and is a member of 

the Catholic High School League. It is also 

home to a dynamic International student 

base with students from China, South 

Korea, Vietnam, and Guatemala. 

St. Anne 


5920 Arden Avenue 


(586) 264-2911 

St-Anne.net 

Founded in 1949, St. Anne has some 600 

students in pre-K through eighth grade. St. 

Anne ranks as one of the highest schools 

for test scores in the Archdiocese. In 

national IOWA testing, the school’s fifth-, 

seventh- and eighth-grade students scored 

in the top 10 percent, while the second-, 

third-, fourth- and sixth-graders were in the 

top 15 percent. Enrollment at St. Anne has 

increased in recent years. 

St. Catherine of Siena Academy 


28200 Napier Road 

Wixom, Michigan 48393 

(248) 946-4848 

SaintCatherineAcademy.org 

Just opened in 2011, St. Catherine of 

Siena Academy is the first all-girls Catholic 

high school to open in 50 years. The 

campus is a 137,000-square-foot facility 

constructed on a 33-acre parcel that 

includes 27 classrooms and a 400-seat 

chapel. St. Catherine’s mission is rooted 

in Pope John Paul II’s philosophy of the 

“Feminine Genius.” It’s accredited by the 


Association. 

St. Clare of Montefalco 


16231 Charlevoix Street 

Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230 

(313) 647-5000 

StClareM.org 

This co-ed school is the only private 

school in Grosse Pointe Park. St. Clare of 

Montefalco is part of the National Catholic 

Educational Association. The school has 

a 15:1 student/teacher ratio in preschool 

through eighth grade. A large number 

of extracurricular activities and special 

programs are offered. 

St. Edith Catholic School 


15089 Newburgh Road 

Livonia, MI 48154 

(734) 464-1250 

StEdithSchool.com 

This co-ed school of about 178 students 

focuses on stressing responsibility and 

independence to prepare students for 

junior high and high school. Extracurricular 

activities include weekly music classes, 

choir and scouting. The school also 

participates in the Livonia Share Time 

Program where teachers specializing in 

certain subjects teach on site. 

St. Fabian 




(248) 553-4610 

StFabian.org 

St. Fabian, a Chaldean community favorite, 

offers preschool through eighth grade for 

some 385 students. Most teachers have or 

are getting their master’s degree and meet 

or exceed the Michigan Department of 

Education standards. Paraprofessionals are 

utilized in kindergarten through third grade, 

and students in all grades participate in at 

least one “special” class per day. Students 

learn Spanish starting in kindergarten. The 

school offers a wide variety of CYO and 

intramural sports. 



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Educating Today’s 

Students 

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Join the UCS family TODAY! 

For Enrollment Information 

and Schools of Choice 

Applications visit 

www.uticak12.org 

Call us at 586-797-1120 




St. Hugo of the Hills 


380 E. Hickory Grove Road 


(248) 642-6131 

StHugoSchool.org 

Operated by the Sister Servants of the 

Immaculate Heart of Mary and located 

on 30 acres, St. Hugo is a Blue Ribbon 

Exemplary School with a student population 

of about 565. Students typically score in 

the top 10 percent in math and reading 

tests. Extracurricular activities range 

from band to scouting to the National 

Geographic Bee. 

St. Isaac Jogues 


21100 Madison Street 

St. Clair Shores, MI 48081 

(586) 771-3525 

StIsaacJoguesSchool.org 

Established in 1956, St. Isaac Jogues has 

a population of about 300 students. Special 

clubs include choir, drama, forensics and 

yearbook. The school also offers preschool 

for 3- and 4-year-olds and extended 

daycare. 

St. Joseph 


715 N. Lapeer Road 

Lake Orion, MI 48362 

(248) 693-6215 

StJosephLakeOrion.org 

Named an innovative model for other 

faith-based schools, St. Joseph, which 

dates to 1952, has more than 330 students 

in grades pre-K through eight. Through 

the years, the school has doubled the 

number of classrooms and added a media 

center, computer lab, science lab, fine arts 

labs, extended care and state-of-the-art 

technology. 

St. Lawrence 


44429 Utica Road 

Utica, MI 48317 

(586) 731-0135 

StLawrenceParish.com 

Established in 1931, St. Lawrence has 

students in pre-K through eighth grades. 

