Category: General

STAR Assessments are short tests that provide teachers with personalized learning data for each student. Students may take a STAR test for early literacy, math, or reading. Teachers analyze the data they receive from STAR Assessments to learn what students already know and what they are ready to learn next, to monitor student growth, and to determine which students may need additional help. These tests are research-based and scientifically proven to help teachers guide each student on their unique path to proficiency.

More information can be found here.

Notre Dame of De Pere School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. NDDP provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually. The best way to learn more about NDDP is to visit! Click here to schedule a tour.

GRACE’s Technology Integration Team has successfully rolled out their first “Tech Tote” this
year!

Since the inception of our Integration Team in 2020, we have been working toward the goal of providing the tools and training to help our educators successfully teach their students through integration of technology within the classroom. Over the past few years our team researched the best tools to help master our technology standards, secured funding through the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay to purchase these tools through various grants, created lesson plans and assembled totes.

This year our goal was to plan our strategy to introduce our first tote: Adafruit (coding circuit boards). After sharing an introductory video about Adafruit to teachers, the team scheduled a two-day presentation with every fourth grade class in GRACE. Day one included a discussion about “what is coding”, an introduction to the block coding software.

Students created their first block code so the circuit board would light up and make a siren sound. Day two was a software review, creation of a “lucky wheel” block code and transfer of the code to the actual circuit board. Students were thrilled to see their code work. Teachers learned along with the students and began generating ideas on how to incorporate Adafruit into other subject areas for next year.

The team has also begun to pilot several other tech tools to create additional totes for the 2023-24 school year with other grade levels. These tools include 3D Pens/Printers (Middle School), Spheros (Grades 3 & 5) and Beebots (K-Grade 2).

Notre Dame of De Pere School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. NDDP provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually. The best way to learn more about NDDP is to visit! Click here to schedule a tour.

Greetings GRACE Families and Friends,

Over the 12 years that GRACE has existed as a system, we have found ways to become stronger together while continuing to celebrate the uniqueness of each of our communities. As I finish my first year as Superintendent and my seventh year with GRACE, I am amazed at the beauty and uniqueness of each school. Each community comes together in a unique way to serve children, create a Christian community for families, and live our Catholic faith. The gift of serving all our schools allows me to see the beauty and diversity of our Green Bay Catholic community.

In addition to faith and families, GRACE values high-quality education. One way we ensure this is through learning assessment tools. These tools hold us accountable and allow us to respond individually to each student. Our school leaders use the results to plan professional development and make curricular choices. Most importantly, our teachers look at the results of tests and quizzes and use them to adjust how they teach. One standardized assessment that we use is the Fountas and Pinnell Assessment. K-5 teachers administer this assessment by sitting individually with each child and reading with them. This standardized process determines reading levels to help students read and learn with books that fit their skills.

Over the past several years, the Diocese of Green Bay required the use of the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress Assessment (MAP tests). We will be ending the use of this assessment along with the rest of the Diocese of Green Bay and begin using the Star Assessment. The Star Assessment tests reading and math. This tool was selected in part because the tests are short, accurate, and the assessment data is efficiently accessible by our teachers to adjust instruction for each child. This test also better aligns with our Catholic faith in our schools.

This year, one of our biggest curriculum changes was using Project Lead the Way Launch, a hands-on science curriculum discussed elsewhere in this newsletter by our Director of Curriculum, Laura Blicharz. In the program, students begin each unit by learning about an area of science and then using that knowledge to solve problems through hands-on experimentation and design work. In addition to this work, we spent time with our teachers learning about how faith and science are interconnected and how to share these natural connections in the classroom.

GRACE also made great strides in technology this year. We are updating our long-term plans and strategy to remain low-cost and highly effective. This summer, projects are underway to increase the safety and security of our online environment. Our Technology Services Team continues to provide consistent and high-quality service to our teachers and students.

First and foremost, what makes Catholic education different is sharing the very person and love of Jesus with our teachers and students. It is also the way teachers seek to instill traditional Catholic values in our curriculum, handle problems on the playground with Catholic morals, and the way all staff helps each child learn to love one another. Our faith informs the decisions we make with our purchases of books, our Internet security, and every other decision. Most importantly, we point to our faith as the reason we treat students and families with love and respect.

Notre Dame of De Pere School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. NDDP provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually. The best way to learn more about NDDP is to visit! Click here to schedule a tour.

Save the date!

