Vibrant Catholic Schools Newsletter: October 2025
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Here's what's happening in Catholic Ed: October 2025
Here's what's happening in Catholic Education in September, plus helpful resources for leadership, Catholic culture, academic excellence, and school advancement.
This Month in Faith
October invites us to walk with some of the Church’s most beloved saints such as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (Oct. 1), St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4), and St. Teresa of Avila (Oct. 15). Their lives of simplicity, joy, and prayer continue to inspire us today. On October 2, we honor our Guardian Angels, grateful for their constant protection, and on October 7 we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary, renewing our devotion to this powerful prayer of light and peace. The Holy Father also asks us this month to pray especially for collaboration among different religious traditions, that together we may promote peace, justice, and fraternity. In the beauty of autumn, October reminds us that faith, like the seasons, is always alive and growing, and we are called to nurture it with prayer, gratitude, and trust.
The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of October 2025
For collaboration between different religious traditions:
Let us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice and human fraternity.
October Resources
Decade a Day: Rosary Morning Prayer for Elementary Students
Rosary Resources, Activities, And Crafts For Catholic Kids: Resources from Catholic Icing
Month of the Rosary: Activities by Look to Him and Be Radiant Blog
Hail Mary Printable for your Classroom Religion Corner
Guiding Light: Notes for School Leaders
You Can't do ALL THE THINGS
Every Catholic school, regardless of size, needs a leadership TEAM. You, principal, can't do ALL THE THINGS. Many Catholic schools operate on lean budgets, and principals are asked to do it all. But when a leader is spread across fundraising, marketing, student support, curriculum oversight, and parent communication, no one area thrives. For elementary schools, two strategic hires—a Director of Advancement (or some advancement role) and a Vice Principal—are not luxuries, they are the minimum. Most high schools already have these positions and more, but if you find your leadership team is too lean, this message is also for you. With carefully crafted job descriptions, leadership personnel are investments that will sustain the school’s future. When I say carefully crafted job descriptions, I do not mean that we lump many different responsibilities into one job as a catch-all extra support person either. That is rarely effective.
I see the "cycle of struggle" with program quality over and over again, largely because there is not a large enough leadership TEAM, or there is no team at all. "But Sarah! We cannot afford it!" Actually, you probably can. It means you have to increase tuition bit more than your 3%, and maybe cut some funding from outdated programs. And when you make those hires, you have to fulfill a promise of improved program quality. If principals do not have a leadership team to support them, they will burn out and the program will become stale and remain stale.
Resources for Principals
October Faculty Prayer Service
Key Tasks for Principals: Monthly Checklist
Administrator Quick Links Dashboard (Google Sheets)
Faculty Meeting Agenda/Note Taking Guide
Igniting Sparks: Resources for Teachers
Evidenced-Based Core Instructional Practices: The best way to improve instructional quality
I’m excited to announce a brand-new video series designed to support teachers and leaders in delivering high-quality core instruction. When Tier 1 instruction is strong, it not only boosts student engagement and achievement but also reduces the need for additional interventions. By making learning clear, explicit, and accessible for all, we can ensure that fewer students fall behind and more thrive in the core classroom setting.
We’ll also look at subject-specific routines in reading, math, science, and social studies, as well as tools for planning units that integrate Catholic identity with academic excellence. The goal is simple: to make instructional planning clear, actionable, and doable — so every student benefits from engaging, rigorous, and faith-filled learning.
Fueling the Mission: Resources for Advancement Directors
My Family’s First Step into Kindergarten: What Made the Difference
This fall, I had the joy of enrolling my daughter in Kindergarten at her new Catholic school. As both a parent and an educator, I couldn’t help but notice the thoughtful details that made the process seamless — and set the tone for a strong partnership between home and school.
From the very beginning, the enrollment process was simple and stress-free. The school offered a fully online system — application, enrollment, and tuition payment plans were all handled digitally, making it easy for busy families to complete paperwork without extra trips to the office. That convenience spoke volumes: the school respects parents’ time while keeping the process efficient and professional.
But beyond logistics, what stood out was the consistent, clear communication. Over the summer, the school sent bi-weekly newsletters through Constant Contact, filled with both new information and repeat reminders. Once the school year began, these transitioned into weekly updates, keeping parents informed without being overwhelmed. It was obvious that a great deal of care went into creating polished, easy-to-read newsletters. I was reminded of the importance of using a reliable email platform as it elevates the message and shows parents their time and attention are valued.
The school also has a wonderful system of parent ambassadors who reach out with those small but important reminders (“Don’t forget your sweater for Mass tomorrow!”). These personal touches made us feel welcomed and supported before the first day even arrived.
Equally important, the school offered an in-person new family orientation and provided many opportunities to get involved once the year began. Between volunteer roles and frequent family events, we quickly experienced the strong sense of belonging that comes from being part of a vibrant Catholic community.
As a parent, I felt from the start that we weren’t just enrolling in a school — we were joining a family. And as someone who works in Catholic education, I can see clearly how these intentional practices such as streamlined systems, consistent communication, parent ambassadors, and community-building events are not just “nice extras.” They are powerful advancement strategies that create loyalty, build trust, and strengthen enrollment.
If you want families to feel like they belong from day one, make sure your school invests in these touchpoints. They transform the enrollment process into an invitation to join a mission-driven community.
Get our FREE advancement director planning resource kit. 👇
Bright Headlines
Here's what's happening in Catholic Education and Youth in the Church
Kanawha County judge dismisses challenge to grant for Ohio Catholic school
A Kanawha County judge ruled Thursday that the West Virginia Water Development Authority’s $5 million grant to an Ohio-based Catholic trade school for program expansion into the state is constitutional after it was able to show the funding was not going to religious programs.
The 12-year-old girl who had a bullet lodged in her brain during the deadly shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church is making a “miraculous” recovery, her family said.
St. Michael-St. Clement School targets Hispanic enrollment growth
The principal of St. Michael-St. Clement School in Overlea for the past three years, aims to increase Hispanic student enrollment in the coming years as part of a national Catholic initiative supported by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Catholic school students win in court to join sports teams
A federal court issued an order that students enrolled at parochial schools in Pennsylvania should be allowed to partake in sports offered by their home district if their school does not have a team.
Catholic school leaders in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are hoping likeminded efforts to integrate students with disabilities can be achieved across its 89 Catholic elementary and high schools, which enroll more than 30,000 students, and are taking key steps toward this goal.
How Catholic schools are redefining security in sacred spaces
The tension is profound. Catholic schools are not just academic spaces; they are spiritual homes. A locked church door can feel like a locked heart.
The Right Way to Correct Someone (Word on Fire, Bishop Barron)
“There might be a moment of rejection and expulsion in the process of fraternal correction . . . but it is only provisional and only for the sake of eventual reconciliation.”