The school is accredited by the National 

Catholic Educational Association. The 

Mustangs play a number of sports, 

including lacrosse, and before- and afterschool 

latchkey is offered. The Varsity 

Cheerleading Team won the winter CYO 

championship in 2016. 

St. Mary 


2 Union Street 

Mt. Clemens, MI 48043 

(586) 468-4570 

StMaryMtClemens.com 

St. Mary’s has been a pillar of Macomb 

County since 1871 by continuing their 

commitment to serving the community 

with faith-filled education for children from 

preschool through eighth grade. The school 

is accredited through the Michigan Non- 

Public School Accrediting Association and 

is a designated Michigan Green School. 

Music, hands-on science, art, Spanish and 

computers are part of the core curriculum. 

Activities include children’s choir, 

newspaper, national junior’s honors society, 

children’s ministry and student council. 

St. Mary’s Catholic School 


628 S. Lafayette 

Royal Oak, MI 48067 

(248) 545-2140 

StMaryRoyalOak.org 

A member of Michigan Green Schools, 

St. Mary’s Royal Oak is accredited by the 


Association. Most of the 220 students 

are parishioners at St. Mary. The school 

dates back to 1916 and offers a variety of 

athletics. St. Mary also has 117 preschool 

students. 

St. Mary’s Preparatory 

All-Boys High School 

3535 Commerce Rd. 

Orchard Lake, MI 48324 

(248) 683-0530 

StMarysPrep.com 

St. Mary’s has a day program and boarding 

school for young men. Dating to 1885, its 

115-acre campus has been designated 

a Michigan Historical Site and placed on 

the National Register of Historic Places. 

It is accredited by the State of Michigan 

Department of Education and nearly 100 

percent of graduates go onto college. 

St Michael’s Catholic School 


11311 Hubbard Street 

Livonia, MI 48150 

(734) 261-1455 

LivoniaStMichael.org 

St. Michael’s received the “School of 

Distinction” award by the Michigan 

Association of Non-Public Schools 

for exceeding standards and effective 

school improvement in both 2008 and 

2011. The co-ed school is aligned with 

Michigan state standards. Students are 

strongly encouraged to enter at least one 

enrichment program such as art, band or 

drama. 

St. Patrick 


9040 Hutchins Road 

White Lake, MI 48386 

(248) 698-3240 

StPatrickSchoolWhiteLake.org 

St. Patrick has been open since 1957. 

Advanced programs are an integral part 

of the regular curriculum to help students 

get ahead in their studies. Scouting, ski, 

drama and chess are among the many club 

offerings. It’s accredited by the Michigan 

Non-Public School Accrediting Association. 

St. Paul on the Lake 


170 Grosse Pointe Boulevard 

Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 

(313) 885-3430 

StPaulOnTheLake.com 

A designated Blue Ribbon School, St. 

Paul has roots back to 1887. Students 

can choose from a wide variety of 

extracurricular activities including scouting, 

foreign language, gymnastics and choir. 

Eighth-graders typically score four years 

above their grade level on national tests 

and take advanced placement classes in 

high school. 

St. Regis 


3691 Lincoln Road 

Bloomfield Township, MI 48301 

(248) 724-3377 

StRegis.org 

Established in 1959, St. Regis focuses on 

faith, high academic standards, leadership 

and service. For working parents, it offers 

an extended care club, as well as afterschool 

enrichment programs. St. Regis 

is accredited by Michigan Non-Public 

School Accrediting Association. Services 

like remedial reading and speech therapy 

are offered through Birmingham Public 

Schools. The church is newly restored. 

St. Thecla Elementary School 


20762 South Nunneley Road 

Clinton Twp., MI 48035 

(586) 791-2170 

StThecla.com/school 

St. Thecla was founded in 1960 and 

offers preschool through eighth grades. 

The school participates in the Scrip 

Corner program, which helps families 

earn credit towards their child’s tuition. 

Students enjoy a new media center and 

many extracurricular programs such as 

Spanish, music and CYO sports including 

soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, 

softball, bowling and cheerleading. The 

Little Disciples Program is for tots ages 18 

months to 3 years. 

St. Valentine 

Kindergarten through Ninth Grade 

25875 Hope Street 

Redford, MI 48239 

(313) 533-7149 

StValentineSchool.com 

St. Valentine is a Michigan Green School 

dedicated to achieving environmental 

goals. The school participates in several 

CYO sports. It also offers a computer 

lab, the Accelerated Reader program, a 

latchkey after-school program and scouting. 

