St. Mary Catholic Schools Donor Report 2014-15
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2014-15 ST. MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS DONOR REPORT St. Gabriel Elementary • St. Margaret Mary Elementary • St. Mary Elementary St. Mary Catholic Middle School • St. Mary Catholic High School GREETINGS FROM ST. MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS To Our SMCS Friends and Families, I am delighted to convey that 2014-15 was a significant year for St. Mary Catholic Schools (SMCS). Not only did we change our name and transition our leadership, we opened a spectacular new middle school which is now led by a new principal! Although I was new to the role of president when I came on board in winter, I was already quite familiar with St. Mary Catholic Schools. As a former active volunteer and school board member, I am also the parent of three alumni who all attended St. Mary Elementary and Seton and graduated from SMC, and who participated in a variety of co-curricular activities. What struck me upon my return to SMCS was the progress made in facility resources, technology, and collaboration across curriculum areas and grade levels. The professionalism and dedication of our pastors, donors, board members, administrators, faculty and staff coupled with the polite and friendly demeanor and enthusiasm of our hardworking students continues to be remarkable. A sense of Catholic tradition and faith, parish connections, and mutual respect and commitment to educational excellence are evident in our schools. This donor report recognizes and celebrates many who have given time, treasure, and talent to our schools. Your investment in our schools directly impacts the incredible faculty, and enriches the experience of all of our students—from our youngest preschool learners to our twelfth grade leaders. Last year, through your support and contributions, we: • Attained $9.9 million towards our $11 million middle school building campaign • Supported the annual fund with generous contributions of $183,000–growth of more than 15% over the previous year! • Raised more than $416,000 to support our operating budget through our premier Zephyrfest and Jumbo Gumbo events • Provided families with $280,000 in tuition assistance and financial aid grants • Invested, upgraded and maintained technology equipment valued at $281,000 • Allocated $112,000 toward technology licensing fees, Internet, software, hardware and supplies • Purchased $78,000 in textbooks and instructional supplies • Secured more than $204,000 with 28 vouchers through first-year participation in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) Most importantly, we were able to offer the kind of education that our foundational values support – one that nurtures the natural curiosity of children, honors the rich fabric of our Catholic faith and provides optimal learning and service experiences to over 900 children. And we are able to do this because of the amazing community that supports us – our parents, grandparents, teachers, alumni, parishes and friends of the school who give their time, money, and energy so that our schools stay strong and vibrant. Thank you for all that you do to support the St. Mary Catholic Schools mission. Whether you make a donation to the SMCS Annual Fund or volunteer at an SMCS event, every dollar given and each hour spent is essential to our goal of providing excellence in Catholic education. You are making a true and lasting difference in the lives of these young people, and for that, we are deeply grateful. In faith and with God’s blessings, The photo on the cover is from the commons in the new St. Mary Catholic Middle School. Inspirational phrases are located throughout the building. Helen Englebert SMCS President MISSION STATEMENT St. Mary Catholic Schools, in partnership with family, Church and community, provides a quality Catholic education that is focused on faith, academics, service and personal development from preschool through high school to influence a rapidly changing world. ST. MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jeff Berg, Past Chairperson Christopher Hartrich** Ann Rasmussen Kristen Bergstrom** The Reverend Michael Ingold The Reverend Larry Seidl Nancy Braatz, Vice Chair Steward Koskinen Pam Seidl, Chairperson Patrick Breen Mary Krueger Heather Voss* Charlene Brumbeloe* Dustin McClone Helen Englebert Kathleen Healy Osland, Secretary Dan Engelhard The Reverend Paul Paider *Term ended June 30, 2015 Gary Elmer, Treasurer Sue Pawlowski **Term began July 1, 2015 ST. MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CORPORATE BOARD The Most Reverend David L. Ricken, Bishop of Green Bay Dr. Joe Bound, Director of the Department of Education for the Diocese of Green Bay Deacon Tim Reilly, Director of Administration for the Diocese of Green Bay The Reverend Mike Ingold, Pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish, Neenah Mary Krueger, Pastoral Leader at St. Patrick’s Parish, Menasha St. Mary Catholic Schools The Reverend Paul Paider, Pastor of St. Mary and St. John Linked Parishes, Menasha (SMCS) has made every The Reverend Larry Seidl, Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, Neenah