A VALUED PROCESS

As the new school year starts at Saratoga Central Catholic School, students are also starting a new course. 

For the first time this year, Saratoga Central Catholic will be offering a publishing class for students. The school was the proud recipient of a $2,000 grant from the Rev. Kenneth J. Doyle Catholic Education Fund that allowed SCC to launch the course. The class will be team-taught by Jen Isele, English teacher, and Kate Sherwin, Spanish teacher. 

“Our administration is so wonderful at looking at what will benefit the kids and what courses we can implement to better our students,” Isele said. “I think this was just something that they saw. Writing is huge in our schools, so it’s something that they really value.”

In early spring, Isele, who previously worked in publishing, was approached by the SCC administration about bringing a publishing course to the school. Isele talked with Sherwin about the idea, who is a published author and columnist herself, and was eager to jump in and help. 

Through the course, students will experience every stage of the publishing process, such as developing ideas, writing and editing, design, production and distribution, while looking at how Catholic publishers, journalists and authors share the Gospel in modern times.

“The important part of it is students learning the writing process from start to finish,” Isele said. “But in this course, we’ll have the time to teach them to value the process with a theology focus.” 

What makes the course unique is its focus on bringing the students into the world of publishing, not just through lessons in the classroom: “(It’s) world experience coupled with the actual process in class,” Sherwin said. 

The school’s grant will allow students to learn directly from Catholic professionals through field trips, guest speakers and hands-on experiences. 

“One of the things I think that we’re most excited about is the class sizes here are so reasonable,” Isele said. “Being able to really sit down and have those conferences with writers and work with them through their writing and making sure that we’re honoring the goal of the course and keeping up with Father Doyle’s values. Having that one-on-one attention, being able to give that to students, is going to be a really important part of the course.”

Father Doyle was a well-loved priest of the Albany Diocese and active in writing and journalism for most of his life. He served as assistant editor and editor of The Evangelist, Rome Bureau Chief of Catholic News Service and in retirement, wrote the nationally known “Question Box” column for Catholic News Service. 

Even after his death in 2022, his legacy is still felt. 

“We’re still talking about him, we’re still imitating him,” Sherwin said. “This (grant) seems so perfect for it. An innovative publishing course that sought to transmit the Gospel through writing. I mean, how could we miss?”

More Back to School: 

‘A GREAT FIT’: http://evangelist.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2026/sep/23/a-great-fit/ 

MAKING HISTORY: http://evangelist.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2026/sep/23/making-history/ 

‘DID YOU GO TO CATHOLIC HIGH?’: http://evangelist.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2026/sep/23/did-you-go-to-catholic-high/ 

NEW YEAR, NEW SCHOOL: http://evangelist.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2026/sep/23/new-year-new-school/ 

THE SISTERS ARE BACK: http://evangelist.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2026/sep/23/the-sisters-are-back/ 

AN ANCHOR IN LIFE: http://evangelist.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2026/sep/23/back-to-school-an-anchor-in-my-life-and-for-many-others/