RUN

"Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness of death may not overtake you."

-John 12:35

If you had said to me when I was in high school or college that one day I would consider myself a runner, I would have scoffed and quipped, "Running is something I do to get ready for other sports. I don't run for the sake of running."

Since graduating from college, I have competed in a multitude of races - sprint triathlon, marathon, half-marathon, 15k, 5k and 1mi. I run as exercise. I run for the sake of running. I run to have fun. Yes, my 14 - 22 year old self is hanging his head in shame. A runner? Me? Really?

Really. And I really do enjoy it. After football it was a way to shed excess pounds. As a cost savings measure running really only requires a decent pair of shoes - no other equipment required. From an efficiency standpoint, I can run just about anytime and anywhere.

I became a runner...not a particularly fast or well-endured runner, but a runner nonetheless.

As a principal of an elementary school, I find maintaining my fitness particularly important. Parents and families send their children to our school to help educate and evangelize them. But, what good is an educated mind or an enflamed spirit if our earthly vessel is incapable of completing the work that God has called us to do? Encouraging physical fitness and promoting a healthy lifestyle is a third component in the education for which I feel responsible for delivering.

This responsibility takes on even heftier importance thanks to the "Designed to Move" Report (watch the video above, read the report here, see a condensed version in this article), which claims that for the first time in recorded history children are expected to live 5 fewer years than their parents. Sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy foods, instant gratification - the culprits are many. The solutions are simple and schools can and should play a big part in this fight to give our kids those 5 years back.

So, Incarnation Catholic School provides daily recess for all grade levels (PreK to Grade 8). We offer Physical Education classes, again to all grade levels, twice a week. Grades 6 - 8 also have a once per week Health class coupling the physical activity of PE with scientific concepts. These may not seem like rare exceptions to the world of education, but there are a good number of schools, public and private alike, that have decided to cut out these important times for students.

Incarnation Catholic School offers interscholastic sports for students in grades 5-8. We have increased the number of junior varsity teams (Grades 5 and 6) offered by our school over the past two years. This way, even more students are involved in sports and physical activity.

Furthermore, this past school year ICS started a Running Club, called "Sacred Steps" because of its connection to Sacred Scripture (each "Workout" begins with a scripture passage, reflection on that passage and prayer). This club, offered to students in grades 2 - 8 has over 40 members. In a school of just under 300 students, I find this to be a staggeringly high number. There is no requirement outside of parental permission in order to participate, but all we do is run. I have said on more than one occasion during our first 4 workouts that "There are no balls allowed in running club!" Students keep track of their laps on a weekly basis and will receive recognition for milestones that they pass. The school has plans to branch club membership down to the PreK, Kindergarten and First Grade levels as well as invite parent participation.

As Jesus encourages us, "Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness of death may not overtake you." It seems that His words have just as much emphasis on our physical bodies as our spiritual ones. Run (or at least move or exercise) so that the darkness of death may not overtake you.

Run while you have the light of life so that your life may be five years longer.

Are you in?

RUN. 

 

One More

“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance."

-Luke 15: 4 - 7

One of the criticisms against the success of Catholic education is that Catholic schools are inherently elitist. Catholic school students are more successful, the argument goes, because Catholic schools reject or weed out those students who have behavioral problems, academic weaknesses, or families with low incomes. It's easier to have higher test scores or fewer drop-outs or less behavioral problems when you only have the best, brightest and wealthiest students in your school.
 

While there may, in some cases, be some validity to this stance, I feel that it not only cuts against the original reason for Catholic schools in this country (to provide immigrant families a place of education that was affordable, rooted in their faith, and committed to maintaining their heritage) it also goes against the "univerisal" aspect of the word "Catholic". Catholic schools should be for all - regardless of race, religion, economic status, academic / artisitic / athletic ability or any other factor.
 

