From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

New year brings renewed emphasis on prayer, service for students in Catholic schools

by Bonita Lawhead, Inland Register staff

(From the Aug. 22, 2002 edition of the Inland Register)

School starts Tuesday, Sept. 3, for the more than 4,500 students attending the 19 Catholic schools of the Spokane Diocese.

Students and their parents will not see too many changes between last school year and now, according to Duane Schafer, diocesan superintendent of education.

One change students will notice is a special emphasis on helping senior citizens. Schafer said staff members will be asked to develop service projects that particularly benefit the elderly, something he called “a primary focus.”

Another emphasis Schafer mentioned will be on Sunday Mass and “regular family prayer.” Schools will be asked “to provide encouragement and guidance to families” in this area, he said.

The education office has purchased a catechist formation video series titled Echoes of Faith, which will be used for teacher training starting in October. Teachers will meet after school for the series, which summarizes the Catholic faith based on the four areas of the Catechism: the Creed, liturgy and sacraments, life in Christ and prayer.

This year also will see a committee of principals, teachers, and parents begin a year-long review of the diocesan social studies curriculum.

Two schools, St. John Vianney in Spokane and St. Patrick in Pasco, are nearing the end of their state accreditation process. Two other schools, Assumption in Walla Walla and Holy Family in Clarkston, will soon begin their self-study toward accreditation. All of the diocese’s schools are accredited through the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, a state-recognized organization.

Another key area of emphasis will be on finances and development efforts. Schafer said his office will establish an ad hoc business community committee to provide guidance on alternative sources of funding for Catholic schools. Schafer said schools will be “encouraged to establish a three-year, $1 million endowment goal.” His office will provide “appropriate training,” he said, “to help them meet their goals.”

Technology gets an update, too. The school office plans to redevelop its website to be consistent with the diocesan site. Schafer said they hope to have curricula and other school material available on the website and that the site will enable on-line giving.

The superintendent also said they plan to make all forms available to the schools on-line and will encourage school personnel to make greater use of e-mail.

A set of “student technology benchmarks” will be established and schools will be expected to implement these with their students before they graduate.

For parents wondering about the school voucher system, Schafer said their use in Washington state is “a remote possibility at this time.” Even though the U.S. Supreme Court approved the vouchers for private schools, Washington state’s constitution prohibits their use. Schafer said the constitution has what’s known as the Blaine Amendment, which specifically prohibits the use of public funds for “anything religious.” In order for vouchers to be legal, the Washington state legislature would have to take action, and in his opinion, that’s not likely to happen “anytime soon.”

Two new principals join the ranks: Tom Feldhausen at St. Charles School in Spokane and Guy Pitzer in Colton. (See separate story on page 10.) Thirteen new teachers are also on board for the new school year.

Schafer said that he expects school enrollment numbers to drop slightly, which reflects a decline in nearly all the state’s schools. The official count takes place after school starts.

Schafer’s office has developed a new Catholic schools brochure and adopted the logo of the National Catholic Education Association. The logo shows two shooting stars that have intersected paths with the words: “Where Faith & Knowledge Meet.” The brochure will be distributed to real estate offices and placed in welcome packets throughout the diocese.

The brochure lists six principles as developed by the Spokane Diocese “to provide and sustain a system of Catholic schools.” One of those principles reads: “the diocese) is committed to excellence in Catholic Christian formation and excellence in education.”

(For more information, call the school office at (509) 358-7330.)

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