Currently it serves about 175 students. All 

curriculum objectives meet the Michigan 

state standard. 

St. William 


135 O’Flaherty 


(248) 669-4440 

StWilliam-School.com 

With 200 students, St. Williams excels in 

competitions such as the spelling bee and 

the Science Olympiad. Advanced math is 

available for students in grades 5-8. The 

school has earned full accreditation by 

the Michigan Association of Non-Public 

Schools. It also offers a junior kindergarten 

program. 

University of Detroit Jesuit High School 

All-Boys Middle and High School 

8400 South Cambridge Avenue 


(313) 862-5400 

UofDJesuit.org 

Founded in 1877 as Detroit College, 

U of D Jesuit is the oldest continuously 

functioning secondary school in Detroit and 

oldest college-prep Catholic high school 

in the city. The high school has about 

750 students and the Academy has more 

than 150 seventh- and eighth-graders. 

The school has more National Merit and 

National Achievement semi-finalists than 

any other Catholic school in the state. 

Public Schools of Choice 

The State School Aid Act of 1979 in 

Michigan allows schools to enroll nonresident 

students if there is room and the 

district is willing. Commonly known as 

Schools of Choice, it is a recruitment tool 

that more and more districts are using to 

boost their numbers – and funding. Schools 

of Choice have helped a lot of districts 

educate children who might have otherwise 

had a poor education in their failing schools 

and dangerous neighborhoods. SOC 

students bring their state per-pupil funding 

with them to their school, while their 

resident district loses those dollars. It has 

been a controversial topic in many school 

districts in Metro Detroit and different 

districts vary their allowance based on 

enrollment of resident students. 

Here are some Schools of Choice with 

large Chaldean student populations, based 

on teacher estimates. 

Avondale School District 

2940 Waukegan Street 

Auburn Hills, MI 48326 

(248) 537-6000 

Avondale.K12.mi.us 

Avondale has nine schools covering 

elementary through high school with 

students from Troy, Auburn Hills, Bloomfield 

and Rochester Hills. The Avondale/Oakland 

University Partnership was established in 

2013 where OU teaching students explore 

methods and models at Auburn Elementary 

and medical students teach kids about 

wellness. The district also offers early 

learning centers for 3-5 year olds. The 

schools offer a full roster of extracurricular 

activities. 

Farmington Public Schools 

32500 Shiawassee 

Farmington, MI 48336 

(248) 489-3349 

Farmington.K12.mi.us 

Farmington Schools have numerous points 

of pride, including Blue Ribbon schools 

and consistent winning titles in athletics 

and music. Their rigorous curriculum 

has earned several honors, and they are 

very dedicated to their diverse student 

body, establishing Welcome Centers for 

newcomers, going-green initiatives, and 

International Baccalaureate programs. 



A Co-Divisional Catholic High School 

OUR MESSAGE 

IS CLEAR 

God 

Family 

St. Mary's 

www.stmarysprep.com 

admissions@stmarysprep.com 


chaldeans AROUND THE WORLD 

Chaldeans in Canada 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD 

The steady immigration of 

Chaldeans from northern Iraq 

to the United States and Canada 

started at the beginning of the last 

century. The early pioneers left their 

villages and took unchartered voyages 

to distant countries, ports and seas 

armed with little more than courage 

and faith. Few official documents are 

available to support their stories and 

much of what we know comes from 

family members and elders. 

The first Chaldean pioneers came 

from the village of Tel-Keppe, what 

was then part of Ottoman Turkey, 

reaching the New World around 

the beginning of the last century. 

We have documentation for Akko 

Qarana (Brazil), Jajjo Hajji (South 

America), Petto Goryoka (Mexico), 

Makhola Qashat (Mexico), and 

Yousif Shammam (North America - 

Canada). 

Yousif Shammam left Iraq for 

Egypt, ending up in Fort William, 

Canada in 1899. Shammam is considered 

by many to be the first pioneer. 

A handful of years later, in July 

1905, a United States government 

‘declaration of intention’ document 

shows that George Binno, born in 

Tel-Keppe in 1878, arrived in New 

York via Havre, France. 

Many Chaldeans came to Canada 

and the Detroit area from Tel-Keppe, 

establishing themselves and sending 

for their families. This type of ‘chain 

immigration’ also occurred between 

Canada and Michigan. Hanna Sarraya 

went first to Fort William, Canada in 

1913, moving to Detroit in 1920 with a 

priest named Father Faranso Dabbish. 