But, my point in writing this blog isn't to focus on Catholic schools' moral obligation to keep their education financially within the means of all families or for Catholic schools to open their doors to more than just the upper echelon of society. It is to say that too often, and maybe in defense of those who say Catholic schools are only successful because they keep the "bad" kids out or kick them out if they happen to slip in, Catholic educators expect that their jobs should be easy. We get frustrated with the unruly class, or the whiny student, or the emotional parent and behave as if these disturbances are beneath our time and talent.
 

We wouldn't have jobs if kids - or people for that matter - were perfect. Similarly, as Catholic educators we should believe that forming students entails "disciplining" them. In other words, what we do should involve making students into disciples of Christ.
 

Imagine if Jesus had a stringent admission policy. He probably wouldn't have had 12 apostles...or any. If He is our Model and Inspiration, we should be more forgiving of our students and we should try harder with those who are in most need of our help.
 

As a principal, I would be irrate if a teacher came to me and said, "I'm going to stop teaching the other 24 students in my class for the next week because Student Withnoname is completely lost and I need to help him." But, it is equally frustrating, and unfortunately so much more common, to hear that a student is unteachable, unreachable or so troubling that we just don't know how the rest of the class will be able to make it through the year.
 

Most of the students in our classes don't really need us to be successful. They are the 99 and while we still need to challenge and cater to them (or fool ourselves into thinking that we actually are challenging them), it is equally important to go that extra step to help that lost sheep in need of some extra tender loving care.
 

As educators, our jobs our difficult. As Catholic educators, we carry the extra burden of dealing with that which is eternal - the souls of our students. Most days it seems like we've already traveled a journey of 99 miles. We've already completed 99 different tasks (all before lunch!). We cared for 99 of our sheep. We've tried 99 different ways to reach that student who is unreachable.
 

Don't stop. Go one more.
 

Go one more.
 

Go one more.

 

 

Go one more. Go one more. Go one more.
 

It's just one more step for you, but it could mean everything for the one that, because of your efforts, you are able to reach.

 

 

One more.

 

 

Go one more.



Curriculum Night 2012 - 13

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every sin and burden that clings to us and run with perseverance the race marked out before us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of our faith.”

-Hebrew 12: 1-2

Incarnation Catholic School is off and running so far this year! In two weeks, there is a momentum and energy across our campus that is palpable. It’s tangible. There is an excitement in classrooms. There is a spirit in our worship. There is a different pace and feel to this year as compared to the previous ones.

We are off and running.

I think there are many reasons for the difference:

-Outstanding teachers

-New organizational structures and programs

-High support and involvement from parents

-Great kids

Let us unpack each of those.

Outstanding teachers: Our teachers are committed to continuous improvement. They have worked hard on course timelines, unit plans, incorporating the Common Core State Standards, assessment philosophies and practices and codifying policies and procedures across the campus. I am honored to work with such a dedicated group of educators. I have been especially impressed this year with how they have collaborated with each other – just today I stopped into the computer lab to see a joint Spanish / Technology class that had students absolutely buzzing about both Spanish and technology. Teachers have been innovative in helping to tweak the many programmatic changes we’ve made this year, from coming up with more efficient ways to supervise students after school to proposing interdisciplinary approaches to delivering the curriculum, similar to the Spanish / Technology joint venture I just mentioned.

We’re able to run because we have outstanding teachers. 

New organizational structures and programs: We revamped our entire school day. Small tweaks in our starting and stopping times as well as the amount of time in between classes have yielded, in my opinion, some huge dividends.

We are able to gather every day as a school community for what we are calling “Morning Gathering”. This is a time for us to celebrate birthdays, offer announcements and promote our school’s mission through a “Thought for the Day”. These short sessions allow me as the school’s leader to convey important information to our school community while at the same time keeping us focused on the purpose for our school – Jesus Christ.

Students in younger grades now have increased academic time for not only their Specials – PE, Art, Music, Media, Technology and Spanish – moving from 30 to 45 minutes, but they also have what would equate to 12 Language Arts periods each week (up from 10 last year) and 6 Math periods (up from 5). This emphasis on these core subjects allows us to lay a solid educational foundation for students during these early years.

