Letter from the President
Dear SJA friends,
Belated Happy New Year! It is hard to believe we have moved into a new decade. It seems just yesterday when Y2K was on our minds. When you think of how our world has changed…..the terrorist attacks, the impact of new technology, the collapse of financial systems…..it just emphasizes how resilient we are and how we adapt to change. I have lived long enough to know we have no choice. The saying “Change or Die” may seem harsh but certainly has some reality connected to it.
At SJA, we have had to do so much change over the last 55 years. Yes, it is our 55th birthday and it has been a real learning experience to review these years with photos and stories from our donors, our students, our parents, our alumnae, and our cherished Sisters of Charity. We have been steadfast in our commitment to educating young women in a Catholic environment. But nothing stays the same and so we move into a new decade with some new changes to share with all of you.
Through efforts funded by donors, we have solicited the input of two major reports that will guide us as we too venture into a new decade as a school. Dr. Ryan Champeau, a secondary school national consultant on school redesign, has been working with us to really examine what a 21st century urban, Catholic, all girls high school needs to offer its students. We have looked at existing courses, examined new offerings, studied staffing, and focused on research that supports best practice in teaching and learning including how we schedule time for teaching and learning. We have also contracted with Elizabeth Meyer and Joan Feiereisen from Fund Development Corporation to examine our organization as it relates to how we raise money, how we market our school, how we recruit students and how we function as an organization to best meet the needs of our girls. These two reports will help design a new beginning of sorts for our school. The Sisters of Charity will work with the Executive Committee and our Board of Directors to craft a new direction that will be in place for the 2010-11 school year. These are exciting times and I encourage all of you to “stay tuned” as we move forward with renewed courage, spirit and conviction to support our mission.
I ask for your prayers and support as we go into this new decade. It is only because of your continued belief in our work that we are able to meet the challenges of a changing time. We are so appreciative of all you do for all of us.
Sincerely,
Cynthia A. Marino
President