2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT NATIVITY SCHOOL OF WORCESTER CONTENTS WELCOME LETTER ...............................................................................................................4-5 ANNUAL REPORT RICHIE FERNANDO GRADUATION ........................................................................................6-7 GRADUATION SPEECH .........................................................................................................8-9 2014-2015 A NOTE FROM THE FAMILY OF RICHIE FERNANDO, S.J. ......................................................10-11 NATIVITY WORCESTER GRADUATES RECEIVE COLLEGE DEGREES ........................................12-13 PRO CLASS RECEIVES HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS .................................................................... 14 FERNANDO CLASS VISISTS WITH JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS ............................................... 15 YEAR END AWARDS CEREMONY ............................................................................................ 16 RISE TO THE CHALLENGE MATCH MET ................................................................................... 17 STUDENT REFLECTION .....................................................................................................18-19 SUMMER OF SERVICE ......................................................................................................20-21 FELLOWS GRADUATION ........................................................................................................ 22 DEMETRIUS SAFFORD ATTAINS EAGLE SCOUT RANK .............................................................. 23 ANNUAL REPORT OF GIVING ...........................................................................................24-33 10TH ANNUAL SPRING AUCTION .....................................................................................34-35 PEOPLE OF NATIVITY WORCESTER ...................................................................................36-39 ANNUAL REPORT 3 • Our 2014 Summer of Service had our Nativity Men in school during the month of July avoiding a summer Dear Friends learning loss in math and reading as well as contributing over 1700 hours of community service through eight different non-profit agencies in our city. & Supporters Our Faculty and Administration… • With two more Nativity Teaching Fellows graduating OF NATIVITY SCHOOL from our program this spring, we now have a total of 46 who have completed the fellowship with nearly 90% OF WORCESTER, continuing in education and ¾ of those remaining in urban education. • Since the 2007-2008 school year, 25 graduates of our Nativity Teaching Fellowship program have earned “ The function of schooling is not to a master’s degree through our relationship with enable students to do better in school. Assumption College and Clark University. • Nativity School of Worcester added the position of The function of schooling is to enable Reading Specialist to our student support team. We have students to do better in life.” already seen tremendous improvement in our students – Elliot W. Eisner, Stanford University and their enthusiasm for reading. Our Advancement Efforts… I was recently sitting in my penultimate graduate school • The total number of donors to our Nativity Fund (annual course at the Lynch School of Education at Boston fund) reached 775 – our highest total ever raising over College, when I came across this quote in a reader used for $1.1 million for the fourth consecutive year. a class on instructional leadership. The class was discussing • It’s OK to be Good Here – the Campaign for Nativity School standards and assessments – topics like the Common Core of Worcester, our first-ever capital campaign, continued and high-stakes standardized testing. Dr. Eisner’s quote to progress towards our goal of $7.5 million to fund spoke directly to me about the work done at Nativity sustainability through the elimination of debt on our School of Worcester, every day, with our 66 students, school building and our teachers’ residence and the 127 graduates and their families. As our mission states, creation of an endowment fund, and to fund excellence a Nativity School of Worcester education “inspires self- with renovations to our campus that will ensure that our discovery, responsibility, spiritual growth, and a life-long facilities meet the needs of our program. This year alone, dedication to learning.” we completed a full renovation of the Briggs Gymnasium “ WE EXIST THANKS TO YOU. THANK The 2014-2015 school year was filled with great moments and added meeting space and a student support office for and many accomplishments including… our chaplain, school psychologist, and reading specialist. • Both the Nativity Fund and our capital campaign YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED Our Nativity Men… combined for a total of over $2.5 million raised. • For the 10th consecutive year, all of our 8th graders were • Our 10th Annual Spring Auction welcomed our largest SUPPORT OF NATIVITY SCHOOL accepted into private high schools and received sufficient crowd of over 300 as we celebrated the impact of your financial aid to attend the school. This makes 100% investment in our students, our families, and our entire OF WORCESTER; A SUPPORT THAT of our 127 graduates who have earned this distinction. community. Members of the 8th Grade Fernando Class enrolled at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, St. We’ve accomplished all of this thanks to you – your MAKES A DIFFERENCE NOT JUST John’s High School, Worcester Tech, Worcester Academy, generosity and support of a mission and a school that St. Mary’s Junior-Senior High School, and St. Peter- works; a school that is transforming the lives of our FOR A SUMMER OR A YEAR, BUT Marian Junior-Senior High School. community’s most vulnerable and at-risk population; a • Thirteen members of the Pro Class of 2011 graduated school that is “enabling students to do better in life.” A LIFETIME.” from high school and have enrolled in college or some We exist thanks to you. Thank you for your continued sort of specialized post-secondary program. Our support of Nativity School of Worcester; a support that Nativity Men enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross, makes a difference not just for a summer or a year, but a WPI, Assumption College, Worcester State University, lifetime. Quinsigamond Community College, Boston College, Emerson College, Franklin Pierce University, the United States Navy and Marines, and Western New England College. 4 • 100% of our high school-aged graduates are in school Alex Zequeira ANNUAL REPORT 5 and on track to graduate. Richie Fernando Graduation CLASS OF 2015 Family and friends joined the 14 members of the Richie Fernando Class of 2015 on Saturday, June 6 to celebrate their graduation from Nativity School of Worcester. Student speaker, Randal Agyekum, and community speaker, Sara Sterling, spoke to the audience assembled 100% in the school’s gymnasium. Additionally, Brian Benoit GRADUATES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY received the Nativity Spirit Award, celebrating his OR SPECIALIZED POST-HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM commitment to Nativity Worcester’s four pillars of strength, scholarship, character, and service through his four years at the school. Randal Agyekum Saint John’s High School Brian Benoit Saint John’s High School Misael Cruz Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School Omar Cruz Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School Johny Dellarosa Worcester Technical High School Devon Gray St. Peter Marian High School Stanley Hernandez Worcester Technical High School Vincent Huynh Saint John’s High School Jack Parks Worcester Academy Julian Rivera Saint John’s High School Dante Romeo Saint John’s High School Larry Santos Saint John’s High School Adrian Taveras Saint Mary’s High School Andrew Vushe St. Peter Marian High School 6 ANNUAL REPORT 7 127 GRADUATES SINCE THE SCHOOL’S GRADUATION FOUNDING IN 2003 SPEECH RANDAL AGYEKUM Good afternoon, Mr. Zequeira, Mr. Dillon, members of Friday, during our last Spanish class with Ms. Torres, we Richie Fernando committed his life to service. He felt the Board of Trustees, Trustee Associates, faculty, families, did this assignment again to see how we felt about each God was calling him to be a man for others. As we leave friends, and my fellow classmates. Thank you all for coming other now. Our responses were very lengthy compared to Nativity Worcester, let us always be men for others whether to the Fernando Class graduation. My name is Randal our sixth grade versions because we are able to say more we are at St. John’s, St. Mary’s, Assabet Valley Tech, Agyekum and I joined the Fernando Class in the sixth about each other. We have known each other for a long Worcester Tech, St. Peter-Marian, or Worcester Academy. grade. I came in a shy child, unsure of my identity and how time now and have truly become brothers who care about As we move onto another chapter of our lives Nativity will I would adjust to an energetic and unique class. and respect one another. Nativity Worcester has given us always be with us everywhere we go. In the first few months of sixth grade, I wanted to fit in the opportunity to do this. so badly that for the first few months I made sure that I want to thank Nativity Worcester and all of my classmates everything that I turned in was perfect so that I could All of the members of the Fernando Class have grown up for the best three years of my life, for all the times that impress others. While I still work hard and strive for together to become remarkable young men, with