Students in Grades 5 – 8 now have three Spanish classes each week (up from one last year). In addition, they have two periods of Technology each week, with a third coming as an interdisciplinary class with LA, Science or Spanish (this increase in Technology is also up from one class last year). We have also introduced a Health class to our PE program for grades 6 – 8, affording our Physical Education Department the opportunity to couple physical activity with sport specific, kinesthetic, and biological knowledge.

We’ve done all of this without costing ICS families any additional costs and without sacrificing times such as recess or lunch.

We’re running because we have great teachers and we have a strong plan.

High support from parents: I have talked with students many times throughout the course of this short year about how at ICS they are, as St. Paul says, “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”. Part of this cloud entails our outstanding teachers. The other part is composed of their outstanding parents. Parents are the primary educators of their children. We are so honored that parents have partnered with us to help them in the formation of their student(s). It is a responsibility that we take seriously – we understand that we are writing on the souls of children. There isn’t a more important job that any of us could be doing. We thank our parents for running with us at ICS.

We have great teachers, a strong plan, supportive parents, and we have outstanding kids.

ICS students continue to impress me with their love of learning and their love of God. They have a desire to be successful and they are good kids. They’re respectful, they’re hard working, they are committed to doing the right thing and helping others. The best parts of my day are when I get to interact with our students. It is my privilege to be their principal.

We are running. We have a great cloud of witnesses here at ICS. By reorganizing our structure and reimagining some of our programs we have rid ourselves of the burdens that clung to us in the past. We will do all that we can to stay focused on and committed to our wonderful mission of inspiring life-long learners, disciples of Christ and servants of all. We will do all that we can to stay focused on the reason for our school – Jesus Christ.

And this year, we will run with perseverance the race that is marked out before us.

We are off and running. Thank you for running with us.

INSPIRATION: Oh My God / I Am a Seed

My sister is five years older than me, and so as I was going through the end of middle and high school, Mary was already off in college. As like most 13 - 18 year old boys, my body was constantly changing and growing. I would sprout at such a pace and my transformations in between her visits from college were so drastic that she would actually call me a "weed". Unfortunately and even though I'm still holding out for a late spurt, my green thumb didn't last much past 6'. I may not be much of a weed anymore, but I am a seed.

The above video comes from a group called The Digital Age. They are the resurrection of The David Crowder Band, forming after the aforementioned band decided to break up. The song, which appeared on DCB's last album, "Give Us Rest (A Requiem Mass in C [The Happiest of All Keys])", and the fact that this reborn version of the song is being sung by a reborn version of the band are great illustrations of the mystery of the Resurrection. Our lives, in many different ways, follow this Pascal pattern. We suffer. We die. We rise. As the song says, "Death will lose and we will win / I am a seed / I've been pushed down into the ground, but I will rise up a tree / I am a seed / I won't stay long here in this earth when you rain your love on me / Lord, rain your love on me."

We are seeds. So are our students. Nothing illustrates this better than the beginning of a new school year. Last year is in the earth. Buried. The promise of new life breaks forth from the ground and hopefully by the end of the year our students will rise up as trees. We have new soil with which to work. If we, as educators, have appropriately rejuvenated over the summer, we may also have some new fertilizer, nutrients and/or nurturing techniques to use this year. A new day is dawning. The rains will come, but will only serve to strengthen our young buds. Sprinkle in a little love, from both ourselves and from God, and we should be able to reap an abundant harvest.


St. John Baptist de la Salle says this about teachers, "Be satisfied with what you can do, since God is satisfied with it, but do not spare yourself in what you can do with grace; and believe that, provided you want it, you can do more with the grace of God than you think."


This year, let us do more than we've ever done with students. Let us do more than we can even think possible. Let us not put limits on ourselves or our students. Let us ask for God to rain His love down on us and let us allow Him to amaze us with His creation.


