There are so many moments that I feel privileged to witness at Saint Paul Catholic School. Those moments have spanned the significant to the everyday--handing a graduating 8th grader their diploma, observing a student grasp a new idea in the classroom, or observing a parent plant a loving kiss on the forehead of their child as they part for the school day. All these make me happy to be part of the SPCS team. Last night at the monthly School Advisory Council meeting, I had another one of those proud moments.
Every month a group of dedicated, hardworking parents who care deeply about SPCS and their children and yours come together to discuss issues involving the operation of SPCS with its $1.6 million budget. The topics range widely every meeting, and lively discussion is the norm. Your SAC representatives take their roles seriously and strive to advise and inform Father Joe and me of issues that may not have made it to his desk or mine. These representatives hear your concerns and bring those to the table for discussion. Last night the discussion focused on a concern that not only the SAC members and I had, but also had been voiced by many parents—the role of fund raising at SPCS.
There was a consensus at the table that fund raising has grown out of portion to our basic philosophy of providing a quality Catholic education to our students. Too many fund raisers or financial donations have taken over our calendar and diluted the effectiveness of our charity giving and our need to raise funds to meet the school’s operating budget. People are feeling stretched to the limit and the unanimous vote during the meeting was to scale back and revamp our fund raising efforts. In order to accomplish this goal, five major fund raisers, and only these five, will be undertaken and promoted. The “BIG 5” are: Popcorn Parking, Oktoberfest, Gala, Spirit Run, and the Golf Outing. There will be four school-sponsored activities, one per quarter, in which the children will be asked to participate. We voted to scale back on the minor fundraising activities, including sales of ice cream, lollipops, chocolate bar, and baked goods.
We want to lead by example for our students so they know what true stewardship represents. As principal of SPCS, I want the students to know that being a good Christian has more to do with how you live your life, than how much money you give to the “project of the moment.” We stand on the generosity and sacrifice of generations of SPCS parents, teachers, and staff that have gone before us, and it is our obligation to do the same for those to come after us.
So…get behind the “BIG 5” and help us make 2014-15 a strong year for everyone associated with SPCS!