Check out this video (beginning at 34:30) from Fr. Dave as he shares the vision and mission of our school and how we’ll get there together!

TRANSCRIPT:

Wow! It’s been a fast summer. I am so excited to be able to be here for the start of the new school year before I head off on sabbatical in a couple weeks. Of course, our school is left in the very capable hands of Mrs. Mummey and Mrs. Saliba who have the support of the parish leadership team while I’m away. Fr. Gideon will also be here as acting administrator should any major decisions need to be made in my absence. I trust that you will welcome Fr. Gideon warmly to our community and extend your highest level of cooperation to these trusted leaders in my stead.

We are embarking on our 4^th year as a Catholic Classical Education model school. As you know several years ago, after a ton of consultation, both locally, with the diocesan and national partners, the school leadership team: the principal, vice-principal, and I, created a vision for our school, to bring a new model of education to our students and to differentiate St. Francis from all the others, both public and private. I am so proud of the work our faculty, staff, students and families have done to bring to the forefront of all our community and academic classes the good, the true and the beautiful, through the vision and values of our Catholic Christian faith. Our children are being set apart as critical thinkers, morally upright leaders, growing in faith, and fully capable of viewing the world through the lens of God and His creation.

Today we’re reaping the fruit of that decision. This year alone, we have welcomed 36 new school families and 60 new students to our community! We had another 83 students this year inquire about attending our school, but did not join us, either because their families’ vision and values, or needs, didn’t align with ours, or because we were frankly…out of classroom space.  We currently have 344 students.  

Last year EdChoice crushed the greatest hurdle to a quality Catholic education – the financial hurdle, by returning tax-payer dollars to families, on a needs basis, to choose the school that matches their dreams for their children’s formation and education. The great thing is that EVERY family who applies receives something! 

The Emmaus Road Fund continues to be another important source of financial assistance to families who take the time to apply. You heard more about the Emmaus Road Fund from Shannon Walker, our Director of Development a few minutes ago and we’d love your help to continue to grow this as a source for more scholarships in the future.  

At the end of the day, more families are now able to afford Catholic education than they were a few years ago. Therefore, as predicted, many, many families continue to apply to SFDS and we know that trend will continue thanks to our Classical Education model, a strong Christian culture, and the availability of more financial assistance.   Our admissions and enrollment process will continue to become more competitive, year after year and we know that eventually we may not have enough classroom space for every family who wants to send their children to SFDS.   

I’ve said all of this to remind you of what I said at last year’s parents’ meeting. The elevated interest in what SFDS has to offer gives us an opportunity to create our vision and values to align exactly how we would like them - to make our school and its mission of “making disciples and disciple-makers,” sustainable for generations.   That vision can only come to life through you, our current school families.

Admissions and enrollment.  In the past, re-enrollment for current families was automatic and guaranteed.  Given our new culture, which many families are attracted to, and all the other current trends, re-enrollment is no longer guaranteed. Instead, every January children of families in good standing will be invited to re-enroll.   

While it may sound harsh, this is the exact statement I made last August and was reiterated and signed off within the enrollment paperwork by every currently enrolled family.

Families, let me be clear, moving forward you can only secure their child’s place in our school by believing in our mission AND living it…with us.  We are asking everyone, I mean EVERYONE – me, the teachers, and staff, and you the parents, to get on the proverbial bus, and head in the same direction. What does it look like to get on the same SF “school bus?” Many of you are already doing some of what it takes because we had set this in motion a few years ago: 

1. Giving to the parish Offertory in a regular and identifiable way, either to SFDS or to your home church, whether you are a Catholic or a Christian of another denomination. 
2. Attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days (again, either at SFDS or another church)
3. Fulfilling a minimum of at least…25 school volunteer hours every school year, and 
4. As a school parent, you will need to participate in at least 25 hours of faith formation, over the course of one year, also tracked through Track It Forward. 

Again, many of you are already doing than you’ll be invited to live more fully your faith by living out the teachings of Christ and His Church in your day-to-day life which means:

Faith formation can be things like a bible study or a discipleship group, retreats or conferences, or other similar spiritual opportunities.  We have SO many offerings here to make it easy and convenient for you, or you choose similar offerings at your church.  We are here to support you.  We can be flexible and patient.  If there are challenges in this area, such as a single mom, or you are Catholic and your spouse is not, we can be creative and find ways to help you help yourself grow in faith during the year, but you must communicate this with us in advance. Please, do not wait until January when you don’t receive an invitation to re-enroll to begin this conversation. 

You’ll use the “Track-It-Forward,” app to track these engagements throughout the year, so we can see your family’s progress before re-enrollment which takes place in January for current families.  Our new Enrollment Director, Lauren Davis will work to communicate to all families the opportunities that are available throughout the year and will report to school administration progress for each family. 

Here’s how the invitations to re-enroll will work. Between now and December, all our families to be expected to be on the “bus,” with us, to be living out this vision to make our school truly exceptional and transformative for current and future generations. You will need to track both your volunteer and faith formation hours and your Sunday attendance. A report will be given to school administration regarding your activity and if your family is on track to meet these expectations, an invitation to re-enroll will be extended to you in January.  

Now, we know that there may be some folks who don’t see the good, the true and the beautiful in SFDS Catholic school mission.  This is okay.   More than okay.  We will never force anyone to do what they don’t want to do. In fact, some families have already decided that this is not for them, and they are not here this year. Again, that is ok because it makes us stronger in our vision and values.  All we can do is propose to you, not impose upon you.  You make the choice for whatever you believe is best for you and your family, but this is the plan that God has placed upon our hearts.  We have patiently observed what is working and not working with schools across the country, consulted with leadership in our diocese, then had many, many, many discussions, and much prayer among the leadership in our own parish and school.  This IS our plan to build an entire school culture, based upon families who share a common Christian vision and values.   We are convinced, the more families who live this life, together, the more attractive they become to still other families who want what they want…for their families.  Then, the more every family grows, together, the more they go out into the lives of other people, in their circles of influence, to help attract them to Christ, by living out the good, the true and the beautiful, in a more compelling manner.  Radical hospitality and welcome, personal witness to Christ, evangelization, a community that walks together as disciples.   As our own families mature and develop in faith, so will our children, with us.  They will worship him faithfully into adulthood and spend their lives selflessly leading a multitude of people to him.  They will perpetuate the Christian faith and our Catholic parishes and schools and families and businesses into the future, rather than preside over their decline and demise.  And they will live the happy and fulfilled life we all desire and pray daily for them. 

This is our plan.  We are elevating our dreams and expectations, allowing our faith to shape the way we see and live as a school community, and creating a culture where our children, and you, their families, can thrive.   

This is our future.  We hope and pray that you want what we want this too and do what it takes to help us bring this vision to life.