Between 1910 and 1912, a few adventurous 

immigrants (we count 23) 

traveled to Detroit and Canada but 

returned after a short stay. By 1913- 

1914 there were 41 documented 

Chaldeans living in Canada. Some 

were from the village of Tel-Keppe, 

such as Jameel Qashat (1914), some 

were from Mosul and one man (name 

unknown) from Baqofa. 

Born in 1883, Jameel Qashat is 

the hero of a dramatic pioneering 

story. He became an officer of the 

Ottoman Army at age 20, witnessing 

Turkish calamities against Christians 

and Armenians. Soon after his army 

discharge, he decided to leave Iraq 

and join his maternal uncle, Yousif 

Shammam, who was living in Fort- 

William, Canada. 

In 1914, Qashat started his journey 

on foot from Mosul, Nineveh to 

Beirut, Lebanon. He traveled with 

a 2,000-person caravan, all seeking 

to escape Ottoman persecution. 

This first step of the journey took 3 

months. In Beirut, Qashat met up 

with a British sailing ship that carried 

him to the port of Marseille, 

France. There he caught a sail on a 

French vessel traveling to Canada. 

The French commercial ship was 

in the Mid-Atlantic when World 

War I erupted on August 28, 1914. 

It was vulnerable and defenseless 

and worse yet, orders were received 

from the French government to sink 

the commercial ship in the event of 

a German attack. Luckily, the ship 

escaped that fate and Qashat landed 

safely in Canada just before Christmas 

in 1914. 

During his first year, he stayed 

and worked with his uncle, Yousif 

Shammam, selling goods, portables, 

clothes and accessories. Qashat 

worked hard and saved his money, 

one foot planted in his new land but 

one foot still in Mesopotamia, “the 

land between two rivers.” 

News of Turkish massacres in Qashat’s 

homeland and letters from his 

family members prompted him to 

travel back to the land of his birth. 

His return journey in 1921 was more 

dramatic: crossing two oceans, landing 

in Beirut, through the Suez Canal, 

Egypt, along the Red Sea, around the 

Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Ocean, 

to the port of Basra, Iraq. 

Qashat settled in Baghdad, got 

married and worked for the British in 

their new camps. In another pioneering 

move, he was among the first to 

open a hotel in Baghdad’s famous Al- 

Rasheed Street. He named it Qasr Al- 

Sham (Syria Palace). With the church 

as his second home, the new world became 

a distant third and Qashat never 

returned to Canada or the USA, despite 

his desire to travel back. He died 

on November 27, 1967 in Baghdad. 

After World War II, religious 

persecution, the rise of nationalism, 

the 1958 Iraqi coup, the rise of 

fundamentalism, and the fall of the 

Soviet Union all combined to trigger 

an emigration of Eastern Christians 

from Iraq. 

There were fewer than 9,000 

Canadian Chaldeans in 2006. By 

the time Pope Benedict XVI formed 

the Mar Addai Catholic Eparchy 

for Canada in 2011 there were 

over 13,000. As of 2013, the eparchy 

serves 18,886 Catholics. Seven 

priests and 40 permanent deacons 

preside over eight parishes, which are 

located in the provinces of Ontario 

and Quebec. In the 2016 census over 

46,000 people identified themselves 

as Chaldean or Assyrian. 

The Chaldean Catholic Eparchy 

of Mar Addai of Toronto is 




The Canadian passport of Jameel Qashat 

Hazel Park Schools 

1620 E. Elza 

Hazel Park, MI 48030 

(248) 658-5200 

Hazelparkschools.org 

Hazel Park has several schools throughout 

the small district, ranging from the typical 

high school and elementary schools 

to alternative education and vocational 

programs. Hazel Park Schools has 

enhanced the learning experience with the 

use of technology, giving each student their 

own Chromebook. In recent years, the 

district has also implemented the Promise 

Zone, providing scholarship dollars to 

provide an associate’s degree or its 

equivalent at Oakland Community College. 

