Educators from the schools of the St. Katharine Drexel Deanery have developed a common reason for bringing together more than 200 of their teachers and other support staff for two days of professional development.

The St. Katharine Drexel Deanery schools include Rossford All Saints, Perrysburg St. Rose, Toledo Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Toledo St. Patrick of Heatherdowns, Toledo St. Joan of Arc, Bowling Green St. Aloysius, Toledo St. John’s Jesuit High School and St. John’s Jesuit Academy.

The goal of the professional development days, which are to be held Sept. 22 at All Saints School and Nov. 2 at St. Patrick of Heatherdowns, is to enable teachers and administrators to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviors required to improve the quality of writing across all content areas in their schools. The writing project is called “Common Ground.”  

The professional development days are to be intensive and sustained, structured to emphasize building skill and knowledge using a “teachers teaching teachers” model.

The sessions offered to kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers include: learning about the reading and writing connection, conferencing with students about writing, teaching writing in all content areas, ideas for improving writing in the early grades, how to teach writing with picture books and getting all involved from the physical education teacher to the music teacher to the art teacher. There are also to be group sessions relating to yearly planning, curriculum mapping and standardized reporting.

Each day includes Mass, a group presentation, small group sessions, lunch and time for individual schools to meet with their principals for reflection about their learning and goal setting.

The day is planned by the deanery-wide change team formed for the Catholic Schools Initiative 2010, which includes members Teresa Richardson of All Saints, Melody Curtis of All Saints, Barb Jenks of St. Rose, Lori Anderson of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Eric Wagener of St. Patrick and Sandy Shinaberry of St. Joan of Arc.

The St. Katharine Drexel Change Team welcomes anyone who would be interested in observing or participating in these days, as learning should be shared. Because a reservation is required, contact Melody Curtis at All Saints Catholic School at 419-661-2070 or melodycurtis@buckeye-express.com for information. Space is limited.