The Valley Catholic April 10, 2018 | Page 14

Seeing Christ in a New Way at Saint Francis High School
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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Jennifer Beltramo Appointed Next Superintendent of Catholic Schools

April 10 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic
In a letter dated March 22 , Bishop Patrick J . McGrath announced the appointment of Jennifer Beltramo as the next Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of San Jose . Beltramo will replace retiring superintendent Kathy Almazol on July 1 .
Here is what the Bishop wrote to the Diocesan community :
Dear Members of the Diocese of San Jose School Community ,
I am pleased to share with you that I have appointed Jennifer Beltramo to be the next Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of San Jose , effective July 1 , 2018 .
Ms . Beltramo is a distinguished educational leader who is steeped in our Catholic mission and values . She comes to us from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles where she has served as a teacher , school principal , the Assistant Superintendent of Schools and , most recently , the Director of Academic Excellence for the Archdiocese .
Following the decision of Superintendent Kathy Almazol to retire , I formed a Superintendent Search Committee comprised of principals , community members , priests and Chancery staff . The committee engaged the diocesan community in defining the essential attributes for the next Superintendent of Catholic Schools . As articulated in the opportunity statement , the committee was charged to find an
educational leader and instructional visionary with a clear moral compass and impeccable integrity , demonstrated commitment to student success , a vision for curriculum and instruction , and excellent communication , listening and interpersonal skills .
During the search , the committee screened a number of potential candidates for the position ; six were identified as semi-finalists . From this group , two well-qualified finalists participated in a final interview with the search committee as well as extensive community interviews with administrators in the Diocese and open meetings with principals and pastors . The committee also carefully reviewed the community feedback . At the conclusion of this comprehensive process , it was the unanimous recommendation of the Superintendent Search Committee that Ms . Jennifer Beltramo is the ideal candidate to serve as our next Superintendent of our Catholic Schools .
Jennifer attributes her passion for service and Catholic educational leadership to her strong family faith life and her foundation in Catholic school values she learned through her studies at the University of Notre Dame , where she earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master ’ s degrees in Education and Educational Administration . She began her career as an ACE student working at Our Lady of Sorrows , an inner-city
Jennifer Beltramo , appointed Superintendent of Catholic Schools .
Catholic elementary school in southcentral Los Angeles . She served that community as teacher and principal for ten years before being asked to join the Archdiocese as the Assistant Superintendent . In this role she had oversight of Catholic schools in two deaneries , while supporting the academic needs of 218 elementary schools .
With her passion for student learning and teacher instruction , Jennifer transitioned to her most recent role of Director of Academic Excellence , in which she coordinates the professional development of teachers across the Archdiocese . Using the power of data and teacher empowerment , she has seen student performance in reading and math accelerate across all the schools . It is this passion for student success that Jennifer brings to her new position as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of San Jose .
She is excited to join the Department of Catholic Schools and looks forward
to supporting the principals , teachers and students it serves .
Throughout the search process , our community ’ s high level of investment in the future of the Department of Catholic Schools was abundantly evident . I would like to thank everyone who participated in this process , including members of the Superintendent Search Committee and , in a particular way , Mrs . Patty Tennant , long-serving Principal of Saint Francis High School , who was the committee ’ s chair . We owe a debt of gratitude to Patty and the entire Search Committee .
In closing , I would like to reiterate my thanks to Kathy Almazol for her remarkable selfless service to our Catholic Schools for over 38 years . I am gratified that Kathy will remain at the helm of our Catholic Schools through the end of June . Kathy joins me in warmly welcoming Jennifer and her family to the Diocese of San Jose . We are convinced that Jennifer will be an exceptional leader for our Catholic Schools .
With every best wish and kind regard , I remain ,
Sincerely yours ,
Patrick J . McGrath Bishop of San Jose
Name Change for the Department of Education
Effective March 22 , 2018 , the Department of Education has been renamed the Department of Catholic Schools .
This change in department title is occurring because Department of Catholic Schools best describes the transition from an educational entity only to an operational and educational entity .
Going forward , the Department of Catholic Schools ( DCS ) will be charged with the management of school financial operations in addition to academic and religious instruction . This decision was made in concert with the Superintendent of schools , the CFO Brian Mooney , Bishop Patrick J . McGrath and the Bishop ’ s cabinet .
Saint John the Baptist Students take part in ‘ Read Across America Day ’
Many people in the U . S ., particularly students , parents and teachers , joined forces on Read Across America Day , held on March 2 . This year , Saint John the Baptist School ( SJBS ) was joined by students from the San Jose Job Corps Center , accompanied by SJBS Advisory Council Member Philip George .
The volunteers read to students

Seeing Christ in a New Way at Saint Francis High School

Forty Saint Francis High School students witnessed God ’ s love at an on-campus all-day retreat where they reinvigorated their Catholic faith .
The retreat “ Jesus Reframed ” was an opportunity for students to broaden their perspective of who Jesus is .
“ When I first arrived at the retreat , I saw Christ as my friend and companion and a role model of love and service ,” said junior Aristotle Vergara . “ But I learned that He has His own way of presenting Himself to us . It ’ s humbling to see how others view Him .” from Pre-K through second grade . Students truly enjoyed having special guest readers ! This nationwide observance coincides with the birthday of Dr . Seuss , who is known for writing children ’ s books . This program promotes reading motivation and awareness and calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading .
The retreat focused on Catholic heritage , traditions , sacraments and vocations . There were games , testimonies and reflections . A highlight for many was the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament , a time of honoring the Eucharist with prayer and silence with students kneeling at the altar in the chapel . Another highlight was the Eucharistic procession , held in the evening , in which the students and Father Steve Kim walked the campus grounds and blessed them .
Lastly , there was the panel comprised
San Jose Job Corp​volunteer reads to the second grade students .
of Father Steve , an engaged couple and a married couple who spoke about their vocational choices .
This was the first time such a retreat was held on campus . Students appreciated the experience of stepping away from their busy schedules and devoting time to reflecting and conversing with fellow teens about spiritual matters .
“ I used to view faith as something not connected to Saint Francis , but I came to realize that the school is centered on our Catholic faith ,” said junior Ana Brockmann .