Thank you to all of our Volunteers!

“As I sit on my island, it becomes clear that we need to stop plotting the course and instead just land the plane on our plans to make a difference by getting to the "do" part of faith. That's because love is never stationary. In the end, love doesn't just keep thinking about it or keep planning for it. Simply put: love does.”

― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World

The second great commandment tells us “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  We are reminded of this in so many ways at the Lafayette Catholic School System.  We are reminded by principals, teachers, and even students that we are to put God first, and others second -- before ourselves.  Yet, the verbal reminders are never as powerful as seeing it in action. Daily, I am reminded just how much our parish and school community support our mission, and support the development of our youth.

We just could not function without the support of our dedicated volunteers. Because of you the Lafayette Catholic School System is thriving! You can observe it in many ways:  playground duty at St. Mary; serving lunch at Central Catholic; painting the lines on the football field; sorting and filing for the LCSS Development office; setting up for the Blue Knight Auction; running a student and parent tutorial on science fair projects; taking tickets at a ball game; and the list goes on and on.  Our students, faculty and parents also contribute to many projects in our community, whether it's raising money for cancer research or serving meals at the Lafayette Urban Ministry. Our Catholic community is engaged and making an impact.  

If you want inspiration in living out this second commandment just pay attention the next time you are in one of our schools.  Be inspired, and get involved!

A Grateful Heart

The Greek philosopher Plato said, "A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things."  Gratitude is fundamental to our belief system as Christians.  I have found that as I get older I am more grateful, and that being more grateful leads to a better understanding of the world around me.  It is like looking at a situation and seeing it as a major obstacle, or viewing the exact same situation as an opportunity - an opportunity to grow.  

A grateful heart allows us to move on after tragedy, to accept suffering with grace, and to recognize the good in people.  I want to believe that people are far more grateful than their social media feeds indicate.  I want to believe that given an opportunity -- most people are grateful for the gifts they have been given.  

We have much to be thankful for at the Lafayette Catholic School System, and I would like you to join me in that thanksgiving. As I reflect, here are just a few things that we should give thanks for:

Volunteers:  This past year parents and students donated over 10,000 hours of time to our schools.  This is so important to our success.

Service of our Students:  This past year our students at LCSS donated over 14,000 hours to our parishes, schools and community.

Academic Success:  LCSS has always and must always continue to keep focused on educating the “whole” child, by continuing to improve instruction, programming and curriculum in Religion, Art, Music, Math and the Sciences.  The combination of efforts in technology, staff development, teacher appreciation, and developing an innovative culture are leading to improvements in all aspects of our academic success. While test scores are not alone a measure of success,  we do pay attention to them.  This past year two of our schools were rated as four-star schools by the Indiana DOE, and overall we saw great improvement in our ISTEP scores.  

Dedicated Teachers:  Our teachers were dedicated to learning new instructional methods, integrating technology in the classroom, and identifying ways to utilize data to help individualize instruction, and completed over 2,300 hours of professional development.

Technology:  Through the generous support of our donors and the commitment of our parents we were able to provide each of our faculty members with a new Apple Macbook Air and Ipad mini, and each of our 7-12 grade students with an Apple Macbook Air.  Our school system is becoming a model for other schools in their adoption and use of technology. We look forward to growing technology in our elementary schools.

Financial Support:  The financial support of our parents, alumni, and friends enabled us to provide Student Aid to 465 students last school year, add technology to our four schools, remodel our band and choir rooms at Central Catholic, recarpet the guidance office and teachers lounge, and renovate our outdoor athletic facilities.  

Thank you for all you do for the Lafayette Catholic School System. Let us all be thankful on our way to seeking greatness.

Entrepreneur Academy at Central Catholic

I am excited to announce we are starting an Entrepreneur Academy at Central Catholic! I believe our next generation of entrepreneurs can help solve some of the world's most difficult problems, and my hope is that we can in some small way help inspire young people to help create the future we all need.

Most of our students have never been exposed to entrepreneurship so my goal is to get them introduced through a series of fun interviews with entrepreneurs.  Similar to the approach Sal Kahn uses on the Kahn Academy.  Eventually, I would like to offer classes and competitions, but I think this is a great place to start.

