September 2008 Chalkboard by Jenny Witcher

PROJECT BRIDGE TO ACHIEVEMENT

The Chalkboard The Power of Pilgrimage: Finding St. Francis on the Inside Dr. Carrie Brouse contributed the following reflection on her participation in the 2008 Marian College pilgrimage to Assisi

living a more faithful life. At the numerous churches visited during the pilgrimage, the Franciscan guides assigned to our group shared some of the historical context behind the place itself, but also facilitated our thinking about where Francis was in his own Catholicity and faith. They offered us various real-life experiences that exemplified the questioning and internal trials that Francis triumphed over in his own lifetime. The historical visits and reenactments of events in the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare were empowering and in a way that was also deeply moving. While we certainly enjoyed Italian cuisine and a few of the typical tourist kinds of activities during our pilgrimage, these things were not for me the highlight of the trip; nor will they be what I remember and reflect on long term. The beauty of the Italian countryside as we traveled through the Rietti Valley in Tuscany on our way to Greccio was stunning and awesome. The friendliness of the people in Assisi was encouraging – every where I went, I felt welcomed and

almost a part of a new family. The age of the buildings in Rome, and their condition at their age, was Though I had certainly amazing. (I could not help been exposed to the word but think about the RCA ‘pilgrimage’ over the years, Dome coming down after admittedly until recently I only 20 years.) The comhad no clear idea what a mitment to history and pilgrimage really was, or preservation of what was what it would come to mean constructed so very long in my own life. In June, 2008 ago was inspiring. Still, in I was blessed with the opall of the external beauty, portunity to travel with sevboth in the Italian people eral Marian College faculty, and their buildings, it was alumni, and staff members the internal connections to on a Franciscan Pilgrimage St. Francis, St. Clare and to Assisi and Rome, Italy. In Franciscanism that I beboth of these places, where lieve and hope will long St. Francis and St. Clare remain with me. spent a significant amount of As I traveled back to time, ‘back in the day,’ I the United States and to came to discover the unexthe life I live here in Indianpected, my internal Francisapolis and at Marian Colcanism, if you will. lege, I felt a significant pull The pilgrimage was not toward being a better lay only a journey along the Franciscan. I wondered geographic paths that St. how I would fit my new Francis and St. Clare pilgrim self inside the old walked, but one that prodshell of me I had left beded me to move further on hind. As the weeks have my own spiritual path. Over gone by, I have longed for the years, as a born and the feeling of being as raised Catholic, I have interdeeply connected to St. mittently struggled with my Francis and St. Clare, my faith and who I am as a Franciscan leaders and Catholic. I have witnessed fellow pilgrims as I was contradictions in what the while in Italy. Church professes and what I I have not yet figured was raised to believe about out how to make that feelwho is God. During these ing manifest in my daily times, I have been left feelliving here and certainly ing guilty about being pray that I will have the less of a Catholic than opportunity to feed that what the Church might desire for connectedness expect. While in Assisi, I through Franciscan exlearned that St. Francis periences offered on camat times throughout his pus. I also pray that I am life struggled similarly one day able to return to and this new knowledge Italy to visit Assisi again provided me with a and to feel for a second ‘release’ from the guilt time the power of pilgrimand also opened my age. heart and my mind to The Basilica di San Francesco

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Teacher Tips: From NEA: Works4Me, found at http://www.nea.org/tips/in dex.html GREETING WITH A SMILE "As I personally greet each student at the classroom door, I tell students I am happy to see them and place a small smiley face sticker on them, indicating that they are my students. I found this little greeting and recognition helps break the ice the first day of school. " From Linda C. Garrett, a business teacher at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: September

Calendar Fall

Festivals IPS Infusion

Conference Culture

Corner Indianapolis

Civic Theatre Intern Profile

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Schedule of Events Enjoy the Beauty of Autumn!

Sat 6 ü September 1 — Labor Day ü September 2 — First day of Ramadan

ü September 3— Viking 2 landed on Mars, 1976 ü September 8— International Literacy Day

ü September 10— Elias Howe patented his sewing machine, 1846 ü September 12— MidAutumn Festival, China ü September 16— Mexican Independence Day

ü September 20— International Student Day ü September 22— Autumnal equinox ü September 24— Jim Henson, Muppets creator, born, 1936 ü September 29— William the Conqueror invaded England, 1066

Fall Festivals in Indiana Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts: September 5 - 6, 2008 in Bloomington, Indiana. Artist and artisan creations, Art Zone for kids, and music. Free admission! For more information, go to http://4th.street.festival.googlepages.com/ or e-mail info@4thstreet.org. Lanesville Heritage Weekend: September 12 - 14, 2008 in Lanesville, Indiana. Fiddlers’ contest, log sawing, truck and tractor pulls, sawmill, steam engines, parade and crafts. For more information, go to http:// www.lanesvilleheritageweekend.org/ or call Dale E. White at 812-952-2600. Andersontown Powwow and Indian Market: September 13 - 14, 2008 in Anderson, Indiana. Celebrate native American history with artists, traders, food, dancing, music, storytelling and children’s activities. For more information, go to http://www.andersontownpowwow.org/ or e-mail Ralph Day at rday@heartlandspirit.com. Gasthof Fall Festival: September 20-21, 2008 in Montgomery, Indiana. Visit Gasthof Amish Village for crafts, flea markets, carriage rides, live gospel music and Amish food. Accommodations available at the Village Inn. For more information, go to http://www.gasthofamishvillage.com/ or call 812-486-4900.

