Thank you for a wonderful first semester. We have much to celebrate; student academic success; strong co-curricular involvement; growth in our Campus Ministry program, specifically, service work completed through the Ignatian Formation program and the freshman and sophomore retreats. I am grateful for the support you provide our students assisting them in achieving their goals.
As we look at second semester we are excited for the continued work on our instructional framework. Last year we focused on classroom culture and climate and this year on purpose. In support of these dimensions, we have created opportunities for our community to go deeper with our understanding of purpose and how to create a healthier climate and culture. Our in-service in March will provide us with the time, by discipline, to examine our standards. In April Bellarmine will engage in our first Justice Summit, focusing on race. Our work is intentional and is guided by the instructional framework. All of our work should be anchored by our mission and Jesuit values.
Schedule Pilot
Thank you, in advance, for your support during the pilot. The goal of the pilot is to collect information and assess the recommendation from the schedule review committee. We will use a survey to collect feedback from parents, students and you, our faculty. The area of focus for faculty will include:
- Later start-impact on student engagement
- Later end time-impact on attendance (early release due to co-curricular) Reduced minutes in class-impact on instruction
- Office hours-impact on student academic growth*
- Club/program meetings-access to co-curricular offering
*This may be difficult to assess due to timing of the pilot
The Schedule Review Committee will review the feedback and present findings to the Principal Advisory Council. We hope to make a decision by the middle of March.
Developing Global Citizens
The values and characteristics of a Jesuit Education as well as the Four Universal Apostolic Preferences are urging us to develop global citizens; leaders in action who will change our world for the better. A global citizen is someone who:
- Is aware of the wider world and has a sense of their own role as a world citizen;
- Respects and values diversity;
- Responds to social injustices;
- Participates in the community at a range of levels, from the local to the global;
- Is willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place;
- Takes responsibility for their actions.
We will assess our current programs, academic and co-curricular, that support our goal of developing global citizens who will animate our mission and the values of a Jesuit education in the world they will serve. The audit of program will occur in the spring of 2020.
