Category: General

I am pleased and humbled to serve as the newly appointed Superintendent of GRACE school systems. I wish to outline and clarify some of the distinct duties and responsibilities that fall into my role as Superintendent. My service to our GRACE schools has a primary aim of looking to the future for our growing system rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Curriculum– GRACE has many ongoing processes to review, update and adopt curriculum resources. In collaboration with GRACE Curriculum Director Laura Blicharz, I will lead and oversee these processes. Likewise, I will lead the planning and implementation of the professional development of our teachers to ensure they are prepared to teach our students.
  
• Technology Integration– Along with the leadership of Technology Integration Coordinator Carrie Gossens, I oversee the long-term planning in place for the ways technology is used to support learning. Aspects of technology integration that fall into my duties include overseeing how technology is used in our classrooms, the training our teachers have, and the so ware that is approved.
  
• Communications/Marketing– Building on the success of GRACE’s enrollment growth and successful techniques to invite families to join
  our community, I am developing comprehensive strategies and identifying new ways to tell our
  story and engage new families. With the support of Marketing and Communications Director Madeline Janssen, I am overseeing our internal and external communication plans to continue sharing the Gospel and the good work going on in our schools.
  
• Support for Leadership and Strategy– Our GRACE principals are some of the strongest, most hard-working leaders in Green Bay, and I am supporting their work and leadership by providing resources and helping to steer unifying long-term strategies in our GRACE system.

My office is located at the GRACE Riverside Drive office, and I enjoy regularly getting into each of our nine schools. It is a full-time role, and I report to the President, Kim Desotell. I welcome you to reach out and connect with me as we work together to provide the best in Catholic education for the children in Green Bay.

In Christ,

Drew Mulloy

GRACE Superintendent

Our outstanding volunteers of 2022 at St Bernard School are Mr. and Mrs. Doug and Diane Dubois!

St. Bernard School principal, Crystal Blahnik, stated, “I would like to give this special service award to a husband and wife who are grandparents of two students at our school. This couple is a wonderful example of how to serve others in the name of Jesus. Whether it is building or modifying furniture, cleaning tables in the lunchroom, organizing our storage rooms or simply pitching in as needed, they are always willing to help and never ask for anything in return. I am so glad they agreed to come this evening because it gives me such joy to see them honored for their unconditional service and support. Please help me thank Doug and Diane Dubois.”

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Dubois!

Learn more about St. Bernard School by visiting their website.

Catch up on all of the latest GRACE news by checking out the Fall 2022 Newsletter. Read about Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II’s updated science lab, follow St. Bernard Catholic School principal, Crystal Blahnik, on her trip to the Third International Congress in Rome, see photos of what our students have been up to recently and more!

Do you possess a bachelor’s degree? If so, you may be qualified to support our school through substitute teaching—-a teaching degree is not required! Lesson plans and support are always provided.

By substitute teaching at GRACE, you can:

• Generate income with flexible hours you choose
• Come and go with your children
• Choose your buildings and types of classrooms
• Share special moments with your child during a quick lunch, recess, or in the hallway unexpectedly

Your comfort and convenience are important to us. Do you only want to substitute teach at a specific school? No problem! Open to other GRACE schools? We would be happy to assign you to additional sites that work for you.

To help GRACE as a substitute teacher, please reach out to your school principal or learn more by clicking here.

You can also share this post with those who may be interested by copying the URL and pasting it to them. Consider a retired grandparent who would enjoy visiting the school once a month or so, for example. Lastly, please keep our school and staff in your prayers while we continue to navigate this extraordinary time of staff shortages. Thank you!

We are excited to recognize the second outstanding volunteer within GRACE–this time, from St. John the Baptist School, Mrs. Karen Tooley!

Mrs. Tooley is both an active parent currently at St John the Baptist, and an alumni. Karen’s two oldest daughters are graduates of SJB, Analese is still with us in 7th grade. Karen serves on the Site Advisory Council as the Marketing Chair right now, but she has participated on the Council in many ways over the years, including past president.