He is the Gardener; we are merely the workers. We are merely seeds...but we (and our students) will rise up into trees.


It is time for us to get to work. Let us begin.

INSPIRATION: Keep Your Eyes Open

I have wonderful parents. In light of all of the publicity that the parents of Olympic athletes have received (whether positive or negative) as well as my own journey in parenthood, I realize how amazing Robert and Linda Zelenka were, and - praise God - still are. I realize how much they love me. I realize how pivotal there were in shaping me into the person that I am today. I realize, not for the first time or the last, that I have wonderful parents.

In looking back on my childhood, I am impressed by how my parents were able to teach me how to survive while at the same time never making me feel as if I was alone. Their love and support, tough at times, was constant (and still is!). Yet, they were able to strike the balance between sheltering me and allowing me to scrape a few knees, elbows, hands, heads...They gave me roots and wings.

They encouraged me to take chances, but demanded that I make commitments. The only thing I've ever quit - basketball during my junior year of high school - was followed by my enlisting in our school's wrestling team. Of course, my parents supported me. Flippant, though, they would not allow my decision to be. I remember my dad challenging me, if switching to wrestling really was in my future, to stick with it for the entire season.

They helped get me through the University of Notre Dame while I chased a dream of playing collegiate football as a walk-on. I paid off my final student loan last month, a term that would have been much longer had it not been for my parents' many sacrifices.

My parents' support extends well beyond my athletic career. They supported my decision to major in Notre Dame's Great Books Program, the University's equivalent of an education in the seven classic Liberal Arts. Heck, my mom was practically the inspiration when she guided me to declare a major that would excite me for my time in college, not necessarily prepare me for any particular career after I was done. They accepted me joining a service organization upon graduation (the Alliance for Catholic Education) and they have been interested and involved in my career in education.

They are even okay with me living over 1,000 miles away from their home in Berea, OH, making the trip down to Florida a few times a year to spend time with me and my growing family. Despite the distance in miles, I feel a closeness to them that I hope and pray my own children will one day have with me and Emily. I know of their unconditional, selfless and immense love for me. Thinking about my parents loving me today as much as I love my own daughter is simply amazing. Knowing that they've loved me like this my entire life is humbling. 

In a song by Matt Maher called Woke Up in America (see my first INSPIRATION blog for more info on Matt), he sings:

My parents gave me a life full of dreams / yeah, they gave me a heart to endure almost anything.

Perhaps the Zelenkas knew the Mahers, because I couldn't agree more. My parents gave me dreams. They galvanized me to chase after them. They instilled me with faith and taught me how to see with it instead of my eyes.

As the Olympics near their end, we will most likely hear something about the parent(s) of yet another athlete. If nothing else, we'll see some overly sacchrine commercials about how much the mom and/or dad of an Olympian has helped them to compete in London. I'm not in London and I'm not an Olympic athlete, but I have wonderful parents. World class. Olympic.  

Thanks, Mom and Dad. I love you.

INSPIRATION: Strong Enough

Sometimes I feel as if God thinks I have unlimited strength. Or patience, or willpower, or discipline, or compassion, or mercy, or humility. For those who know me, it is no secret that this past year was difficult on many different levels - professionally, personally and spiritually.

My second year as a principal was challenging. Changing a building or a textbook, a website or a schedule is easy. Changing a culture, though, is not.

My wife's second pregnancy, while much improved, has taken a toll on me. Her extreme sickness during the first half of the pregnancy taxed me in ways that I didn't think were possible. My schedule for those weeks was grueling. Emotionally, I was a wreck. Spiritually, I was drowning. Issues at school seemed to be coming at a frantic pace. Looking back on it, I'm not quite sure how I was able to make it through (and I'm sure that some would argue whether or not I really did make it through).

After revealing some of these struggles in an April post, a friend texted words from a WWII poster in Great Britain, "Keep calm and carry on." My brother shared with me the story of codfish (who are actually made stronger by fighting with catfish - http://arloasutter.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-we-need-adversaries.html).