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools 

850 Ladd Road 


(248) 956-2000 

wlcsd.org 

Walled Lake, one of the largest school 

districts in the state, has shown significant 

gains in Michigan Educational Assessment 

Program (MEAP) and Michigan Merit Exam 

(MME) scores, as well as AP enrollment 

in the high schools. They continuously 

implement state-of-the-art technology 

in their instruction and offer a variety of 

enrichment programs and community-wide 

initiatives. Like West Bloomfield, it is very 

diverse and all three of their high schools 

have been ranked in Newsweek’s list of 

advantageous schools. 

the sole eparchy (Eastern Catholic 

diocese) of the Chaldean Catholic 

Church (Syro-Oriental Rite) 

in Canada. It depends directly on 

the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch 

of Babylon, without being part of 

any ecclesiastical province. Its cathedral 

is the Cathedral of the Good 

Shepherd, in North York, near Toronto, 

in Ontario. 

The Most Reverend Bawai Soro 

was installed as the third Eparchial 

Bishop of the Chaldeans in Canada 

at Good Shepherd Chaldean Cathedral, 

North York, Ontario, on 29 

November 2017. His Beatitude Mar 

Louis Raphaël I Sako, Chaldean Patriarch 

of Babylon, presided. 

According to Bishop Soro, 60-80% 

of Chaldeans now live outside their 

historical territories. “We are already 

a Western Church. We really don’t 

know what we are now.” Since the 

American invasion of Iraq in 2003 

about one million Iraqi Christians, 

most of them Chaldean, have left Iraq. 

As the new bishop to a Canadian 

Church which has grown in recent 

years because of the Christian refugees 

fleeing ISIS in Iraq and Syria, 

the connections Soro hopes to make 

are complex spiritually, culturally 

and politically. 

It’s a task the 63-year-old Iraqiborn 

priest is ready to tackle as he 

takes charge of the Chaldean Eparchy 

of Mar Addai of Toronto. Established 

in 2011, it is the only Chaldean diocese 

in Canada, serving an estimated 

40,000 Chaldean Catholics. 

On the run from misguided attempts 

by ISIS to return to the age 

of empires, the Chaldeans must now 

embrace a whole new perspective on 

life in Canada. St. Peter’s Chaldean 

Catholic Church pastor Fr. Niaz 

Toma in Oakville appreciates the 

challenge his new boss faces bridging 

the gaps between generations, 

between new arrivals and established 

Chaldean-Canadians, between the 

families that have adjusted well and 

those that still struggle. 

Many of the conservatives are 

to be found right here in Canada in 

the established immigrant Church. 

The innovators are either in Iraq or 

among the new arrivals — people 

who have witnessed not just war but 

enormous cultural upheaval. They 

demand a liturgy and a Christianity 

that responds to their reality. 

That’s not so easy for older immigrants 

who have sacrificed so much 

to start over in Canada. They begin 

growing in a new environment, totally 

alien to them. What’s the only 

thing, however, that they continue 

to hold? It’s their liturgy. They cling 

to it. Bishops are there to care for the 

people whose passions and problems, 

whose families and traditions, are engaged 

in the liturgy. 

“We have started to have second 

and third-generation Chaldeans in 

Canada, where they are Chaldean, 

but they seem to be very different 

from the Chaldeans who are just arriving 

in Canada,” says Bishop Soro. 

Certainly, Soro is aware of their 

pride and heritage. But he also wants 

Canada’s Chaldeans to be anything 

but frozen in time. “We are engaged 

in preparing a new generation of 

clergy who understand the rising 

mentality, who understand Canada, 

who are native to the English expression 

and tongue,” he said. “The 

Chaldean Church in Canada needs 

people who are native to this culture, 

to this language, so they can properly 

serve it.” 

Lamphere Schools 

31201 Dorchester 


(248) 589-1990 

Lamphereschools.org 

Lamphere is one of Madison Height’s two 

districts. The district has enhanced its 

instruction with the use of technology and 

has added a Mandarin Chinese Immersion 

program beginning in preschool. They have 

renovated all of their buildings and align 

their curriculum with the state’s common 

core standards. They encourage athletics, 

the arts and community involvement. 

Madison District Public Schools 

26524 John R. Rd. 


(248) 399-7800 

MadisonSchools.K12.Mi.Us 

This small district offers challenging 

academics and a nurturing environment. 

They provide state-of-the-art technology, 

bilingual programs, and specialized math 

and reading programs. Student leadership 

and involvement is much encouraged, as 

is the appreciation for cultural differences. 

They also offer an alternative school and 

a “virtual academy” in which students can 

take online courses. Madison accepts 

students from Oakland, Macomb and 

Wayne counties. 

