Dear Friends of East Catholic and Visitors,

Welcome to the East Catholic 2009-2010 academic year!  As you view the world of East Catholic through our website, I hope you glimpse the authentic, Catholic and Christian spirit of the East Catholic community.  Each year we engage in a spiritual practice we call Examen East.  This year our Examen is focused on our individual gifts and the many ways we are called to share them in our families and communities.  The identification of our gifts is a deeply spiritual practice for it forces us to ask the fundamental questions of our humanity, namely “Who am I?” and “What gifts come from my true Self?”  We can be sure that God is very near when we are struggling with these perennial spiritual questions.  Having received our ten year re-accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) last spring, we now turn to the important work of continuous school improvement which grows directly out of the visiting team recommendations and our own strategic plan. 

While school improvement is a never-ending process, we have identified some core areas to begin work on in this first year after the accreditation visit:

·          Professional time for review of curriculum and a renewed focus on     teaching, learning, assessment and technology integration in our college preparatory program

·          Focus on personal & academic integrity

·          Appreciation of diversity and difference

·          Fiscal discipline

·          Master planning and advancement

·          Data collection and reporting in all decision making

·          Marketing and outreach

·          East Catholic and Notre Dame mission effectiveness

There is no shortage of work to be done, but as our beloved Sisters of Notre Dame remind us in the words of St. Julie Billiart, "How good is the good God!" Whether on the sports field, in the classroom, at a dance, a concert, or on a Kairos retreat, or serving in one of our fifteen partner agencies, the Christian community of East Catholic is our focus.  East Catholic is so much more than a high school.  It is a Catholic, Christian community of teachers, students, staff, faculty, and families who consent to a spiritual practice and way of life rooted in the Gospels and grounded in our Catholic faith.  If you are new to East Catholic, I welcome you.  If you are a returning member of our community, I say, "Welcome back!"  Best wishes and may the blessings of the good God be with you this year and always!

Peace,

Mr. Christian J. Cashman, M.Ed.
Principal & Chief Administrator