Central Catholic students can earn their Entrepreneur Academy Certificate by attending 2 out 4 session this semester and 2 out of 4 sessions next semester. There will be a question and answer session where students can interview the entrepreneur- so come with questions in mind!

The sessions will be once a month from 7-8 am in the Central Catholic Conference Room, room number 126, on the following dates:

-September 17, Jason Tennenhouse. Click here to read his biography.

-October 8, Prahasith Veluvolu, Mimir LLC, CEO & Application Architect  

-November 12, Paroon Chada, Passageways, Founder & CEO

-December 10, Entrepreneur is TBD.

Please click here to sign up to attend any of these sessions. Parents are welcome to come as well! We hope you will join us for CC Entrepreneur Academy!

Central Catholic - Football Game Venue Change

Dear Friends of Central Catholic,

We are moving the venue of this Friday's Varsity Boy's Football game to Delphi and Monday's JV Football Game to North Montgomery:

Event:  Boy's Varsity Football Game

Location:  Delphi High School Football Field

Date: Friday, August 22nd

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.

Event:  Boy's Jr. Varsity Football Game

Location:  North Montgomery High School Football Field

Date: Monday, August 25th

Kickoff: 6:00 p.m.

We thank you for your support and understanding.  This decision was not easy and delayed as long as it could be to give ourselves the best opportunity to play at home.  The decision was made in consultation with advice from the athletic department, our coaching staff, our contractors, and suppliers, and all agreed with the decision. This was an aggressive project from the beginning but ultimately we did not want to jeopardize the safety of anyone participating or attending the event. 

As many of you can see we have been making great progress on the project.  If you have been driving by you can see significant progress everyday, but sometimes a few days can make a difference.   We had some bad luck the last couple of weeks with weather and delays relating to the manufacturing of our new lights.  Every effort was made to mitigate both weather and lights. 

It is understandable to be frustrated by this, but please join me in being thankful for being given the opportunity to significantly upgrade our athletic facilities.  I would also like to personally thank the Delphi High School Administration and the North Montgomery High School Administration for agreeing to be such generous hosts for us.

GO KNIGHTS!

Yours in Christ,

Eric

We need your help!

To ensure school choice remains an option for our families and community, our state representatives and senators need to hear from you!

Click here to get contact information for our state senators and representatives. Here are a few items that may help keep your legislators, friends and neighbors better informed about the issue:

Historical savings for the state:  Nearly 100,000 other students attend a non-public school and do NOT receive a scholarship from the state.  This savings is historical but should not be discounted.  It equates to about $650,000 Million per year for the state, and School Choice helps preserve and protect this historical savings by ensuring there are robust educational choices in our state available for all income levels.

Public Schools improve when School Choice is enacted:  Parents are the primary educators. When parents have more choice in finding the school that best fits their child’s needs, they also have more influence.  This equates to more competition, and improved performance by public schools. While competition may make those of us in education uncomfortable, it is a powerful tool in ensuring we are using resources to their maximum potential.  Studies from the Friedman foundation also confirm this.

School Choice is good for families and good for students:  It should seem clear that having a choice is better than not having one.  Families and students that are forced to attend schools that are either not meeting their educational needs or are not aligned with their family’s values is an injustice. Families that are able to choose their child’s school are more engaged and more participatory in the educational process.

Deregulation of schools is NOT possible without School Choice: Nearly every administrator, teacher or parent you talk to these days agrees that there is too much time spent on testing and administration, robbing valuable time from the classroom.  However, when there is only a single provider of any service there is a much higher likelihood of waste, inefficiency and poor quality.  When families have a choice, they become the regulators - and this method of regulation is far more effective and far less costly to administer.

School Choice is good for the economy: When employers locate to a community they look closely at the educational opportunities within a community.  Strong public and private school options are essential to support a diverse and thriving community.  

School Choice Schools are more accountable than Public Schools: In addition to accreditation requirements that private schools share with public schools, School Choice schools cannot get two failing grades in a row before all funding is suspended.  Public schools are allowed six failing grades before state intervention is mandated.