GRACE will be hosting our annual Welcome Back Mass on Sunday, September 17! All GRACE families, staff, and parishes are welcome as we join in prayer together at the start of a new academic year. The mass will be taking place at Prince of Peace Catholic Community, 3425 Willow Rd, Green Bay, this year. It will begin at 6 PM with an ice cream social to follow!

We are looking forward to seeing you there! Please contact us if you have any questions.

Notre Dame of De Pere School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. NDDP provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually. The best way to learn more about NDDP is to visit! Click here to schedule a tour.

The 2023-24 ND School theme is Do Justice Love Goodness Walk Humbly (Micah 6:8).

The front design says, “Do Justice Love Goodness Walk Humbly.” The back says, “Notre Dame of De Pere We are GRACE.” The designs are printed onto a poly/combed ring spun cotton, black t-shirt. Shirts are available in youth sizes YXS-YXL and adult sizes S-XXL.

As a reminder, weekly on Tuesdays, students may wear any Notre Dame of De Pere, NDA, or St. Norbert top with uniform bottoms.

If you are interested in purchasing a ND-themed t-shirt, please click here. Orders are due by September 21, so make sure to get yours in on time!

Notre Dame of De Pere School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. NDDP provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually. The best way to learn more about NDDP is to visit! Click here to schedule a tour.

Save the date! It’s that time of the year already: the St. Mary’s Parish Picnic is coming up soon on Sunday, July 23!

The picnic begins at 10 a.m. with an outdoor mass featuring Bent Grass. Following mass will be a whole bunch of activities; from a food and beverage tent to a bean bag tournament, a large raffle, and more, the day will be full of excitement until 4 p.m. There will also be a special game of B-I-N-G-O being hosted that begins at 1 p.m.

There are volunteer slots still available. Any middle school student who signs up can use the volunteer hours towards their 1st semester required hours! Click here to sign up.

Don’t let your family miss out on this fun day and great volunteer opportunity!

Notre Dame of De Pere School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. NDDP provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually. The best way to learn more about NDDP is to visit! Click here to schedule a tour.

GRACE is proud to present our school system educators who have been nominated for the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s 2023 Golden Apple Awards. GRACE is blessed with amazing teachers, and these nominees represent the excellence in faith-based education that occurs daily in our schools. Nominees include educators from all our GRACE schools this year, including Father Allouez Catholic School, Holy Cross Catholic School, Holy Family Catholic School, Notre Dame of De Pere, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, St. Bernard Catholic School, St. John Paul II Classical School, St. John the Baptist Catholic School, and St. Thomas More Catholic School. The 2023 Golden Apple Awards program is scheduled to be held April 19, 2023. Here are the GRACE nominees, listed in alphabetical order according to last name:

Father Allouez Catholic School: Amy Benzshawel, James Block, Allyson Ellis, Jeanne Ihlenfeldt, Sarah Johanski, Patricia Nennig, April Neuville, Tina Sabin, Samantha Skifton, Annie Stewart, Brenda Touchinski, Ashley VandenBush, Caity Zedler

Holy Cross Catholic School: Michelle Anderson, Jessica DeGroot, Tim Kozlovsky, Jamie Sheehy, Jodi Sullivan, Tara Wildenberg

Holy Family Catholic School: Traci Belongia, Lynn Francois, Amy Glantz, Sister Elena Gonzales, Shawna Halbach, Lisa Krcma, Bailey Schultz, Jordan Thill, Courtney Wedan

Notre Dame of De Pere: Jacky Cramer, Carrie Korinek, Elise Stone

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School: Hannah Aschenbrenner, Julie Basten, Beth Christensen, Ashley Cwiklewski, Lourain Eggart, Caitlin Enright, Lynn Fink, Sarah Sharkey, Sally Thompson

St. Bernard Catholic School: Amanda Boeke, Molly Bongel, Julie Lamm, Terri Larson

St. John Paul II Classical School: Jennifer Budde, Brenda Devroy, Gary Guevara, Brianna McGann, Tyler Storey

St. John the Baptist School: Kristin Barnhart, Alex Geise, Julie Schmitz, Lisa Turbett, Abbie Withbroe

GRACE: Gold Early Registration is only open today, February 27, through Sunday, March 5! Sign up early and we will waive your registration fee and your child will receive a FREE 2023 camp t-shirt. Why wait? Click the below button to register or to view the camp schedule, pricing, and catalog.