Green Bay Catholic Education System (GRACE), Notre Dame Academy and St. Norbert College,
Commit to Pre-K through College Collaboration
Goal is to Create World Class Catholic Education in Greater Green Bay Three Catholic educational organizations have joined forces to grow Catholic education in
the Greater Green Bay area from early childhood through college. Leaders of Green Bay
Area Catholic Education (GRACE), Notre Dame Academy, and St. Norbert College have
come together to advance their common goals.
The region has a long history of Catholic education dating back to the late 19th century.
Today’s leaders of the pre-K – 8th grade through college institutions say honoring that
history and tradition by partnering is how they will further propel the educational
experience for their students—seeking to create what they call world-class Catholic
education, right here in the Greater Green Bay area.
“By coming together in dialogue we are finding ways to help one another in providing
exceptional faith-based educational experiences for our students,” said Rev. Dane Radecki,
O. Praem., president of GRACE who initiated the collaboration.
Specifically, GRACE, Notre Dame Academy and St. Norbert College shared today how
their commitment to collaborate is making possible new joint initiatives:
1. The organizations announce the creation of CatholicLink—a two-part program
designed to first link St. Norbert faculty and students with GRACE schools to
intentionally create unique learning opportunities for students. Second,
CatholicLink will allow for the creation of a professional learning community
where the faculty of all three institutions can share educational delivery best
practices with one another.
2. Faculty or staff at GRACE, Notre Dame Academy and St. Norbert College in
addition to their current benefits, will receive at least a 50% tuition waiver for each
of their children to attend any of the three organizations—regardless of which of
the three they are employed.
3. To further attract exceptional teaching talent, St. Norbert College education majors
who teach in a GRACE school or Notre Dame Academy for a minimum of three
years after graduating will receive a $5,000 grant after completing the three year
commitment.
4. The three institutions will collaborate in sharing knowledge and expertise in
admissions, marketing, fundraising, alumni relations, athletics and professional
education.
Why the Collaboration?
“It just makes sense for us to share our collective talents for the benefit of our students,”
said Tom Kunkel, president of St. Norbert College. “We have outstanding Catholic schools
in this area. We believe it’s time more people experience the transformational nature of
having outstanding educational delivery within a faith-based environment, right here in
Green Bay.”
“We are committed to partnering to educate more students who are prepared to make
ethical decisions in our ever changing society. We not only equip our students with the
best in math, science, technology, and languages but also with an understanding of what it
means to be a person of faith,” said Rev. Radecki, a Norbertine priest who throughout his
career served as a vice president for St. Norbert College, president for Notre Dame
Academy and is currently president of GRACE.
Paul Schneider, a parent of students at Notre Dame Academy and Resurrection School, a
GRACE pre-k through 8th grade institution said, “This collaboration gives my children an
opportunity to have the very best in teachers and educational experiences. Further, this
helps ensure the return on investment of my financial commitment to their education.”
Introducing CatholicLink
CatholicLink will focus on the collaboration of student-teachers, student volunteers and
faculty at all levels of Catholic education in the Greater Green Bay area.
“The test scores at the elementary levels are outstanding—in fact well above national
norms—throughout the GRACE system,” says Dr. Jeff Frick, academic vice president and
dean of the college at St. Norbert. “The schools are already very strong but we are excited
to begin a collaboration between the St. Norbert College faculty, our student-teachers, and
the faculty and administration at GRACE to further enhance the educational opportunities
for the children in the GRACE learning environments and it benefits our student-teachers
and our joint faculty and staff as well.”
Beginning in the fall of 2015, faculty at St. Matthew School, Resurrection Catholic School,
St. Thomas More and St. Norbert College will explore ways to enhance learning
opportunities to best equip students with 21st Century skills within a service-learning
framework. Over time, more schools will be added into the program.
Kay Franz, principal at both St. Matthew and Resurrection shared some specifics. “One
example is that we will partner through our World Languages program to have St. Norbert
College students as conversation partners to create more opportunity for practicing their
foreign language skills,” said Franz. “Another example is that we will partner with St.
Norbert College education majors to become a part of our before and after-school
programs, math tutors, or help us create extended reading-lab experiences.”
In addition, CatholicLink will create a venue for intentional sharing of best practices in
educational delivery. “We have an outstanding group of faculty in the St. Norbert College
teacher education department. We also have outstanding educators at GRACE and Notre
Dame. We look forward to engaging more formally so we can learn from each other as we
seek to provide the best in Catholic education,” said Franz.