Not only is Karen involved in the school, she is also an active parishioner at St. John the Baptist and coordinates many activities for the parish including the children’s area of our upcoming Blessfest. As if that isn’t enough, Karen organizes our Back to School Open House and for many years, managed the annual auction.

St. John the Baptist Principal, Mrs. Dana Vance stated, “when I first arrived here at SJB, Karen’s name was one of the first I heard. The answer to almost any fundraising question I have has been: did you ask Karen Tooley? She offers to do anything that is asked of her, always with a smile. She supports our teachers in so many ways, big and small. Karen truly lives our three tenets of faith, family and academic excellence in all that she does to champion St John the Baptist School.”

Thank you Mrs. Tooley!

Learn more about St. John the Baptist School by visiting their website.

The Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II Classical School is well into its second year of operations this school year and is celebrating the addition of a renovated, updated science lab.

Patrick McKeown, headmaster of Green Bay’s newest Catholic high school, explains the process that was undertaken to prepare the new facility for this year’s sophomores in their biology year of the science curriculum: “We began gathering science equipment from Holy Family College [in Manitowoc] in the spring of 2021.” The institution was closing its doors and liquidating materials were perfect for the future lab at the new Chesterton Academy. They purchased many items through the generosity of the Cherney family, the main investors for the lab. “After the liquidation was over, [the college] called us and asked if we would be interested in 10 lab tables and even more equipment.”

With the needed equipment procured, the construction phase of the science lab project got underway. McKeown says, “This summer, we went through an extensive renovation in order to convert a 1950s classroom into a high-functioning science laboratory. This included: A new ceiling, new LED lights, new electrical, two new wash stations, new flooring, new cabinetry, a new teacher workstation, five new windows, commercial refrigeration and more.”

The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity are a group of Franciscan nuns that have been part of Wisconsin and Green Bay education for centuries. St. John Paul II and Chesterton Academy are located in Green Bay at 320 Victoria St., the former site of a Franciscan grade school and the current home of the St. Philip the Apostle Parish.

McKeown proudly concludes, “It is only right that some of that tradition and material returns back to the once thriving powerhouse of the East side.”

Learn more about Chesterton Academy by visiting their website.

We had a great time surprising our first #FacesOfGRACE nominee, Mrs. Kim Matzke!

We headed over to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School for the wonderful Mrs. Matzke, their third grade teacher. Her passion, joy, and love for learning are ever-present in the classroom:

“My favorite part of teaching is my students and how every day is new and exciting. I love interacting and learning from them. My happiest teaching moment is watching my students grow into caring, creative, and confident learners and people. I am excited to build new relationships and memories with my students.”

As her students say, “BEST TEACHER EVER!” Thank you, Mrs. Matzke!

Learn more about Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School by visiting their website.

The fourth graders from Notre Dame of De Pere School had a fun day learning about Wisconsin history at Heritage Hill State Historical Park. From fur trading to school days to the printing press, they learned how life was centuries ago. We are so lucky to have this living museum so close to home here in Green Bay, Wisconsin!

Learn more about Heritage Hill on their website and see more photographs of the trip posted on Facebook below.

It feels great to get involved! Last week, the GRACE Riverside team volunteered for the Feed My Starving Children organization. The afternoon involved setting up the mobile packing station locally in our community. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian nonprofit dedicated to fighting world hunger by breaking the cycle of poverty across the globe. More information about the organization can be found on their website.

GRACE thanks you for making 2022’s third annual Run/Walk a huge success. It took place at the start of October with a total of 224 participants and was hosted at Father Allouez Catholic School’s Resurrection Campus. There were post-race activities, snacks, inflatables and more!

Stay tuned for more details about next year’s event.

You can scroll through a photo gallery of images from the event over on our Facebook page (shown below).