Is it simply “back to school” time? Is it that “another school year is upon us?” Or are we excited to be embarking on another school year filled with academic excellence, student success, and a deeper teaching of our Catholic faith?

These questions accentuate the difference we experience in our Catholic schools. The difference is huge — it is the Gospel.

“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” — Mark 10:13-16

Within the schools of the Archdiocese of Detroit, parents find and students experience a rich curriculum steeped in the teachings of Jesus.

Our focus is on the long-term development of the student in the key areas of mind, body and spirit, and is not limited to the school year.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6

Over the past year alone our students have participated collectively in more than 150,000 hours of community service, graduated at a rate of 98 percent, and secured scholarship offers for post-secondary education in excess of $150 million.

They face a strong curriculum.

They grow as scholars.

And, vitally, they experience the teachings of Jesus as they grow in their faith.

The goals of the Office of Catholic Schools are to provide our schools with opportunities that aid in their mission and to be a resource for our educators and administrators. We help make our schools strong, vibrant and inclusive.

I would encourage and challenge all parents to visit their local Catholic school and experience the atmosphere, engage our students and faculty, and discover for themselves the difference between “another school year” and “another school year filled with academic excellence, student success, and a deeper teaching of our Catholic faith.”

As we work hard to make our Catholic schools stronger and help them “unleash the Gospel” in their local communities, parents might be interested in the following bits of news from the world of local Catholic education:

• On Aug. 9, the Office of Catholic Schools held the third annual K-12 Teacher and Administrators Conference on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy. The day began with the celebration of the Eucharist at 7:30 a.m. Bishop Arturo Cepeda was the celebrant. Participants heard from keynote speaker Gregory Dhuyvetter, superintendent of the Diocese of Orange, Calif., on “Cultivating Positive School Culture: Mission is the Key.” In the coming school year, teachers and principals will have 25 additional professional development opportunities, as well.

• With Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron’s support and blessing, our Catholic Schools Council has spent the past several months examining the four pillars for our Catholic schools: Catholic Identity, Finance and Governance, Advancement/Development and Academic Excellence. In the coming months, meetings will be held with pastors and principals to discuss where we are and the mission of our schools.

• Shortly, we will be presenting our new Religion Curriculum and Standards. This was the result of valuable guidance from the Offices of Evangelization and Catechesis, along with tremendous efforts from teachers throughout the archdiocese giving freely of their time and talents. I am grateful for all these efforts to ensure that Catholic schools offer, in new and creative ways, a rich and deep curriculum accentuating our Catholic identity in the classroom.

• Three years ago, the Office of Catholic Schools and the University of Detroit Mercy launched a program that provides substantial tuition grants for students who have attended our Catholic elementary schools and graduated from one of our Catholic high schools. Recently, this program was joined and expanded and now includes both Madonna University and Marygrove College. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s school for more information on these programs.

• To cooperate and be smart about our financial resources, numerous schools collaborated through the Office of Catholic Schools to develop agreements with several textbook vendors to purchase textbooks and a reduced cost. This makes teaching and student materials more affordable and helps participating schools keep their costs down.

• Lastly — especially if one serves at your school — please join me in welcoming our 13 new principals and assistant principals. We give them prayerful best wishes on their new assignments as they promote our Catholic identity and academic excellence.

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Brian M. Dougherty, Ph.D., is superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Detroit.