ACE Blog Roundup: End of the Semester Got You Feelin’ Grinchy?

Here are some Catholic Ed Stories to Make Your Heart Grow Three Sizes:

For many Catholic school educators out there, there’s only a few more days until the long-awaited Christmas break. Whether you’re a teacher in a rush to create final exams or a school leader working to get all of your ducks in a row in time for break, here are a few major stories in both the Catholic and educational (and oftentimes both) world to read if you’re looking for little break.

IF YOU WANT TO READ (AND WATCH) A STORY ON THE EFFECT OF ONE CATHOLIC SCHOOL ON AN ENTIRE FAMILY . . .

. . . check out this great piece on Gabe Moreno by the Texas Catholic. Gabe, a member of the 12th cohort of the Remick Leadership Program, is interim principal at Bishop Dunne in Dallas, Texas. The piece does a great job of showing how one high school has had a tremendous effect on twenty-three (twenty-three!) members of the same family.

IF YOU’RE STILL NOT CONVINCED THERE’S ACTUALLY A CATHOLIC SCHOOL REVIVAL AFOOT . . .

. . . the Wall Street Journal disagrees with you. So there.

IF YOU’RE STRESSED OUT BY GRADING A THOUSAND PAPERS BEFORE GRADES ARE DUE THIS WEEK . . .

. . . take five minutes and read part of this speech by Texas teacher Emily E. Smith, in which she speaks about how she changed her practices to better serve her students. An inspiring read and an important reminder for all of us in Catholic education.

IF YOU’RE FEELING WONKY AND READY FOR MORE ACRONYMS . . .

. . . learn a bit about the newest kid on the EdReform block: Private School Management Organizations, PSMOs. Think charter management organizations (CMOs), but for private Catholic schools. In any case, Juliet Squire, Kelly Robson, and Andy Smarick wrote a report that explains their importance so much better than I ever could, so give it a look.

IF YOU’RE WONDERING WHAT THE POPE’S BEEN UP TO . . .

. . . a lot, actually. Last month, he spoke at the Vatican’s World Congress for education, in which he pushed for more affordable Catholic education and warned schools not to become “elitist.” The Congress also celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis, the Church’s Declaration on Christian Education, which is worth a read if you’ve never taken a look before.

The Pope also opened a giant door. Not impressed? It’s actually a pretty big deal. On Dec. 8, he inaugurated the Jubilee of Mercy. If you’re looking for more information, Crux has you covered. And if you’re looking for classroom resources and activities for students of all ages, The Religion Teacher has a very nice collection put together.

As they say, when God closes a door . . . the pope opens it? It’s something like that.

IF YOU JUST WANT TO TAKE A BREAK AND DO SOME ONLINE SHOPPING . . .

. . . there’s always Buzzfeed. Thanks, Buzzfeed.