Vision: Mother Theodore Catholic Academies (MTCA) students will flourish spiritually and academically.
Mission: MTCA lives the mission of the Catholic Church by teaching, serving, and forming students in the heart of Indianapolis.
February 2023
Instructional coach helps to support
teachers and students
I have served in Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for 30 years- 10 as a teacher and 20 as a principal. Most of my time in administration has been with the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies. My current position as an instructional coach is a wonderful opportunity to help support the teachers and students at Holy Cross.
As an instructional coach, I collaborate with our Principal, Cara Swinefurth, in the planning and leading of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). These take place with classroom teachers during the school day. PLC time is used to analyze and discuss data and to develop a next-step plan for areas where students need additional support. I spend time in the classrooms to observe students and collaborate with teachers in developing or tweaking strategies that will meet the needs of our learners. Additional resources may also be provided to assist in instructional delivery. I also develop standards-based lesson plans as requested by the administration and visit with instructional coaches in the other buildings to review data and exchange new ideas.
Being a teacher in the classroom today is not easy, especially in high-needs schools. The instructional coach position is new to our MTCA schools, and the role is continually being tweaked as we go. I am blessed to have the opportunity to support this community and to continue to serve in the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies.
Cindy Greer
Instructional Coach
Credit Card Fees Update
The Institute for Quality Education (IQE) will be increasing credit card fees. To keep administrative fees low and preserve as much funding as possible for student scholarships, there will now be an option for donors to include this fee as part of their donation. The fee and the amount donated will be considered a donor's contribution. Thank you for considering this giving option.
MTCA staff interviewed by Catholic Radio
Ronda Swartz, Lisa Moore (assistant principal at Holy Cross), Kacy Naab (instructional coach at Central Catholic) and Val Bendel recorded a segment of Faith In Action. It was a great opportunity to talk about MTCA, share news about the opening of the campus at St. Andrew Catholic Church as well as fundraising and volunteer opportunities. The show will air the week of February 27 – March 3. Tune in to Catholic Radio Indy February 27th or March 3rd at 4:00 PM or March 1st at 4:30 PM on 89.1 (West Indy), 89.5 (South Indy) or 90.9 (Hamilton County). Or you can listen to the podcast at www.CatholicRadioIndy.org/podcasts
Open House
There will be an Open House held at the campus of St. Andrew Catholic Church for the new school that will be open for the 2023-24 academic year. This Open House
will be held on Sunday, February 12 from to 2 to 4pm.
Volunteers help pack weekend meals for students
Thank you to the volunteers from Ascension St. Vincent who assisted in the packing of the Meals Program in January. If you or your organization would like to help with this volunteer opportunity, please email klaudick@comcast.net. It takes about 2 hours on any given Friday morning during the school year.
Can You Spare Some Time?
Volunteer opportunities abound at Holy Angels-providing treats for an upcoming event, or perhaps an ongoing opportunity such as tutoring or helping in the library. Your time would be so greatly appreciated. You can sign up through SignUpGenius. If you have any questions, please email Mary Kate at mveselik@holyangelscatholicschool.org.
School Happenings
Central Catholic
PreK students recently learned all about the symbols of Baptism.
Holy Angels
Holy Angels celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by holding their annual MLK March. They honored MLK’s bravery and determination by braving the cold weather and snow flurries.
Holy Cross Central
Holy Cross students are ready for another great semester of learning and growing.
St. Philip Neri
Preschool students were hard at work during an E-learning snow day. They made and counted snowballs, practiced letters, and made snow angels!
A Charitable Lead Trust:
Give to your favorite Catholic cause and pass
on wealth to heirs
Individuals looking for a tax-efficient way to pass wealth to family members and make a generous gift to charity may look to Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs). Interest rates often factor into the decision to use a CLT because low interest rates mean greater savings in transfer taxes. Its main purpose is to minimize or eliminate estate and gift transfer taxes that can be a serious drain on resources.
With careful planning, you can use a CLT to substantially reduce or even eliminate the taxes customarily due on the transfer of wealth to loved ones.
It works like this:
- You transfer assets to an irrevocable trust.
- The trust exists for a set number of years or for your lifetime (or the life of another individual).
- The trust makes annual payments to the charity.
- At the end of the trust term, the assets remaining in the trust either pass back to you (grantor lead trust) or to someone else – such as your heirs (non-grantor lead trust or family lead trust).
To learn more about a Charitable Lead Trust, contact the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) at 317-236-1482 or ccf@archindy.org.
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Central Catholic
Holy Cross
Holy Angels
St. Philip Neri
For more information
- To inquire about donating to MTCA, please contact Valerie Bendel at vbendel@archindy.org or call 317-236-1426.
- To inquire about the strategic direction of our schools, please contact Executive Director, Ronda Swartz at rswartz@archindy.org or call 317 236-7322.