reasonable effort to ensure that Steve Butke, Elected Director the information in this report Helen Englebert, SMCS President is accurate. If you notice an Pam Seidl, SMCS Board of Trustees Chairperson error, please contact Director of Communications Molly Griffin at [email protected]. TCCES OR SMCS? Our school system’s name changed to St. Mary Catholic Schools effective July 1, 2015. Although we were operating under the former names during the 2014-15 school year, in this donor report the new system and school names are used. TRANSITIONING TO A DONOR REPORT Our change in leadership this year offers the perfect opportunity to transition to a new, forward-looking approach to our periodic reporting. Therefore, beginning with this issue, the fall mailing will be an annual donor report. This document will include the names of benefactors who contributed to essential initiatives during the fiscal period ending on June 30, 2015 such as our annual fund, significant capital campaigns, scholarships and fundraising events. It will also include important statistics from that year including financial data, academic and enrollment reports and brief recaps of the year’s highlights. Beginning in January 2016 and occurring near the end of each semester thereafter, we will share a newsletter that celebrates recent accomplishments, initiatives and trends in faith, academics, service and personal development in our schools. It is our hope that this new arrangement will still properly thank, honor and acknowledge our faithful supporters, while keeping our community informed, in a timely manner, about the exciting and interesting activities of our students. NEW LEADERSHIP IN KEY AREAS In December 2014 we welcomed Helen Englebert, the new president of St. Mary Catholic Schools. A parent of three SMCS alumni and a former business executive from Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac, Englebert has the professional experience and the personal interest to provide strong, compassionate leadership for our school community. In March 2015, Christina Turner began in her role as the first director of fine arts for St. Mary Catholic Schools. With a strong background in organizing and facilitating many fine arts groups and projects, Turner offers experience and passion in this important area. Helen Englebert Christina Turner It was announced in the spring that Mike Zuleger would be taking the helm as the principal of the new St. Mary Catholic Middle School. Zuleger was previously the assistant principal at the high school, and brings his administrative skills to the new facility, as well as positive rapport with students, parents and faculty. Additionally, it was announced that St. Margaret Mary Principal Eleanor Healy would transition to a part-time role and that Tina Fairweather, a teacher at the school, would take on administrative responsibilities as an assistant principal for the new school year. Fairweather has demonstrated a strong commitment to Catholic education, and this new Mike Zuleger Tina Fairweather role will serve her well as a leader for our parish and school community. SMCS ANNUAL FUND DRIVE NETS A 15% INCREASE IN DONATIONS Supporters of Catholic education through St. Mary Catholic Schools recognize that their gifts are essential to the school system. The annual fund drive grew significantly in 2014-15, with a 15% increase in the dollars donated! A total of $183,000 was donated in 503 gifts. Just over half of the gifts (54%) came from alumni, many of whom helped out with the successfully resurrected alumni pledge phone-a-thon. As illustrated below, there is a significant gap between the actual cost to educate an SMCS students and the amount covered by tuition. We face a significant challenge with the planned decline in parish subsidy support. The remaining gap must be bridged through third-source fundraising and our annual fund appeal. 2014-15 Actual Cost to Educate a Student SMCS Tuition Rate Funding Gap Elementary Schools $4836 $2695 $2141 per student Middle School $6360 $3495 $2865 per student High School $8199 $5595 $2604 per student TEST RESULTS REFLECT QUALITY OF SMCS EDUCATION SPRING 2015 SMCS MAP RIT SCORES The ACRE (Assessment of Children/Youth Religious Education) test is administered to students in parochial schools and parish religious formation programs in grades 5, 8 and 11 to assess 230 MATH student understanding of Catholic teachings. Students in St. Mary Catholic Schools consistently exceed national school and parish 200 norms. 170 St. Mary Catholic Schools uses the Measures of Academic Progress Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 (MAP) tests to track the scholastic progress of all SMCS students 230 READING in grades 1-7. These computer-based assessments use questions of increasing difficulty in the areas of reading, mathematics and 200 language to identify student achievement, and are administered in the fall and spring of each school year. 170 The results help educators gain an understanding of each child’s Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 and each class’s current academic level or to compare class- or 230 LANGUAGE ARTS grade-level performance to the 5.1 million students who took the tests in 2014-15.