It’s your Choice - Make Yourself Heard

Make yourself heard to our members of Congress! Our families need your help! Many of the opposition’s lobbying groups have been building their legislative and grassroots efforts over the past two years and have become very organized in an effort to end School Choice.  We do not believe that by any measure ending School Choice can be argued to be good for families or good for children, and it would be devastating to our communities by limiting choice and educational diversity.

Recently the Journal and Courier and the Indianapolis Star featured an article citing claims that the School Choice program is costing too much money.  However, the article took a very narrow and simplistic view of this issue.  

First, I would like to point out that LCSS has always provided financial assistance to many of our families.  School Choice has not changed this.  However, with the increasing cost of education, a challenging economy, and personal hardships, LCSS tuition assistance was not always enough for some families.  Since School Choice legislation first passed in 2011, we have seen a significant response by our Catholic community. With last year’s expansion of the program, current students whose families meet the Choice Scholarship requirements can also participate in the program, in addition to students transferring from public institutions. The continuation of the Choice Scholarship program is vital to the success of our community and especially to the families who are now able to ensure that their children receive a Catholic education.  

It is moving to witness the gratitude of families who are now able to ensure that their children can attend our Catholic schools - knowing that 100% of our students are graduating from Central Catholic and over 95% continue on to college. Did you know 77% of the Class of 2014 received Indiana’s highest and most challenging diploma, the Academic Honors diploma?  The education we are providing is a great asset and service to our community. After all, the children attending our schools are citizens of the State of Indiana, and our families also support our public education system.  Our students success and service to their community also serve the public’s interest.

In speaking with our legislators on this issue they have said they need to hear from you.  They are inundated with representatives from organized efforts opposing school choice, and really need to hear from you. Your communication can be in a combination of forms:  call them; write them; email them.  If you are a choice parent I strongly encourage you to share your personal story.  It DOES MATTER.  Click here for contact information for our state senators and representatives. Make sure you let your state representative and senator know that you live in their district.

It is our choice and we need to make ourselves heard!

LCSS Leadership Announcement

Dear LCSS Community,

It is with sincere congratulations that I announce the Principal of Central Catholic Jr.-Sr. High School, Dr. Joe Brettnacher, has accepted the position of  Episcopal Moderator of Catholic Education and Superintendent of Schools with the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, in Ohio. It is difficult to put into words how much Dr. Brettnacher will be missed. His contributions to Central Catholic, our Lafayette Catholic Schools and the Diocese are truly remarkable. Over the past nine years Joe has gone above and beyond, and his commitment and genuine love for our students, teachers, staff, and parents is very evident.  Dr. Brettnacher is a true servant leader with a tireless commitment to Catholic education.

In this new role, Dr. Brettnacher will oversee the operations of 11 High Schools and 42 Elementary Schools. As Episcopal Moderator for Education, he will serve as a primary voice of the Bishop in carrying out his prophetic role as the teaching authority for the Catholic faithful enrolled in Catholic schools, Religious Education, and Youth & Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Columbus.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Brettnacher on this outstanding accomplishment and opportunity. I am very grateful to Dr. Brettnacher for his countless contributions to our school system. Please keep him in your prayers as he begins this journey. Please click here for a letter from Dr. Brettnacher.  Dr. Brettnacher’s last day at Central Catholic will be June 30 and he begins his role in Columbus on July 7. I am working closely with our administration and Board of Directors to develop and execute a plan to ensure Central Catholic continues to be supported by very strong leadership.  We look forward to your continued support and prayers.

Thank you and God Bless,

Eric Davis

Congratulations Class of 2014!

The Central Catholic Class of 2026 is finishing up their Kindergarten year.  Parents, it will pass you by quickly. Just ask any of the parents of the Class of 2014.   Those years in between are so special and many of us at the Lafayette Catholic School System can remember when this year’s graduating class first started in our schools.  Our elementary school teachers still love to come to graduation to see those same children they helped shape, and to see just what kind of young men and women of faith they have become.

This year you won’t be disappointed.  While attending the Central Catholic awards ceremony this month, I was reminded of just how fortunate we are to have such great teachers, parents and administrators.  I was reminded and humbled by how that dedication has helped shape our class of 2014 over the past 13 years of their education at the LCSS.  