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IPS Infusion Conference The 21st annual IPS Infusion Conference, focusing on infusing culture into classroom practices, will be held on Thursday, October 23rd from 8a.m. to 4:30p.m. at Crispus Attucks High School. The conference’s theme for 2008 is “Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement: A Framework for Understanding the Power of a Teacher.” More Information is available by calling (317) 2262430 or e-mailing: paynep@ips.K12.in.us. A conference registration form is available at http:// www.cathedral-irish.org/uploaded/faculty/rpowell/Infusion_Conference_October_23,_2008_Registration.doc.

Culture Corner: Assisi Pilgrimage The following reflection was contributed by Dr. Chris Grissom on her participation in the 2008 Marian College pilgrimage to Assisi

The hours were spent walking the hilly area and visiting several churches. Daily mass was unique and occurred in churches where St. Francis and St. Clare spent time. The opportunity to learn more about St. Francis and St. Clare and to walk where they had lived and prayed was an occurrence which can not fully

perience which must be lived; not one that can be clearly explained or shared. My knowledge level and spirituality have changed and Beginning at 8:30 a.m. on hopefully I can practice what Monday, June 16 and continuI learned and experienced. ing through 9 p.m. Wednesday, The opportunity to learn June 25, twenty four Marian about others at Marian was College faculty, staff, friends, also a wonderful and the president event. Some facspent several days in ulty and staff were Assisi, Italy. We were practically strangalso in Rome for apers and I now call proximately 40 hours. them friends. Except for an exOther relationships tended delay at grew and became O’Hare Airport in Chicloser. Hopefully, cago, the trip was an we will all be able amazing adventure. It to share our learnwas a pilgrimage, not ing and growth a vacation. with the entire We arrived in Marian community. Rome around lunchOne unforgettable time on Tuesday, experience for June 17 and were Carrie Brouse was greeted by our celebrating her Dr. Chris Grissom and Dr. Carrie Brouse guides, Father Tod and birthday in Rome and Brother Tom. After a on the Assisi Pilgrimage hearing “Happy Birthbus trip, we arrived at day” sung in Italian by be appreciated until you have what was to be our home for the waiters. been there yourself. almost a week, Papa Casa I highly recommend this Giovanni; a wonderful location My personal favorites were trip to everyone. I would like with cooks who provided deliLa Verna and Greccio. Overall, to return, especially with a cious, authentic meals. Our the week was educational, energroup of students. daily agenda was typically a gizing, spiritual, and overwhelmtwelve hour day, beginning ing. As Sister Monica and Sister with breakfast and a song of Carol tried to tell us, it is an exprayer and ending with gelato.

Now Showing at Ever Teaching, Ever Learning, Ever Changing

Indianapolis Civic Theatre:

Project Bridge To Achievement Marian College School of Education 3200 Cold Spring Road Indianapolis, IN 46222 Fax: (317) 955-6448

Newsletter Contact List Cheryl Hertzer Program Director 317-955-6087 chertzer@marian.edu Patricia Stewart EDU Administrative Assistant 317-955-6089 pstewart@marian.edu Jenny M. Witcher Project Bridge Assistant 317-955-6095 jmwitcher@marian.edu

Readers, this is your newsletter. We welcome any contributions you wish to make. If you have a news item, a suggestion or a correction, please contact Jenny M. Witcher by phone or email. If you are a mentor or student and would like to volunteer to be profiled in subsequent issues, or if you would like to contribute a “Teacher Tip,” please contact Jenny, Patricia Stewart or Cheryl Hertzer. Thank you for your interest and participation!

September 12 — 28, 2008. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 923-4597 or visit the web site at http://www.civictheatre.org/. Indianapolis Civic Theatre is located on the Marian College campus at 3200 Cold Spring Road.

Intern Profile: Rachel Gonzales Rachel Gonzales, a cohort 7 intern, has a degree in Child Development and Family Studies, with a specialization in at-risk youths, from Purdue University. Before joining the MAT program, she worked at the Boys and Girls Club for 4 years as a recreational supervisor, as well as in preschools and daycare centers. Her last position was as a special education assistant at an IPS school. Rachel chose to become a teacher because she loves children and wants them to feel nurtured: “Some children today are not given the attention and love that they deserve. I want children to know that there are people who care about them.” Rachel chose to earn her degree at Marian College because of our size and focus: “The MAT pro-

gram seemed like the best fit for me. I am very interested in ENL children. I also chose Marian because it is a small school with small class sizes. You get to know everyone well.” Rachel’s philosophy of education is based on equity, consistency and her commitment to continual learning: “Teaching is about the students. All students should receive the same educational opportunities. Every student should be treated with respect. Children’s academic, psychological, and cultural needs should all play a part in a child’s education. All children should learn in a positive setting. In order for the classroom to be positive for the students, procedures need to be established. Students need to feel comfortable and want to come to

school to learn. Children learn best through teaching others and working in small groups. Students will remember information more clearly and gain stronger socialization skills. Forming relationships with colleagues, parents, and the surrounding community to support students’ learning and achievements is extremely important to me. Furthering my education yearly will help provide the best education for my students.” We are glad Rachel selected Marian and wish her the best in her career as an educator!