Ken Willers CatholicEd Leadership Solutions • KWCatholicEdLeadershipSolutions.com 

 kenwillers@kwCatholicEdLeadershipSolutions.com • 415-990-0128

A charism is a living gift, a breath of the Creator Spirit at the service of a dynamic history that is never a simple repetition of the past. — The Holy Family of Bordeaux

A Catholic school’s Mission is “incarnated,” so to speak, within the “message” of a faith community’s charism. It comes alive when the story and traditions of that community are intentionally celebrated and proclaimed.

Several years ago when I was Principal at the School of the Madeleine’s I invited the Advisory Board and parent community to take an innovative and bold step with our 'messaging'. I asked the community to stop merely producing promotional materials and instead start boldly proclaiming the school’s Mission. This vision brought to life the story and traditions of the Madeleine’s Catholic Mission—and it has attracted many new families to our community.

How? By publishing an Annual Report that truly embodies the school’s Mission and charism.

Some might argue that annual reports have existed for decades and aren’t particularly innovative. Yet the Annual Report we’ve modeled for Catholic schools is genuinely fresh and distinctive. Over the last twenty years or so I’ve been invited to present seminars to other dioceses and this year I have been invited back to facilitate a workshop at the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) convention in Minneapolis, sharing how to create an Annual Report for Catholic elementary schools inspired by the one we developed at the Madeleine.

Why has it resonated so widely? Because this type of Annual Report captures the essence of Catholic education’s Mission and encapsulates it into an educative message framed by a single school year. It becomes a powerful vehicle for proclamation by highlighting how the school has lived its Mission in key areas: Catholic Identity, Founding Charism, Educational Significance, Parochial/Communal Service, and Responsible Stewardship.

In this way, the Annual Report celebrates the school’s unwavering commitment to Catholic education and shares that message of success with all stakeholders—current families, alumni, parishioners, and prospective enrolling families alike.

Just as the school’s Mission is incarnated within our message, so too is it alive in our annual symbol and theme. Each year, the Mission finds a fresh and meaningful way to incarnate its message. At the Madeleine and at every school I have been privileged to serve, I empower those who have been at the school the longest and who have experienced the Mission most deeply—the students themselves—to help create and shape the symbol and theme.

Before entering their final year, the seventh-grade class reflects on how they needed to grow and what they hope to carry with them as graduates. The symbol and theme they develop serve as a reminder of their yearlong journey. Over the years, these have included:

• “From Vision to Reality,” with the image of a child reaching for a star.

• “Trust Your Source: Listen, Believe and Emerge,” accompanied by a beautiful monarch butterfly.

• “Rise Above: Let Go • Break Through,” symbolized by the Phoenix.

• “Stand! Out-Together-Strong,” featuring a star outlining a galaxy within it.

Some have been especially powerful, like when our eighth graders proposed “Silence Your Words. Hear Your Heart,” illustrated by a student with a heart wearing earphones—a message that struck deeply.

Our current symbol is a hot air balloon, paired with the theme: “Rise! Above Challenges. Beyond Dreams.”

The class then offers their symbol and theme to the entire educational community as a point of reflection and their parting gift to the student body, families, and staff. As a direct result of this student-led process, the cover of the Annual Report reflects the graduating class’s vision. Clearly, the Mission and the message are vibrantly alive in the Annual Report.

What better tool, then, to proclaim and promote our Mission and our school?

While serving as principal, the Annual Report replaced all traditional promotional materials. The funds once spent on flyers, folders, brochures, and other items were redirected toward proclaiming our Mission. Marketing costs have decreased, paper usage has dropped, and we’ve eliminated the waste of outdated materials.

When families visited the school, they would no longer leave with stacks of promotional and informational documents. Instead, they would receive our beautiful Annual Report and a customized flash drive (attached to a student-created keychain) containing all the application forms and information needed to apply to the school electronically, if they choose.

More importantly, every visitor, family member, and stakeholder had the opportunity to carry, hold, and embrace our Mission through this single, meaningful document.

Yes, our Catholic school’s Mission is incarnated and brought to life because the story and traditions of our community are intentionally celebrated and proclaimed through the innovative process of creating and publishing our Annual Report.

For more on this approach, listen to the podcast interview I did with Dr. Tim Uhl about the power of proclaiming your school’s Mission via an Annual Report. The Catholic School Matters podcast features amazing educators committed to Catholic education—find it here on Apple Podcasts (or search for Catholic School Matters wherever you listen to podcasts).