This year’s class is very impressive. Graduates are attending prestigious universities here in Indiana and around the country Click here for a full list of universities and colleges our students were accepted. Students have received countless awards for their accomplishments in academics and service, such as the Indiana Academic All State award, Rotary Youth of the Month Award, Mayor's Youth Council Award, and the Ryder Citizenship Award, to name a few. 80% of the class of 2014 is graduating with an Honors Diploma, we have eight students graduating with a GPA of 4.0 or higher, we have three students entering the U.S. Army, and we have one student who has received his Eagle Scout Award. Students have received an impressive amount of scholarships to the school of their choice. We have a student who received a scholarship to join a performing arts and choir program at their college. In addition, students have many athletic team and individual accomplishments. We have 8 students going on to play a sport at the collegiate level. These are just a few of the many accomplishments this class has to be proud of!

Most importantly I am proud to know our students have developed a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ, and are entering the next phase of their life more prepared to be great servant leaders. Please join me in congratulating our administrators, teachers, staff and students for another wonderful year!

2014 Blue Knight Auction

The Blue Knight Auction is right around the corner! This year the 21st Annual Blue Knight Auction will take place on Saturday, April 26. We hope you are able to join us for this very special event! I first attended the BKA in 2004 and was overwhelmed by the generosity, passion and involvement from across our community and beyond. It truly is a remarkable event. Over the past twenty years, the BKA has raised over $3,300,000 for the Lafayette Catholic Schools. The funds we raise each year go to support tuition assistance so those families who desire to give their children a Catholic education have every opportunity to do so. This year we hope to raise $300,000 for our school system. We have hundreds of exciting items to bid on. You can read about every item in our entire Auction Catalog here. Each year we select a Blue Knight Auction SPECIAL PROJECT to help advance strategic initiatives to ensure we are keeping pace with changes in technology, instruction and assessment.

Since George W. Bush first announced the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education initiative over seven years ago, schools throughout the country have been racing to be first to tout their new programs and endeavors.  Following any reform it is important to take a critical look at ways that it can be improved.  The fact is today’s college graduates are expected to change jobs 6 to 10 times throughout their careers, and many will completely change careers more than once.  They will be expected to be creative problem solvers, innovative thinkers, and moral contributors to society.  Catholic schools around the country are supplementing the STEM initiatives with their own brand called STREAM:  Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math.  We feel this approach aligns perfectly with our strategic plan.  This initiative will fund the following:

Professional Development

This process complements much of what we are doing with our 1:1 computing efforts and other technology upgrades.  However, whenever launching a new enterprise it is important to ensure faculty and staff are trained to utilize, support and effectively create using the new technologies and are able to engage students in completely new ways.

STREAM Coordinator - Elementary Schools/Central Catholic

In the past the LCSS started a number of great programs run by volunteers, for example: Lego robotics programs, after school foreign language, music programs, and many others.  It is part of our Catholic school identity to use parent and community volunteers; but to ensure continuity and consistency, it is important to provide a coordinator to identify programming, coordinate volunteers, and ensure we maintain high quality service.

Elementary 21st Century Learning Initiative  

This process will bring an iPad mini cart to every elementary school.  This cart will help our students collaborate, connect, create, and learn in ways that aren’t possible without technology in the classroom.  This will open up an entirely new world of learning for our students. Imagine when you first learned of the Sistine Chapel and its astonishing artwork, and being able look around as if you were actually in the building!  What if you could hold the Mars Rover in your hand?  This type of learning is only possible if we can infuse technology into the classroom.

STREAM Grants

This year we were able to start several new measures including: QuadC - the Central Catholic Coding Club, a robotics initiative, an elementary Lego robotics program, and an elementary school foreign language program.  While many of these programs are supported by small fees from parents, they often have start-up fees for equipment or materials that are difficult to cover.  We would like to offer teachers/volunteers the ability to apply for some start-up funds to help get a new initiative started.  New programs will be judged on many factors, including our ability to support and maintain the program.

