MUNSTER – A call to educating and mentoring that draws people into relationship was celebrated by the Diocese of Gary Schools as teachers and administrators gathered for a day of worship, fellowship and professional development.
St. Thomas More parish hosted the annual event dubbed “PD,” where the 1,000-seat church was site for a Mass presided over by Bishop Robert J. McClory and a motivational session led by school administrator, technologist, marathon runner and motivational speaker Adam Welcome on Feb. 14.
Superintendent of Diocese of Gary Schools Colleen Brewer rolled out the welcome mat for more than 400 educators from 20 schools. As the emcee, she also offered her congratulations to teachers and administrators recognized in an awards ceremony that concluded the event.
Bishop McClory began his homily by greeting those in attendance and pointing out Father Michael Yadron, St. Thomas More pastor, and Father Steven Caraher, a St. Thomas More graduate.
The bishop said Father Caraher, who serves at Holy Martyrs Parish in Merrillville, recently joined him at a Super Bowl gathering. Perhaps more memorable than the game was the conversation about the lexicon of today’s youth, the bishop added.
“So, in our conversation (I talked about) a workshop I went to with the bishops for a couple days about engaging the next generation,” the bishop explained. “They gave us this exercise to see who could match the slang word with a definition … and I got 100%. I'm sure you’ve heard (this slang) enough: ate, bussin, delulu, mid, no cap, rent-free, rizz, skibidi, slay, sus.
He continued, “When I texted some of the priests (at the bishop’s conference) and said, ‘Boy this is great; I was able to score 100,’ and they said, ‘You were slay (excelled among) all the other bishops ... they probably did that so the bishops wouldn’t be delulu (become delusional).”
The humorous narrative segued right into the bishop’s focus on deliberate efforts to reach and connect with students to help them excel in school and in life. “You know the Lord calls us to speak in a language and a way that connects and draws ourselves to those who are hearing us,” he said.
Referencing the evangelism of the apostles in the Gospel, especially St. Paul, he encouraged teachers to act with clarity and purpose in their communication.
“In your roles as teachers, you have that beautiful ability to be with young people whatever their language may be and share that Good News, to let them fulfill their destiny as sons and daughters of Jesus Christ,” said Bishop McClory.
The diocesan shepherd shared the inspired reflections of two of his nieces who are young, enthusiastic Catholic school teachers. He implored the seasoned teachers present to lean on the Lord should they become burdened.
“What can happen is (that) over time, the demands of the responsibility that we have, the exertion that is sometimes required, (coupled with) maybe sometimes the lack of feedback and positive affirmation that we thought we might get along the way … can kind of drown out that first love,” Bishop McClory said. “Rather, ask the Lord to reveal to us, to renew in us again the love of ‘why’ – the heart of our vocation.”
Welcome, who flew in from California, encouraged a relational way of connecting with and imparting knowledge to students.
“The relationship has always been the No. 1 thing. You build the connection, you build the relationship,” said the co-author of “Kids Deserve It! Pushing Boundaries and Challenging Conventional Thinking.”
Welcome detailed an effort he made as an administrator using a spreadsheet to quantify those students with whom staff members have infrequent interaction and promoted an effort to connect with those students, who sometimes found it “odd that teachers knew their name.”
“Every kid has something amazing inside; some kids are a little bit different or harder to build connections with,” Welcome said. “Don’t let someone else in your building dictate the way a student is going to be perceived. You connect with him. In some way, it can save somebody’s life.”
“I liked that they had a positive speaker, somebody who was motivating you to do better for yourself and for your kids,” said Gayle Bakota, fourth-grade teacher at St. Paul in Valparaiso. “That’s always been my belief – to connect with my students. That’s how I get good grades in my classrooms.”
John Gleason, a Texas native, is in his fifth year at Bishop Noll Institute, where he teaches economics and U.S. history to mostly seniors.
“I did my student teaching at BNI and I saw the impact it had on the students and the culture and I was blown away by it,” Gleason said. “After that, I was hooked. I really connect with the idea of having my faith life tied in with the curriculum.”
Gleason works on making his communications clear, a crucial first step in relational teaching. He thought the bishop’s homily was “bussin” (an awesome thing).
“The bishop said the (modern slang narrative) was a joke and that it wasn’t related to the rest of the homily, but absolutely it was,” explained Gleason. “(It’s important) to find ways to get a language and communicate with young people and allow them to connect with their faith and also with what we’re teaching.”
A lunch provided an opportunity for fellowship and trading notes. There, fourth-year BNI U.S. government and social studies teacher Alec Haines said the most valuable part of a seminar is the interaction with other professionals.
Brewer tipped her hat to her staff in the schools office and committee of four principals who helped plan and set up the professional development day, supported by funding from Big Shoulders Fund. For all the ways diocesan schools are on the upswing – increased enrollment, support and recognition, such as St. Thomas More earning a National Blue Ribbon School designation last year – she said awards are keyed to saintly inspiration for instructional innovation.
“Some people are really being creative in how they reach students, how they build relationships and how they motivate students,” Brewer said. “You hear often, nowadays, that kids are different, so we really want to celebrate the people who are really doing something different to reach the next generation and motivate them.”
Diocese of Gary School’s Office Appreciation & Recognition Awards 2024-2025 School Year:
Appreciation Awards:
10 Years:
Laura Lohse (Queen of All Saints)
Sally Skowronski (Nativity of Our Savior)
Jennifer Weeks (Nativity of Our Savior)
Amy Donkersloot (St. Stanislaus Kostka)
Brenda Traciak (St. Casimir)
Johan Castaneda (Bishop Noll Institute)
Theresa McLoughlin (St. Mary Catholic Community)
Natasha Magnuson (Notre Dame)
Deborah Price (Andrean)
Sarah Lindsey (St. Paul)
20 Years:
Victoria Wojtanowicz (Our Lady of Grace)
Terri Bartesl (St. Stanislaus Kostka)
30 Years:
Susan Marovich (Andrean High School)
40 Years:
Mark Kielbania (St. John Bosco)
Recognition Awards:
St. Catherine of Siena Leadership Award:
Katherine Fredericksen (St. John the Evangelist)
St. Therese of Lisieux Building Discipleship Award:
Denise Delaney (St. Stanislaus Kostka)
Jennifer Castillo (St. Stanislaus East Chicago)
St. Hildegard of Bingen Innovation Award:
Brian Olmetti (St. Thomas More)
Megan Henry (St. Mary Catholic Community)
St. Teresa of Avila Academic Excellence Award:
Marissa Raab (St. Thomas More)
Abigail DeJesus (St. Casimir)
Bishop Andrew Grutka Student Advocacy Award:
Denise Maldonado (Andrean)
Caption: St. Thomas More School teacher Brian Olmetti (left) shakes hands with Superintendent of Catholic Schools Collen Brewer (right), who annouced the teacher won the St. Hildegard of Bingen Innovation Award at the Professional Development Day for Catholic educators on Feb. 14 at St. Thomas More parish in Munster. Known as "PD," more than 400 teachers and administrators from 20 diocesan schools participated in the day-long event hosted by the Office of Catholic Schools, which included Mass, fellowship, motivational presentations and an awards ceremony. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)
