‘Teaching Jesus to our students’

It’s not just a job; it’s a ministry; educators encouraged to keep up the good work By Gabrielle Nolan Nearly 370 Catholic school educators and administrators representing all 10 Diocese of Knoxville schools gathered on Feb. 20 at Sacred Heart Cathedral School for their annual professional-development day. The event included …

A celebration of faith and education

Diocese of Knoxville campuses participate in Catholic Schools Week By Gabrielle Nolan Spelling bees, talent shows, and pep rallies. Tournaments, dress-up days, and special Masses. Fun events and programs such as these marked the 50th anniversary of Catholic Schools Week, which was celebrated Jan. 28–Feb. 3 across the country. The …

Witnessing the culture

Schools superintendent gets acquainted with students, faculty at all 10 campuses By Gabrielle Nolan Mary Ann Deschaine, the new superintendent of Catholic schools, made the journey to all 10 Diocese of Knoxville schools at the beginning of the school year to get better acquainted with diocesan students and their teachers. …

Crunching the data

Deacon David Duhamel armed with information as he leads schools’ sustainability By Jim Wogan Deacon David Duhamel is aware of the expectations that come with his new job. Among the lessons that came with battlefield leadership and a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the accomplishment of earning …

Former diocesan superintendent looks forward to a school-setting return at KCHS

By Bill Brewer It’s back to where it all began for Dr. Sedonna Prater. And that is an answered prayer. As the 2023-24 academic year starts, Dr. Prater transitions from superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Knoxville to vice president of academics at Knoxville Catholic High School. And while …

New superintendent eager to start the academic year

By Jim Wogan Mary Ann Deschaine, a veteran educator with nearly three decades of experience as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, was announced as the new superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Knoxville on May 31. She served as superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Saginaw, …

Diocese names new schools superintendent

By Jim Wogan Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced that Mary Ann Deschaine, Ed.S., a veteran educator with nearly three decades of experience as a teacher, principal, and most recently as superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, W. Va., has accepted the position of superintendent of Catholic …

Diocesan educators’ in-service is first in 3 years

The East Tennessee Catholic More than 350 Catholic school educators from the Diocese of Knoxville’s 10 schools gathered Feb. 21 at Knoxville Catholic High School to do something they haven’t been able to do in nearly four years — meet in person for an in-service session. It was the first …

Off to a strong start

Accreditation, enrollment, leadership reasons for optimism as DOK school year gets underway By Bill Brewer The 2022-23 school year is underway, and if you’re a student, parent, staff member, teacher, or administrator, you can look at it as a class-half-empty or class-half-full proposition. Summer is basically over, although you would …

Diocesan schools achieve reaccreditation

Diocese of Knoxville system meets standards set by international, national agencies       By Gabrielle Nolan Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Schools have once again passed a rigorous accreditation review process. This process ensures that diocesan schools meet the standards established by the National Standards and Benchmarks of Excellence for Effective Catholic …

Essay contest entrants love their Catholic schools

To celebrate the gift of Catholic school education, Dr. Sedonna Prater, superintendent of Catholic Schools, sponsored a Catholic Schools Week essay contest for kindergarten-through-grade-12 students in any of the 10 Catholic schools. Students were asked to write on what Catholic school means to them and to describe in their own …

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Schools work to include special-needs students

Diocese of Knoxville educators accommodate children with a wide range of learning needs                  By Gabrielle Nolan The Diocese of Knoxville has been serving students with special learning needs for more than 20 years. The Office of Catholic Schools’ Special Services Handbook, which is revised every five years, is “a living …