Troy School District 

4400 Livernois Road. 

Troy, MI 48098 

(248) 823-4000 

Troy.K12.Mi.Us 

Troy supports a quality education with 

enrichment programs that foster an 

appreciation for learning, diversity and 

mutual respect. They offer a complete 

K-12 IB program and all schools have 

received the Blue Ribbon Award. They also 

previously received an A+ rating from the 

Detroit News. 

Warren Consolidated Schools 

31300 Anita Drive 


(888) 492-7543 

wcs.K12.Mi.Us 

More than 52 languages are spoken at 

home by students of Warren Schools’ 

diverse population. Warren is committed 

to using technology and providing a wide 

range of opportunities for its multicultural 

student body. It offers a strong curriculum 

in a friendly atmosphere supported by the 

local community. Sterling Heights High 

School has been named among the best in 

the nation by U.S. News & World Report. 

West Bloomfield School District 

5810 Commerce Road 

West Bloomfield, MI 48324 

(248) 865.6480 

wbsd.org 

West Bloomfield is a very diverse district 

that boasts rigorous academics, engaging 

programs and a 95 percent graduation 

rate. West Bloomfield High School, ranked 

in the top 6 percent of Newsweek’s 

most desirable schools, offers the most 

Advanced Placement (AP) classes than any 

other high school in Oakland County. There 

are more than 5,500 students enrolled 

in the schools, which have achieved 

Evergreen status through the students’ 

aggressive attitude to being energy 

conserving. 

Utica Community Schools 

11303 Greendale 


(586) 797-1000 

UticaK12.org 

Utica’s commitment to students can be 

found in their motto, “Every child achieves.” 

They have implemented a first-class 

curriculum and a culture in which students 

aspire to accomplish their goals. They 

have 28 Blue Ribbon schools and their 

students have the highest MEAP, MME and 

American College Testing (ACT) scores in 

Macomb County. 


DOCTOR is in 

Death of the Handshake 

With the world 

still reeling from 

the impact of 

the COVID-19 pandemic, 

many are struggling to understand 

how the “new 

normal” will redefine their 

daily lives. While political 

views have infiltrated and 

polarized the minds of the 

masses, we must begin to 

take reasonable and meaningful 

steps forward in this 

new era. One question I am 

frequently asked is, how do we protect 

ourselves and our families without 

any real or effective cures or preventions 

for COVID-19? The term 

‘social distancing’ is now familiar in 

every household across the country. 

But what does this mean for Americans 

moving forward? 

Are we living through the death of 

the handshake? Can we ever hug our 

friends or family again without worrying 

for the following two weeks about 

being exposed to a potentially lethal 

virus? Are Americans to completely 

part ways with our traditional social 

and professional greetings and exchanges 

of affection? All particularly 

important questions with likely significant 

impact on our interpersonal 

relationships and cultural traditions. 

With recent and abrupt resurgence 

in COVID-19 cases across 

America, many have serious concerns 

about the direction our local 

and national governments have given 

on ‘opening-up’ society. In many 

cases, those directions from different 

government agencies conflict with 

one another and leave everyone feeling 

confused on how to move on with 

their lives. One’s political orientation 

now seems to dictate how safe 

they choose to be and how seriously 

they take COVID-19 in general. 

This has to stop. We must, as a 

community, rise above this. It is ridiculous 

that Republicans and Democrats 

approach COVID differently. 

We must see beyond the politics of 

this matter in order to keep ourselves 

and everyone around us safe. 

The term ‘social distancing’ is defined 

by the CDC as: keeping a safe 

space between yourself and other 

people who are not from your household. 

This concept has scientific 

NICHOLAS M. 

YELDO, MD 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

merit because viruses like 

COVID-19 spread mainly 

among people who are in 

close contact (within about 

6 feet) for a prolonged period. 

Spread happens when 

an infected person coughs, 

sneezes, talks loudly, or sings 

(think the typical Chaldean 

wedding) and droplets 

from their mouth or nose 

are launched into the air 

and land in the mouths or 

noses of people nearby. The 

droplets can also be inhaled into the 

lungs. 

Recent studies indicate that 

people who are infected but do not 

have symptoms likely play a role in 

the spread of COVID-19. Since people 

can spread the virus before they 

know they are sick, it is important 

to stay at least 6 feet away from others 

when possible, even if you—or 

they—do not have any symptoms. 

