Dear Parish and School Families,
As you know, protecting the young people in our parish and school community is one of our top priorities. We believe that part of protecting them includes educating them on how to best advocate for themselves, along with educating them on the dangers that unfortunately exist in this day and age. Teaching young people how to navigate the online world as technology advances so quickly can be an overwhelming task. Therefore, it is with great excitement that we announce the development of a new safe environment program for children; a program created by and for the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
Our new program, the Goretti Project, was developed through the collaborative efforts of diocesan staff: Marina Hentz-Shoup (Associate Director of Safe Environment), Jillian Kellough (Associate Superintendent of Schools), and Tim McNamara (Associate Director of Evangelization), along with Chris McKenna, the founder of Protect Young Eyes and the Protect App. The Goretti Project will act as a bridge between parishes/schools and parents, encouraging parents to communicate and discuss important safety topics both at school and at home. This program will focus on physical boundaries and safety, as well as present knowledge and skills that will foster safety in a digital age.
Protecting children from online harm is one of the primary concerns that we hear from parents today. A valuable resource included in your participation in the Goretti Project is the Protect App. Created by Protect Young Eyes, the Protect App is a way for amazing parents and caring adults to have quick access to hundreds of bite-sized mini lessons about digital safety. Normally a fee-based app, the Diocese of Kalamazoo will be providing parish and school families access to this amazing resource for free. To do this, each family will download the app and register with their parish or school’s unique access code. Your access code will be attached with this letter, along with instructions on how to download and register for the app.
Our diocese looks forward to launching this exciting new program, which we hope will help families, parishes, and schools bridge together in educating those most important in our lives, our children.
In Christ,
Marina Hentz-Shoup
Associate Director of Safe Environment
Secretariat for Catholic Education
Jillian Kellough
Associate Superintendent of Schools
Secretariat for Catholic Education
By participating with the Diocese of Kalamazoo and Protecting Young Eyes, St. Therese Catholic is working towards achieving:
An excellent Catholic school has a qualified leader/leadership team empowered by the governing body to realize and implement the school's mission and vision.
6.4 The leader/leadership team establishes and supports networks of collaboration at all levels within the school community to advance excellence.
6.7 The leader/leadership team assumes responsibility for communicating new initiatives and/or changes to school programs to all constituents.