SJW #22, February 11, 2010

Submitted by Anthony Voss on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 4:25pm

Catholic Schools Week Finale!

A highlight in recent years has been the annual 8th grade versus faculty

volleyball game. Pictured above, the second graders are cheering! The faculty

2-1 in the best of three series.

Registration Reminder

You should have received registration material for the 2010-2011 academic year. If you have not yet received this material, please let us know in the office. As a reminder, this material should be returned by March 1st. This information is critical as we begin making staffing decisions for next year.

Educational Development Fund

The Board of Education and Formation of St. Joseph Catholic School and Parish is the recipient of grant award money from the Educational Development Fund of the Archdiocese of Dubuque for the purpose of providing tuition assistance to those families who can least afford the cost of a Catholic School education. Grant awards were received from the Tuition Assistance program and/or the Minority Grant program supported by the Educational Development Fund. The Educational Development Fund Board allocated a total of $445,000 for these two programs for the 2009/10 program year.

The Educational Development Fund of the Archdiocese of Dubuque has also provided an additional $60,000 in grant awards during 2009/10 for catechists’ formation resources and leadership development.

The Educational Development Fund was developed for the purpose of supporting the educational programs of the Archdiocese. This is the twenty-fourth year that grants have been awarded. Over 6.2 million dollars have been distributed since the Educational Development Fund was established. Grants are made possible through the generous donations of contributors and parishioners throughout the Archdiocese.

Please consider leaving a bequest in your will to this fund that directly impacts the educational programs in the schools and parishes of the Archdiocese. For additional information concerning the Educational Development Fund or making a planned gift toward Catholic Education, contact the Office of Stewardship and Development at 1229 Mt. Loretta Avenue, P.O. Box 479, Dubuque, Iowa 52004-0479, phone 563-556-2580, or email: dbqcstewdev@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us.

Snow Makeup Day Announced

The day of school missed on February 9th will now be made up on March 22nd. Please take special note that this was originally scheduled as the Monday of Spring Break.

Board of Education News

At the regular business meeting on Tuesday night, the Board voted unanimously, approving a recommendation to proceed with staff reduction for the 2010-2011 academic year, per Archdiocesan Policy #4111.22. At the next general business meeting March 9th, the Board will receive in closed session the names of those staff members recommended for reduction. The Board will take no action that night. Following that meeting, staff members affected will be notified. At the April general business meeting, the Board will take action on these recommendations.

At this meeting, the Board also accepted the resignation and request for retirement from Ruth Ard, Director of Religious Education. A timeline for hiring Mrs. Ard's replacement has not yet been established. A copy of Mrs. Ard's letter of resignation can be read here.

Legislative Action Requested

The Iowa Catholic Conference supports House File 2350 and Senate File 2203, which would provide for conscience protections for religious organizations regarding marriage. HF 2350 would also provide for conscience protections for small business owners. While these bills would not solve the issue, they would mitigate the legal effects of same-sex marriage for religious groups.

Regarding of how you feel about same-sex marriage, the experience of other states has shown that without conscience protections, the ability of religious organizations to live out their teachings will be diminished when same-sex marriage is legal. We are especially concerned about the provision of social services and the educational ministry of Catholic schools. Examples would be required curriculum in schools, rental of facilities, hiring of staff, and requirements for adoption programs.

We have a sample message on our website that is customized for both chambers. Those interested can go to our Action Center to prepare a message. (Tom Chapman-Iowa Catholic Conference)