Social distancing is especially important 

for people who are at higher 

risk for severe illness from COV- 

ID-19. Recent studies have shown 

that COVID-19 can live on surfaces 

for hours or days depending on environmental 

conditions and may be 

spread when someone touches a contaminated 

surface and then touches 

their face, mouth or nose, but this 

has been shown not to be a major 

route of spread of the virus. Regardless, 

distancing limits opportunities 

to come in contact with contaminated 

surfaces and infected people 

outside the home. 

The greatest danger to our society 

is to simply ignore the existence of 

this virus. As restrictions were eased 

in Michigan, we saw beaches, bars 

and restaurants and other social gatherings 

flooded with people who clearly 

did not take safety very seriously, 

with subsequent rises in COVID1-19 

cases. Now weeks later, we are seeing 

rises in hospitalizations and ICU 

admissions due to COVID-19. We 

must be more careful than this. All 

of us want to go back to our normal 

lives but doing so without any regard 

for the dangers of this virus is reckless 

and irresponsible. The following list 

outlines some basic tips for moving 

forward safely in the COVID-19 era. 

Wear a cloth covering over your 

face – I am a Critical Care Doctor and 

a Cardiac Anesthesiologist. I wear a 

mask nearly every single day for up 

to 20 hours at a time with no consequences. 

Wearing a mask does not 

compromise your oxygen supply or 

increase your carbon dioxide levels. 

Masks have reduced and continue to 

reduce the spread of aerosolized virus 

particles and will greatly reduce transmission 

when everyone wears them. 

This won’t last forever. It is a temporary 

solution to limit viral spread. 

This is not a new concept across the 

world. Please, wear your mask! 

Wash your hands constantly – 

Remember, 20 seconds of soaping 

your entire hand surfaces and then 

10 seconds rinse. 

Choose safe social activities - It 

is possible to stay socially connected 

with friends and family who don’t 

live in your home by calling, using 

video chat, or staying connected 

through social media. If meeting others 

in person (e.g., at small outdoor 

gatherings, yard or driveway gathering 

with a small group of friends or 

family members), stay at least 6 feet 

from others who are not from your 

household. 

Keep distance at events and gatherings 

- It is safest to avoid crowded 

places and gatherings where it may 

be difficult to stay at least 6 feet away 

from others who are not from your 

household. If you are in a crowded 

space, try to keep 6 feet of space between 

yourself and others at all times, 

and wear a cloth face covering. Try 

to avoid handshakes for now. If we 

can get past this pandemic together, 

those practices will return. 

Having worked in a COVID-19 

ICU taking care of up to 16 COV- 

ID-19 patients at a time for weeks on 

end, I stayed completely safe by wearing 

my mask at all times. If I was able 

to do this while standing in the faces 

of these patients, intubating them 

and performing procedures on them, 

then everyone can stay safe by following 

the above guidelines. We are at a 

critical point in time and I can promise 

everyone one thing, ignoring this 

virus and living life as usual will not 

help us get back to normal. With a 

little effort practicing the above tips, 

we can beat this virus and keep our 

community safe. It’s time to put aside 

our differences of opinion and work 

together, guided by science, to make 

our world a safer place. 

Nicholas S. Yeldo, MD is a doctor 

of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, 

Critical Care Medicine, Director 

of Educational Programs, Program 

Director - Anesthesiology Residency, 

Department of Anesthesiology, 

Perioperative, and Pain Medicine 

at Henry Ford Hospital System and 

a Clinical Assistant Professor of 

Anesthesiology and Critical Care at 

Wayne State University School of 

Medicine. 


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Jason S. Samona, D.O. 

Orthopedic Surgery 

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586-573-6880 


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248-863-9254 

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Guaranteed Rate NMLS: 2611 • NMLS ID: 138658, LO#: MI - 138658 

Experience • Knowledge • Personal Service 

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TOP 1% OF REALTORS 

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Each office is independently 

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CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

Jaguar Land Rover Troy 

Sammi A. Naoum 

1815 Maplelawn Drive 


TEL 248-643-6900 

MOBILE 248-219-5525 

snaoum@suburbancollection.com 

ELIAS KATTOULA 

CAREER SERVICES MANAGER 

3601 15 Mile Road 


TEL: (586) 722-7253 

FAX: (586) 722-7257 

elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org 

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 


FOUNDATION 

SANA NAVARRETTE 

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 

30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101 


CELL (248) 925-7773 

TEL (248) 851-1200 

FAX (248) 851-1348 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 


SANA NAVARRETTE 

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER 

30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200 

BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 

TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773 

FAX: (248) 996-8342 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 


Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber 

Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber

event 

Our Fathers 

PHOTOS BY CHALDEAN DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS 

A happy congregation welcomed our 

new priests, Father Marcus Shammami 

and Father Kevin Yono, ordained over 

the Fourth of July weekend. 

