“Very small things can have a large impact,” Father Robert Hughes, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Camden, expressed during his homily at the opening Mass for the annual School Leadership Conference for South Jersey Catholic school principals Oct. 25-26 in Cape May.
Using a reading from the Gospel of Luke about the mustard seed, he encouraged those in attendance to continue to foster their teachers, students and school families.
Elementary and high school principals from across the Diocese came together for the conference to connect with one another, reflect on the current school year and engage in several professional development workshops. Also invited were parish catechetical leaders.
The first day began with a workshop facilitated by Father Hughes in which he offered commentary on the current two-year National Catholic Revival taking place in the United States. He spoke about the history of the Eucharist and its importance in the Catholic Church. Relatedly, he also presented a breakdown of the Last Supper and how it relates to everyone’s lives and the schools the principals lead.
The second day consisted of workshops for elementary schools, geared toward the day-to-day operations including academics, enrollment and government. Dr. Robert Lockwood, director of curriculum and assessment for the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools, discussed teacher supervision and feedback, including information on the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching.
Marianela Nuñez, director of enrollment and outreach, presented on recruitment and retention as well as the responsibility of the principals and their enrollment teams to lead with vision. She included a “think and feel” visual audit activity, to help schools provide an exceptional customer experience for new and current families.
The day concluded with some updates from Sister Rose DiFluri, assistant superintendent of Catholic schools, regarding upcoming deadlines for funding as well as legislative updates that are currently affecting schools.
To learn more about South Jersey Catholic Schools, visit southjerseycatholicschools.org.
Michael Bress, communications and marketing manager for the Diocese’s Office of Catholic Education, contributed to this report.
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