Recent Feature Stories

Message from William Crist, Superintendent of Schools
Dear friends of Catholic education: As we enter into the second half of another school year, it is only fitting that we take time to reflect on our accomplishments. We hope you will start that journey by reading through the pages of Pillars magazine, an exciting publication highlighting some of the great things happening in […]

Students Learn Spanish from Relocated Teacher Via Technology
By Christy Perry Tuohey How does a teacher move hundreds of miles away from her school yet continue to teach there? That would be a long commute by car or an expensive investment in airplane tickets at best. But Norwich, New York’s Holy Family School found a way to keep its well-liked Spanish teacher on its […]

Bishop Grimes Spanish Students Put Faith in Action at City Schools
By Christy Perry Tuohey Students studying Spanish at Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School in East Syracuse do more than just talk the talk (hablar). They walk the walk (camino). Their talk, of course, is in Spanish as they learn vocabulary, speaking and writing skills. Their walk involves planning service projects to benefit economically disadvantaged children here […]

Diocesan Schools Build Relationships to Increase Enrollment
By Renée K. Gadoua Maria Smith spent Halloween at All Saints Catholic School’s parade and party. “This is a huge day for them,” Smith said. “They walk around the block and parents are lined up to take their pictures. You’d think it was Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. It’s a lot of fun.” Smith’s children, Rocco and Francesca, […]
PLTW Launch Program Offers ND Elementary Students a Jump on STEM
By Dyann Nashton Notre Dame Schools have taken Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education to a new level. An offshoot of the popular high school pre-engineering Project Lead The Way, the PLTW Launch program is tailored for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade and made its debut at Notre Dame Elementary School last year. Notre […]
Grimes Valedictorian Takes a Chance on Yale
By Caroline K. Reff “I’LL JUST TRY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.” That’s what Danielle Yerdon told herself when she applied to the prestigious and highly competitive Yale University. The 2016 valedictorian of Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School originally thought she’d attend college nearby, possibly in Rochester, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the Ivy […]

Bishop Grimes Offers Rare AP Computer Science Option
Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School is one of only a very few schools nationwide to offer the new AP Computer Science Principles course, and the only Catholic high school in the Syracuse Diocese to do so, according to Patrick Kinne, assistant principal. A year ago, Bishop Grimes administration and faculty were looking at ways to […]

Pastor, Principal Make Strides in Uniting Holy Family School, Parish
By Renée K. Gadoua Once a week, Rev. John Manno teaches the 6th grade religion class at Holy Family School in Fairmount. The pastor also joins students for lunch and for recess occasionally. “They’re so used to seeing the priests in a formal setting,” he said. “It just drives them crazy, in a good way, […]
Bishop Ludden STEM Program Expands Student Skills
By Michca Ballard-Fortin STEM: an acronym for an educational program designed to prepare students for college and graduate study in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The original baseline of STEM studies aims to engage a student’s inquiring mind, foster logical reasoning, and develop collaboration and team-building skills. Once thought to be an […]

St. Mary’s Teacher Receives Distinguished Alumni Award from NCEA
By Claudia Mathis The day before last June’s 6th grade graduation at St. Mary’s School in Cortland, 5th grade teacher Eileen Hoyt was notified by Principal Denise Hall that she would be receiving an award during the ceremony. Hoyt soon discovered that she was to receive the National Catholic Educational Association Alumni Award. “I felt […]
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