2 

4 5 6 

7 

3 

8 

1. Our new priests 

pose for a group photo 

with Msgr. Todd J. Lajiness, 

rector of Sacred 

Heart Major Seminary, 

Most Reverend Francis 

Kalabat, bishop of the 

Chaldean diocese, and 

fellow clergy and seminarians. 

2. Chaldean seminarians 

Yousif Habeeb 

(left), Sebastian Adam 

(middle), and Joseph 

Nannoshi (right) leading 

the ordination ceremony 

procession. 

3. Bishop Francis Kalabat 

vesting Fr. Marcus Shammami 

with his cope during 

the Rite of Ordination 

to the Priesthood 

ceremony. 

4. Newly ordained priests 

Fr. Kevin Yono (left) 

and Fr. Marcus Shammami 

(right) behind Most 

Reverend Gabriel Kassab, 

Bishop (retired). 

5. Fr. Kevin Yono greets 

his family after his ordination 

to the priesthood. 

6. Fr. Fawaz Kako (left), 

pastor of St. George 

Chaldean Church, Fr. Fadi 

Philip (middle), pastor of 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help 

Chaldean Church, and Fr. 

Bashar Sitto (right), pastor 

of St. Thomas Chaldean 

Church. 

7. Fr. Perrin Atisha (left), 

parochial vicar at St. 

George Chaldean Church 

with Fr. Fadie Gorgies 

(right), parochial vicar 

at St. Joseph Chaldean 

Church. 

8. Fr. Ayad Hanna (left), 

pastor of Mart Mariam 

Chaldean Church, Fr. 

Manuel Boji (middle), 

pastor of Holy Martyrs 

Chaldean Church, and Fr. 

Matthew Zetouna (right), 

parochial vicar of Mart 

Mariam Chaldean Church. 



FOUNDATION 

Help 

Wanted? 

As our Nation plans 

to rebuild after this 

unprecedented time, 

please consider 

investing in one of our 

many new Americans. 

HOW WE HELP: 

The Career Services Team 

at the Chaldean Community 

Foundation offers one-on-one 

assistance to help individuals 

identify their goals and 

develop their careers. 

SERVICES INCLUDE: 

• Resume Building and Cover Letter Writing 

• Job Application Completion 

• FAFSA Completion 

• Mock Interviews 

• Employer Referrals 

• Training Opportunities 

• Career Fairs 

• Access to Transportation via the 

Michael J George Chaldean Loan Fund 

To inquire about hiring one of our clients and having your business added to our job bank, 

please call or email Elias at 586-722-7253 or elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org 

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3601 15 MILE ROAD, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 586-722-7253 CHALDEANFOUNDATION.ORG

event 

2 

1 

1 

1 3 

4 

5 

Tee Time 

PHOTOS BY DANY ASHAKA, DMA PRODUCTIONS 

The 17th Annual Chaldean Community Golf 

Outing teed off at Shenandoah Country Club 

on July 23. The popular event, a fundraiser 

for the Chaldean Community Foundation, 

was sold out at the beginning of the year. 

1. Left to right: Salim 

Gasso, Matthew 

Loussia, Chris Abro 

and David George 

2. Patrick Tomina 

(left) and Jim Manna 

3. Paul Jonna (left) 

and Raad Kello 

4. Frank Konja (left) 

and Jamal Kalabat 

5. Left to right: 

Spencer Sandiha, 

Stefan Sandiha, 

Sylvester Sandiha 

and Brian Dabish 

6. Getting ready 

to tee off 

6 


هذه هي الحدائق العامة.‏ 

تباعد اجتامعي قريب من املنزل.‏ 

THEY’RE YOUR 

METROPARKS. 

SOCIAL DISTANCE 

CLOSE TO HOME. 

METROPARKS.COM

14505 MICHIGAN AVENUE 

DEARBORN, MI 48126 

WWW.SUPERIORONLINE.COM 

313-846-1122

AUGUST 2020

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