Dear Gesu Families,
As we end the first quarter, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the first 8 weeks of school.
A school theme this year, amongst our faculty and staff, is “Celebrate the Wins”. We wanted to remind and share these wins with all of you, as well as address a common question from school families.
Among the aesthetic updates, we finalized the renovation of four bathrooms, created space in the front of the school for outdoor learning, and made four new accessible parking spaces for visitors. Our PTO, yet again, raised over $130,000 towards student activities, and our Boosters held a successful Bulldog Bolt, bringing the community together for a morning filled with fellowship. Our student body clapped out five sports teams who earned accolades from CYO, including a few city championships. Not to mention the events and activities that have brought our students together, including school masses, the Living Rosary, Faith Families, and so many grade-level memories. We have MUCH to be grateful for here at Gesu during this first quarter.
A common communication from families that we have heard over this first quarter is about access to technology. I want to take this opportunity to share some updates and provide Gesu’s beliefs and actions related to technology.
Gesu School believes technology has the ability to maximize both teaching and learning for our school community. As a STEAM-designated school by the state of Ohio, one technology integration goal is to support our students in becoming collaborative learners, as well as educating them to have an understanding of different technology resources and skills. Through technology, the school is better able to personalize learning and differentiate instruction to grow each student at his/her skill level.
We also believe in moderation and setting clear expectations. At school, technology is to be used as a tool, not a toy. In that breath, we have the ability to oversee much of what students have access to during the school day. We have a Barracuda Firewall to provide protection against technology-based viruses. We have Bark software, which monitors student use and emails alerts to administration when a student uses his/her school-based Google login to write or search explicit or harmful information. We also have GoGuardian, which provides a web filter for Gesu to block sites, allows teachers to see the sites students are on in real-time, and also sends alerts to administration regarding possible explicit or harmful content.
At this time, I do want to provide clarity that while our GoGuardian subscription took longer than we would have liked to reinstate and was down during the beginning of October, Gesu did still have our firewall and Bark software in place. GoGuardian is currently in place and will continue to be utilized.
Digital citizenship is the responsibility of all of our students and educators, and we ask for parent partnership as well. Students in grades 5-8 have the ability to take their Chromebooks home with the intent of utilizing the device for school purposes. We ask that you monitor and work with your child at home to ensure proper usage of the device. There are a variety of at-home filters through your internet subscriber that can provide a layer of protection while students are using technology at home. Additionally, set parameters around where your child uses the device to do homework, such as at the dinner table instead of in a bedroom, and ask the child to place the device in a shared family location when it is not used and at night. This will help to ensure proper use.
Please know the purpose of technology usage at Gesu is an ongoing discussion with administration and faculty. Please take some time to review the Technology Acceptable Use Policy, which includes a section on the use of AI (found in Exhibit B).
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas,” which is devoted fully to the church’s beliefs on technology and, in particular, AI. He states, “At a time when digital technologies are developing at a rapid and unpredictable pace, every single person must decide if she or he will be: a passive bystander; an unhelpful commentator; an avaricious architect of a new "Tower of Babel"; or a patient, hope-filled builder of a "civilization of love," Pope Leo XIV said in his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas."
We are looking forward to starting the second quarter strong in collaboration and communication with our Gesu community.
AMDG,
Mrs. Regan Kazel
Principal
And School Administration