And, somehow, it's August 1. I have a million things to complete before our teachers report next Thursday August 9 and at least double that before students report on August 20. I can't sleep. I can't seem to find peace in my prayer life. I haven't consistently exercised since June. Thoughts creep into my head that I'm not strong enough, that there is no way everything will get done. There is no way I'll be able to do all that is expected of me.

Luckily for me, I don't do it alone. Not only has the Lord blessed me with a wonderful "cloud of witnesses" in my family, my colleagues, my friends and my mentors, but He has also given me His grace.

Teaching (and I take liberty to include myself in this profession even though I'm a principal) is the most important profession in the world. Teachers, with each student who passes through their classrooms, are shaping our future. They are responsible for the formation of other humans. They affect eternity. As such, teaching can become incredibly taxing. The weight of lesson plans, angry parents, demanding administrators, energetic students, and assembly period schedules (when you miss your 3rd period English class for the 5th Monday in a row!) can crumble us to our knees. Add to that any sort of personal struggle (the bank closing before you've left the building, a fight with a loved one, a sick child, etc.) and the mountain can seem insurmountable.

But with God's grace, all things are possible. St. John Baptist de La Salle, the patron saint of teachers, urges teachers,

"Be satisfied with what you can do, since God is satisfied with it, but do not spare yourself in what you can do with grace; and believe that, provided you want it, you can do more with the grace of God than you think."   

With God's grace, we don't have to be strong enough because He already is- strong enough for both of us, for all of us, for anything.

Keep calm and carry on. It's just another catfish.      

INSPIRATION: Lead Me

In 2010, at the age of 30, I became the principal of Incarnation Catholic School. In addition to starting my tenure as the school's leader, I also became a father within that same calendar year. Within a span of two months, I went through two life changing events.

In the two years since, I have had to rely on my faith in many and various ways. As a new principal of a Catholic School, I have prayed heavily for the strength to remain focused on and committed to our school's mission of inspiring life-long learners, challenging each individual in the school community to become a disciple of Christ and striving to live out our Catholic faith through service. Distractions from this mission abound, especially as the leader of the organization. Complaints, unexpected hiccups, emergencies and the ebb and flow of working with people and for people wear on our ability to stay committed to an idealistic vision.

The fact that we're building a cathedral can get lost when we're digging a ditch. The process itself can be dirty, frustrating and difficult. Staying dedicated to our mission requires staying dedicated to Jesus.

As a new father, I have been confused more frequently than I've been certain. Having a newborn and being entrusted with her care and nurturing and not having any worthwhile experience as to how to successfully do this has caused me to pray for the Lord's strength and direction. Being a father has led me to a deeper appreciation for the love that God, our Heavenly Father, has for me. It has challenged me to love more deeply and unconditionally. It has inspired me to love more. I am currently praying for the strength, wisdom and guidance to be the father of two...

St. Joseph has been the recipient of many of my prayers over the past two years. A statue of Jesus's earthly father is in the back of our church (as the Church of the Incarnation, there is one of Mary, too). Many days I will sneak away from the office, into the vacant church, and kneel before this model of self-sacrifice, humility and hard work. On countless occasions I have prayed to St. Joseph that he help me to lead not only my school community but also my family. I would like to believe that these prayers have not been made in vain.

Moriah Peters, an up and coming Christian music artist who tried out for American Idol (and was told by the judges to go and make some mistakes, kiss some boys, and come back in a few years when she's grown up and more worldly), sings in her song Well Done, "If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth / They're gonna find out soon / If they're following me then / They're gonna follow You."

I pray for guidance, Lord. I pray for strength. I pray for wisdom. I pray for patience, compassion, mercy, and peace. I pray that you lead me, Lord, so that I may lead others - Incarnation Catholic School, my wife, my daughter, my future son / daughter, readers of this blog, anyone with whom I come in contact - to you.


Lead me, Lord. Lead me.