Category: General

Today we’d like to highlight an outstanding volunteer in the GRACE community: Melissa Parker!

Melissa has been a presence at Holy Family Catholic School since her oldest child–now in middle school–entered preschool. The Parkers have three daughters and one son, all currently enrolled at Holy Family and Little Saints Childcare Center. Melissa has actively assisted the school since 2020 by participating on our Site Advisory Committee as President, raising funds through gatherings such as Fall Fest, assisting families in their time of need, or inspiring others with her dedication. She is a true beacon of hope and positivity.

Melissa is a blessing to everyone whose path she crosses at Holy Family!

Learn more about Holy Family Catholic School here.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Terri Larson and Mrs. Chrissy Kiefert on being named Golden Apple Teachers of Distinction by the Greater Green Bay Chamber. These teachers are just one step away from receiving a Golden Apple at the 31st Annual Golden Apple Award on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024!

Ms. Terri Larson is a second-grade teacher at St. Bernard Catholic School, and Mrs. Chrissy Kiefert is a fifth-grade teacher at Holy Family Catholic School. These teachers have made a special impact on students, parents, and our GRACE school community! Our GRACE family is so proud of the accomplishments of both teachers.

Thank you, Ms. Larson and Mrs. Kiefert!

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

Today we are highlighting a stand-out teacher within the GRACE School System.

Ms. Enright is in her 10th year of teaching at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. Ms. Enright has high standards for herself and for her students. Her social studies lessons and projects are centered on curriculum, are engaging, and develop 21st-century skills that prepare students for high school and beyond. She also coordinates many middle school activities, field trips, and assemblies, offering students additional learning opportunities. We are so thankful for educators like Ms. Enright!

Learn more about the school by visiting their website.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

The seasons of six GRACE girls and boys basketball teams culminated in a trip to St. Norbert College on Friday, January 19. The nearly three-month seasons, filled with ups and downs, fun, and lasting memories, saw their finales played on a collegiate court. The opportunity to be announced before the game and to play on the home court of the Green Knights created a memorable experience. 

Special thanks needs to be given to St. Norbert College Athletics staff for hosting and providing a concessions stand, the League Director Ryan & each school’s Athletic Directors for all their time & effort planning, and the coaches & volunteers who gave their time and talents on Friday.

GRACE Athletics has the unique opportunity to play sporting events at St. Norbert College through the CatholicLink partnership. Collaborations with the college offer many invaluable experiences for GRACE students and more opportunities like this will be made available in the future.

Learn more about athletics and activities here.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

Today we would like to highlight a stand-out GRACE student.

Jacob is a remarkable Grade 6 student at Father Allouez Catholic School. He embodies the qualities of a true scholar and a compassionate soul. With his inquisitive nature, Jacob is a critical thinker who never shies away from asking the toughest questions. What truly sets Jacob apart is his unwavering faith and deep compassion for others, making him a role model for his peers. He embraces challenges with grace and approaches each day with a heart full of faith, reminding us all of the power of both knowledge and kindness in our journey through life.

Learn more about the school by visiting their website.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

Holy Family Catholic School is honored and blessed to include one Religious Sister and one Deacon. Sister Elena, a member of the Manitowoc-based Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, is currently teaching the third grade. Deacon Dan Gray, ordained by Bishop Ricken in 2020, teaches middle school religion classes. They both serve on the Faith Committee and collaborate to look at options for spirituality in the school.

Having been a religious Sister since 2007, Sister Elena has taught in a number of Catholic schools in Wisconsin, Hawaii, Arizona and Mississippi before coming to Green Bay. Her insights into teaching are meaningful.

She says, “Teaching means to share God’s wealth of graces, truths, and love with His children. My students are a fun class to teach. Teaching isn’t solely about the teacher teaching students; it is also about the teacher learning from the students. They have taught me a ton of God’s joy. Each day while teaching I enjoy meeting God in the children. God is truly among us with each other. I begin every day with religion class because it’s a great way to begin the day with God and then throughout the day we can associate our faith with something else we learned that day. Plus, I enjoy that Catholic schools are wonderful safe places that foster reverence for God and respect for others. I totally enjoy sharing with the students a higher education of God and academics. It is wonderful to see students become independent and responsible while completing tasks that were once challenging.”

Outside of her school commitment, Sister Elena loves to pray in nature, go for walks in neighborhoods or on trails, visit state or national parks, take photographs, create watercolor paintings, visit the elderly, and watch football games. Sister enjoys cooking meals and baking for the Sisters that she lives with in St. Agnes Convent.

She quips, “But most of all I love to grill!” She also hosts the Franciscan Moment Podcast for the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.

Deacon Dan Gray brings a wide range of experiences to his current calling. Having spent much of his adult life as a respiratory therapist, upon that retirement, he decided to become a substitute teacher with GRACE. He now spends part of his week teaching religion as well as serving two area parishes as their deacon.

