Take a Few Minutes…
As another academic year closes, the K’naan song entitled, “I’m Just Gonna Take a Minute” springs to mind. Certainly these last ten months have been filled with many things that are deserving of the teacher mantra, “I’m too busy!” Meeting the Religion and Family Life needs in all the curricular and extra-curricular times of our students is both challenging and fulfilling work. The Equity and Inclusive Education strategy, for example, has certainly taken centre stage, especially in the careful, deliberate navigation of how we as Catholic teachers include and safeguard all of our LGBTQ and straight students. Offering the best of who we are as Catholic educators never takes a vacation, but is clearly a vigilant part of what it means to walk with those who are most in need, just as Jesus did.
The CARFLEO Executive will look a little different come September. We welcome Paul Beaudette as the newly appointed Chair for the next two years. Deirdre Vance will take over the reins as Secretary, and Sr. Pat Carter will handle the Treasurer’s role. At the same time, a hearty thank you goes out to Paul for his service as Secretary. Mike Jenny has served as CARFLEO’s Treasurer for six years. This year we bid him adieu as he continues full time in his work as Religion Department Head at Bishop Reding C.S.S. We will miss his skilled work with the finances and his many valued contributions around our table. I want to thank you for the support and confidence you have had in my role as Chair for the past four years. I look forward to serving CARFLEO with the very skilled and experienced members that make up CARFLEO’s Executive.
Because we did not host a CARFLEO Conference this year, we are also piloting, this year, an electronic version of our AGM Report that can be found on the following page.
So, as you lovingly look into the long days of summer that soon will greet us, we at CARFLEO hope that you can take a minute (well, hopefully many minutes to:
Sleep in and rest;
Walk, run, ride or move in whatever way that helps you rejuvenate;
Pray, retreat, reflect and soak in the Spirit filled time and events of your summer;
Enjoy friends, family, significant others who bring you joy;
Get into nature and open to the restorative energies it offers;
And most of all to find exactly what helps you to relax and appreciate the wonders of God all around us.
On behalf of all of us at CARFLEO have a wonderful summer! Kevin Welbes Godin
2011 – 2012 CARFLEO AGM Report
On behalf of Religious and Family Life Educators of Ontario, CARFLEO promotes the mission of the Association and enhances the distinctive contribution of Catholic education to the Church and society by providing leadership and service in four critical areas.
In each of these four areas, this year’s AGM report is outlined with the current and on-going work of the 2011-12 members that make up CARFLEO’s Executive.
Networking and Affiliation
Institute of Catholic Education representation on the Curriculum Committee
Supportive sponsor and partner with When Faith Meets Pedagogy Conference
Invited presenter to the Fall 2012 Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario plenary
Communication with the three Catholic Curriculum Cooperatives
Subject Council Member with Ontario Teacher Federation
Member involvement and representation on OCSTA Education Week Committee and ICE Religious Education Policy Document
Professional Development
Annual workshop presenters at When Faith Meets Pedagogy
Maintenance and updating of Website –
YouTube accessible professional development video resources that support teachers in the delivery of a broad range of Family Life topics.
Advocacy
Initial development of a teacher based workshop on issue of equity and inclusion of LGBTQ students in our Catholic schools.
Video resources that will foster conversation on issues related to anti-homophobia and creating safe, supportive, and welcoming Catholic communities.
Recognizing and honouring two Catholic Ontario educators for excellence in Religious and Family Life Education through our Archbishop Phillip Pocock and Fr. Angus MacDougall Awards.
Research and Development
Partner with Ministry of Education for the development and delivery of implementation of the Secondary Health and Physical Education document.
Financial Report
CARFLEO’s current balance is $12,802.10. Revenues from membership fees were down $600 from last year, but the conference generated $5000 once costs were covered.
June 9th was used as the closing date for the account (rather than the customary April 30th), since Michael Jenny is moving on in his role as Treasurer.
CARFLEO AWARD RECIPIENTS:
CARFLEO recognized two amazing educators that were selected as this year’s recipients of our annual awards.
Archbishop Pocock Award for Excellence in Religious Education:
Greg Rogers (below, left) is the 2012 recipient of the Archbishop Philip Pocock Award for excellence in Religious Education. Among the many contributions Greg has made in the Catholic education community of Ontario, is initiating When Faith Meets Pedagogy and the bi-annual Catholic Leadership Youth Forum. He was a major contributor to the writing of the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations and the curriculum and video resources for L’Arche Canada. He is the director of the Olympia Catholic Leadership Camp, and Adventure Learning Experiences which brings hundreds of students and Catholic educators to experience service leadership in countries like Kenya and India. Above all, Greg connects with people in profound ways that help to change people’s lives. His contagious style of Catholic leadership has inspired new and veteran teachers alike, as well as the many students he engages with in his ministry of teaching. The Catholic community is truly enriched by the Catholic leadership of Greg, and CARFLEO is proud to honour him and his work with this award, which will be presented at the When Faith Meets Pedagogy Conference in October.
Father Angus MacDougall Award for Excellence in Family Life Education:
The Fr. Angus McDougall award for excellence in Family Life Education was awarded to Mary Anne Takacs, above right. With over a half-century of service in Religion and Family Life education, her contribution to teachers and the Ontario Catholic community has been significant.
At the provincial level, she has served on the executive of CARFLEO; and before that CRECO, both as an active member and Chair. As part of her role, she participated in numerous writing teams for Family Life and Religious Education. During her tenure at the York Catholic CDSB in the role of Religion/Family Life consultant, she helped to develop the Family Life kits to support educators along with many other resources that support student and adult faith formation.Along with her participation in numerous extensive writing projects regarding bereavement support within the school, Mary Ann co-authored two resource books to assist elementary and secondary schoolteachers in supporting students deal with loss - I Feel Sad and Dealing with Loss and Grief, both published by Novalis. Even today, as a retired educator, she continues to offer in-services to teachers on Family Life and Religious Education within the elementary panel.
We are blessed to have Mary Ann, and value her faithful presence and prophetic voice when it comes to Family Life. Her award was presented at the AGM of the Central Catholic Curriculum Corporation.
CARFLEO Conference:Plans for our 2013, April 8th-9th Conference are well underway. This year’s conference will take place at Queen of the Apostles in Mississauga. We look forward to offering you a rich and healthy dialogue about the issues important to you in Catholic Education. Please put April 8th and 9th in your book now and look to our website for conference and registration information, .
New Teacher Resource:Preliminary plans are being explored to address the needs of teacher professional development in offering supports for LGBTQ students and GSA’s. Our on-line YouTube videos that accompany the Intermediate Family Life Resources are excellent for individual professional development, inclusion in staff meetings, or divisional and department meetings. CARFLEO has always been about fostering and furthering the conversation when it comes to quality delivery of our Religious and Family Life programs. We are moving forward with workshop and video PD to expand and enhance the conversation with creating the kind of comfort and competency needed to meet student needs in the area of equity and inclusion.
Ontario Catholic Elementary Religious Education Policy Document: The Institute for Catholic Education wishes to announce that the writing of the Ontario Catholic Elementary Religious Education Policy Document has been completed and the document should be available early in the fall of 2012. A workshop has been planned to introduce the full document at the ‘When Faith Meets Pedagogy’ conference. The documents will be available through the Institute for Catholic Education. Check their website or the CARFLEO website later in August or early in September to find updates on how and when you can order the document.
CARFLEO Website:Speaking of our popular website, you can look forward in September to a new look to what this site offers. Summer plans are underway to make the website an even more valuable and easy to navigate resource for your Religion and Family Life needs. We tip our hat to Les Miller who leads the way in this updating project.