LCSS Graduates Among the Most Prepared in the State of Indiana

Today’s college graduates are expected to change jobs 6 to 10 times throughout their careers, and many will completely change careers more than once. Much of the current thinking in public education is to focus on vocational training, but we should ask, what vocations are we training our students for? Some of the most common jobs today may not exist in 10 or 20 years. The truth is that we need to produce well-rounded students that can learn, unlearn, and relearn at a rapid rate, but who will also remain true to their faith, virtues, values, and work ethic. We believe that our Catholic schools offer the best environment for this type of learning and training to occur.

One of the hallmarks of Catholic Education is the fundamental principle that parents are the primary educators. This ensures parents are involved and engaged. There are many reasons parents choose Catholic schools.  In many urban communities it may be that there are really no desirable public school options, however, that is not the case in Lafayette.  We have a number of good schools that provide sound curriculum, good teachers, high test scores, advanced music programs, new STEM programs, etc. However, LCSS parents understand that education is more than just test scores and vocational training. It is about passing along our faith, values, work ethic, and culture to our children.  

As parents we take our role seriously, and do not take the decision about which school to send our children to lightly. It is difficult to point to any one statistic or even anecdotal story that would give us complete confidence that we have made the right choice. As parents of elementary school children, we worry that we may not know the results of our choices until long after our children graduate from high school. This past May, my oldest child graduated from Central Catholic after attending LCSS schools since third grade. I have a lot of anecdotal information that gives me comfort that we made the best choice. I have also made an effort to talk with many parents we have had the opportunity to get to know over the years, and there is one consistent theme: The Catholic Community that makes up our Lafayette Catholic School System has prepared our children well for life. We are so grateful for this.

While we shouldn’t place too much emphasis on any one report or statistic, it pleases me to share with you a recent study issued by the State of Indiana. This report on college readiness reflects favorably on our Catholic school graduates. The Indiana Commission of Higher Education reported on the Class of 2011 (from all high schools in Indiana) and as shown in the chart below, LCSS graduates are some of the best performing students in the State. This is a great tribute to our teachers in K-12, our parents, and all of our many supporters. This illustrates what we know in our hearts to be true about Catholic education and the preparation we are offering our students.

Class of 2011

High School	% of students attending college	% of students requiring remediation (in college)	Freshman Year GPA
Central Catholic	92.00%	6.00%	2.9
Cathedral	91.00%	14.00%	2.9
Guerin Catholic	90.00%	13.00%	2.7
West Lafayette	87.00%	10.00%	2.9
Park Tudor*	85.00%	4.00%	3.2
Faith Christian	78.00%	25.00%	2.8
Harrison	65.00%	23.00%	2.7
Rossville	60.00%	27.00%	2.5
McCutcheon	58.00%	27.00%	2.5
Benton Central	53.00%	32.00%	2.5
Lafayette Jefferson	52.00%	40.00%	2.3

*Park Tudor is a private school in Indianapolis with annual Tuition and Fees exceeding $19,000 per year.

Catholic Schools Week

6,685 Catholic schools across the nation celebrated the 40th annual Catholic Schools Week from January 27- February 1.  Catholic high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools joined together to praise God, express gratitude and show their communities what Catholic education is all about. They remembered why Catholic schools are a vital part of society today. This year’s Catholic Schools Week theme was “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service.” This theme truly encompasses the essence of our Lafayette Catholic School System.

On Wednesday of that week, the LCSS once again celebrated the annual All Schools Mass at Central Catholic. This tradition is a favorite of every LCSS student and has been going on for many years. It was heartwarming to see McHale Gymnasium filled with its 943 students of all ages.

We were blessed to have Bishop Doherty and eight priests from our area parishes to celebrate the All Schools Mass.  In Bishop Doherty’s homily he shared with the students how his childhood and life experiences brought him to where he is today, and he strongly encouraged them to thank their parents for the gift of Catholic education.

LCSS parents, past and present, are our biggest supporters. Every day I see their gifts of time, talent and treasure and am truly grateful for all they give to our school system. We are all called in this life to serve a greater purpose and to seek greatness. I am reminded every Catholic Schools Week of just how blessed we all are to be a part of the Lafayette Catholic Schools community.