The Archdiocese of Louisville’s Catholic Schools Office hopes its theme for the new school year — “Listen, Teach, Send: Foster a Faithful Community” — will guide educators and administrators as they serve each other, students and families.
The theme was inspired by the USCCB’s new pastoral framework for ministry with youth and young adults.
Both are modeled on the Gospel story of two disciples’ encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, said Mary Beth Bowling, superintendent of schools.
“We need to look on a deeper level at how we are serving our schools,” Bowling said in a recent interview. “We want to walk alongside them and be good listeners.”
As the theme is lived out during the school year, Bowling and the assistant superintendent, Amy Nall, said they hope to see the fruit in several ways:
- How the schools office interacts with and serves Catholic schools.
Bowling said this starts with living out the faith.
“That needs to be the center and core of how we work with the people we serve,” she said. “We have a responsibility to the Gospel teaching. … If I’m not sharing the Good News, how will it become part of our DNA?”
- How principals interact with and serve teachers.
“We’re shifting how principals work with teachers,” Bowling said. They are moving from a model where principals evaluate teachers to a model where principals coach teachers and provide feedback, Bowling explained.
Nall said principals also gathered in late July for a retreat where they reflected on how they can “intentionally accompany faculty, staff and families.”
- How Catholic schools support and involve families.
Families want to hear, “ ‘It’s going to be OK; we’ll get through this,’ ” Bowling said. “It’s more powerful when you have that parent partnership. The child gets the best of both worlds.”
- How teachers interact with and serve students.
“It’s going to look differently in every school or classroom, but if we listen first to better understand whatever the situation, I think we can respond more authentically to the need,” Bowling said.
Nall said emphasis needs to be placed on listening — whether it’s the office relating to the principals, principals relating to teachers or teachers relating to students.
“That ‘listen’ is the accompaniment. If we’re not listening and walking with, we don’t know how to address the need,” she said.
Two schools in the archdiocese have a new principal this year.
Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia Maria Christi Greve is the principal at St. James School in Elizabethtown, Ky. Sister Greve has ministered as an educator in elementary schools in California, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia and Missouri for the past three decades.
Shelly Pence is principal of Holy Cross High School. Pence has served at Holy Cross for 14 years in various roles including assistant principal and director of corporate internship. She is a graduate of Holy Cross’ class of 1993. She began her teaching career at Notre Dame Academy where she taught for 10 years.