Tuition Reduction for all Faculty and Staff
Each of the Catholic organizations has long offered their own faculty and staff some type of
tuition benefit, and what is currently offered will remain. But now, families who work at
any of the three will receive a tuition reduction at all schools—not just the one they work
for.
• Those who work at GRACE will receive 50% tuition waiver at any GRACE school,
Notre Dame Academy and St. Norbert College.
• Those who work at Notre Dame Academy will receive a 100% tuition waiver at
Notre Dame and 50% tuition waiver at any GRACE school and St. Norbert College.
• Those who work at St. Norbert College will receive 100% tuition waiver at St.
Norbert, and 50% tuition waiver at any GRACE school and Notre Dame Academy.
“This is our way of further incentivizing those who believe in and advance our collective
Catholic, educational mission,” said Kunkel.
“We are working hard to further develop our benefit packages for faculty and staff,” said
Bill Micksch, chair of the GRACE board of trustees. This past year the board announced an
additional step toward increasing salaries. “Offering tuition waivers is yet another part of
our collective commitment to recruit and retain top principals, teachers and staff.”
Catholic Teacher Education Grant
To help encourage more St. Norbert College teacher education graduates to apply and
work within the GRACE system or at Notre Dame Academy, a grant has been created for
St. Norbert College education majors.
The grant, in the amount of $5,000, will be awarded to those who commit to teaching in a
GRACE school or Notre Dame Academy for a minimum of three years after graduating.
“Our objective is to encourage more young professionals to help grow our Catholic
schools,” said Kevin Shaw, president of Notre Dame Academy, who is also a St. Norbert
College graduate. “We hope more St. Norbert alumni will stay in the Green Bay area to
share their gifts and faith in a teaching environment that is consistent with their values, like
Notre Dame Academy.”
The grant will be distributed to teachers by their employer after they have completed a
three-year teaching commitment. It is made possible by the generous contribution of an
anonymous donor committed to Catholic education.
Shared Expertise
The three institutions have also said they will collaborate to share knowledge and expertise
in various administrative areas needed to advance their enrollments, operations, and
efficiencies.
“We can all gain from knowing more about how we are recruiting and sharing the benefits
of our schools,” said Ed Lamm, vice president of enrollment management and
communications at St. Norbert College. “Certainly one school’s success leads to the others’
potential for enrollment growth. And certainly the same holds true with alumni and donor
engagement, athletics, and many other areas that are essential in recruiting students.”
What’s Next?
This collaboration—bringing together Catholic educators from pre-K through college is one
that will be continued, say the joint leaders of GRACE, Notre Dame Academy and St.
Norbert College.
“We have a shared interest in growing our schools, and furthering Catholic education,”
said Kunkel. “This, we believe, is just the beginning of what we’ll do together. For
example, St. Norbert has long stood by its 4-year graduation guarantee and we know some
Notre Dame Academy students who come here actually finish in 3.5 years or less due to
IB, AP or college credit classes. We’d like to talk more about how we might partner to
build the curricular requirements necessary to help Notre Dame students finish at St.
Norbert faster—thereby further adding value to their investment in Catholic education. So
stay tuned for more on that as this collaboration continues.”
“We are committed to further conversation about raising the bar for our students and
providing world-class Catholic education pre-k through life,” said Radecki. “We have all of
the right ingredients to be simply exceptional. And our mission calls us to aim high.”
The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) System has 10 schools that provide
excellence in 3K-8th grade education and serves the 23 Catholic parishes within the
Greater Green Bay community. GRACE schools range in offerings and locations, and each
has its own distinct history, focus and parish connections. GRACE is the largest Catholic
school system in the state of Wisconsin. www.gracesystem.org
Notre Dame Academy is a Catholic high school in Green Bay, Wisconsin that embraces an
over 100-year Catholic tradition of excellent learning within a caring, faith-filled
community. Students across the region, as well as internationally, attend the school and
hold a 99% college admission and attendance rate. www.notredameacademy.com
The only Norbertine college in the world, St. Norbert is a four-year, Catholic liberal arts
college, devoted to the Norbertine traditions of community, prayer and service to others.
Founded in 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, the residential campus today serves
approximately 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students from throughout the United
States and more than 30 countries, and offers study-abroad opportunities in 29 countries.
The academic excellence of the college is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World
Report’s America’s Best Colleges. www.snc.edu
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