Regarding being a teacher, Deacon Dan shares, “I love teaching. I am grateful for the opportunity to be with these kids and to be part of their faith journeys. I want to encourage them to think about and understand their faith so that it becomes a part of who they are at every moment in time. Every day and every class begins with prayer. I especially enjoy the energy of middle schoolers. Watching them grow and mature over the past years has been fun.”

HFCS humbly acknowledges the service and contributions that these two gifted educators are making to the school community and also thanks them indeed for their dedication.

Learn more about Holy Family Catholic School here.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

Alisa Conway is a Notre Dame of De Pere Alumnus and longtime parent volunteer extraordinaire. Alisa has taken on numerous volunteer leadership roles in school including Site Advisory Chair, Building Planning Committee, School Vision Committee, fundraising, and coaching. Alisa spearheads the school book fairs and the Battle of the Books at both the elementary and middle school levels even after her children graduated. Last school year, Alisa coordinated a GRACE-wide Battle of the Books to encourage literacy and friendly inner-system collaboration.

Not only is she an asset to our school community, but she is also an advocate for Catholic education and GRACE. She dreams big and follows through to lay the foundation while bringing out the best in those around her.

One of principal Mares’ favorite examples of Alisa’s dedication to our school occurred in Spring 2019. Alisa was dressed professionally after helping with an important media event announcing the new building project, Mrs. Mares recounted, and immediately after went to coach her older daughter’s middle school track practice. Picture Alisa in heels and a dress, holding her then-toddler daughter, all while positively directing a group of middle school runners!

Alisa is a volunteer powerhouse and a great role model, especially for our female students. Somehow Alisa manages to “do it all” usually with a smile on her face. Alisa is a blessing to the Notre Dame of De Pere family.

Learn more about Notre Dame of De Pere Catholic School here.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

GRACE is blessed by many amazing and talented teachers. Their dedication, passion, and commitment to education have truly made a difference in our community! Several of them have been recognized for this recently. The list will be narrowed to a list of Teachers of Distinction and from those, recipients will then be selected for the prestigious Golden Apple Awards.

Thank you to our students and families who recognized these individuals as high-quality educators in areas of professionalism, leadership, and innovation.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

We are so blessed by dedicated and talented leaders such as Dr. Jamie Tyrrell! Join us in thanking her for her commitment to Catholic Education!

Let’s learn a little bit about Principal Tyrrell:

Q: Dr. Tyrrell, why do you choose to work for GRACE/St. Thomas More School?

A: For a time, I thought I wanted to be a professor of education, but I quickly realized that I missed young children too much. I missed the energy and being in the classroom, surrounded by students. God blessed me with this incredible opportunity within a private catholic school. Not only do I get to be around children but I get to live out my Catholic faith every day. This is truly my vocation and calling. I also am thankful to be learning from and about a population that’s different from me with a language that is different than my own.

Q: What are some fun facts about you?

A: I worked at a balloon store in high school and can make pretty awesome balloon arches and arrangements – I decorated for all my proms!

Learn more about the school by visiting their website.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.

It has been just four years since Ss. Peter & Paul Parish and St. Thomas More Catholic School have been blessed with Fr. Jose Lopez as pastor and mentor. Within his daily life, he celebrates Masses, trains Mass servers, is available for reconciliation and adoration, and is there to talk whenever and wherever he is needed, both within the church and the school.

“What led me to the priesthood was pursuing a vocation and asking what was my mission, my purpose,” he shares. Finding the love of God has fortunately brought Fr. Jose to where he is in life now. Fr. Jose was born in Jalisco, Mexico. When he was just about 12 years old, his family moved to Green Bay. Being a native Spanish speaker, Fr. Jose uses both languages to reach his parishioners, students and their families. He explains, “It’s usually super fun with the kids. They are bilingual, but those who have recently immigrated to the States are in the early stages of learning. According to how they talk to me, I talk to them.”

This means that sometimes communication comes out in the form of “Spanglish.”

One significant connection that Fr. Jose has made with the students of St. Thomas More Catholic School is through playing sports and other activities, especially soccer. Three years ago, an unofficial St. Thomas More Soccer Club was formed, and the group has played for fun against the St. John Paul II Classical School School, with Fr. Jose as St. Thomas More’s coach. Outside his busy days at the parish, Fr. Jose likes to read, learn, have meaningful discussions with friends, and “just hang out with people.”

With a solid commitment to his church and school communities, it is hopeful that Fr. Jose’s mission and purpose will continue to benefit everyone who knows him for many years to come.

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System consists of nine schools. We focus on the development of each student grounded in our foundation of Catholic faith for grades PK3-10.

Our mission continues to evolve in these unique times as we embrace new technologies, deliver innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hire exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the vocation of education. Our current GRACE Strategic Plan outlines action steps in the areas of faith, academics, vitality and experience that have assisted us to enjoy enrollment growth over the past five years.

Please know you are always welcome to visit our schools to learn more about our offerings and the culture that makes each of our GRACE schools unique. The rewards of a Catholic education are endless. The gift of a Catholic education prepares your child and will remain with them throughout their life. Learn more about us here.