A Tradition of Excellence

1
A Tradition of Excellence In Catholic Education
2
Our Mission Guided by the Spirit, SJS Community
nurtures spiritual growth, provides challenging
intellectual opportunities and encourages each
child to become the person God calls him/her to
be.
3
Our Philosophy Saint Joseph School is a
Catholic, co-educational elementary school that
exists to promote education and formation of
children into maturing Catholics. As an
extension of the church, the school shares the
churchs educational mission to preach the
Gospel, to build a community of faith, to foster
family spirituality, and to form the disciples of
Jesus ready to spread Gods message and give
themselves in the service of others. In
addition, the school provides opportunities to
pursue academic excellence, build meaningful
relationships, learn responsible citizenship, and
develop skills for ethical leadership. To create
an environment that responds to the whole child,
the school strives to work with the unique
personality, talents, and needs of each student.
The school, the church, and society all
contribute to the formation of the child.
Parents, however, are the primary educators of
their children. Therefore, parental involvement
is a key component of the education program at
Saint Joseph School.
4
GOD
FAMILES
SJS School Children
President Principal Faculty and Staff
School Board
Athletic and Booster Committee
Parent Forum
Pastor and Parish
Foundations For Excellence
5

• President, Principal, Faculty and Staff
• Excellence in spiritual formation and academic
  growth
• Extracurricular opportunities

President Principal Faculty and Staff
School Board
Athletic and Booster Committee
Parent Forum
Pastor and Parish
Foundations For Excellence
6

• School Board
• Financial Management
• Marketing and Recruitment
• Advisory

President Principal Faculty and Staff
School Board
Athletic and Booster Committee
Parent Forum
Pastor and Parish
Foundations For Excellence
7

• Pastor and Parish
• A Catholic parish in the Joliet Diocese
• Committed to help our parents in their God-given
  mission to educate their children

President Principal Faculty and Staff
School Board
Athletic and Booster Committee
Parent Forum
Pastor and Parish
Foundations For Excellence
8

• Parent Forum
• Promoting a closer relationship between home and
  school
• Coordinates the many parent volunteers involving
  special events for the children and families
  (e.g. Christmas program, pizza/special lunches,
  father/daughter dance, mother/son outing, fun
  fair)

President Principal Faculty and Staff
School Board
Athletic and Booster Committee
Parent Forum
Pastor and Parish
Foundations For Excellence
9
Athletic and Booster Committee Providing
athletic opportunities to all students in a
Christian-based program
President Principal Faculty and Staff
School Board
Athletic and Booster Committee
Parent Forum
Pastor and Parish
Foundations For Excellence
10
Tonights Agenda

• Part One Where we are today
• Principal Update/Academic Performance of Our
  StudentsRita Stasi
• Enrollment and Recruitment Initiatives Vincent
  Barrett
• School Finances/Proposed Budget and TuitionKevin
  Delaplane

11
Tonights Agenda

• Part Two Where do we go from here
• Future PrioritiesKevin Lynch
• Break-out Sessions

12
Principal Update/Academic Performance of Our
Students Rita Stasi
13
Parent Involvement

• Active Parent Involvement in the Education of St.
  Joseph Students is a Key Factor in the Success of
  St. Joseph School
• 3 4 Year Old Play Clubs
• Active Volunteering Continues Fund Raisers,
  Sports Coaches, Lunchroom and Playground Duty,
  Room Parents, Publishing Center, School Supply
  Store, and Religious and Social Events Throughout
  the Year

14
St. Joseph Faculty

• Stable, Experienced Faculty at St. Joseph School.
• 90 Have 5 or More Years of Service
• 50 Have 10 or More Years of Service
• 5 Teacher Assistants Work Directly With Children
  Across the Grades.
• Average Student/Teacher Ratio is 21/1

15
Academics

• Faith Formation
• Reading
• Language Arts
• Math
• Social Studies
• Science
• Computer Science
• Music/Dance/Choral/Art/Gym/Library

16
Extra Curricular Activities

• Band/Instrument
• Football
• Girls Volleyball
• Boys and Girls Basketball
• Boys and Girls Track
• Cub and Girl Scouts
• Student Council

17
Faith Formation

• Liturgy
• Tuesday Celebration of the Mass
• Sacrament of Reconciliation and Prayer Services
• Student Participation in Liturgies
• Liturgical Choir
• Hand Bell Choir
• Altar Servers
• Lectors
• Ushers
• Sacristans

18
Faith Formation

• Religion in the Classroom
• Study of the Catholic Faith
• Preparation for the Sacraments
• Catholic Values are Reinforced in All Subject
  Areas
• Service Projects that are an Extension of the
  Curriculum
• Parent Involvement
• Eucharistic Ministers at Tuesday Liturgies
• Preparation of Meals for Those In Need
• Social and Religious Gatherings to Deepen Our
  Faith Community

19
Iowa Test of Basic Skills

• National Average Performance 50 Percentile
• The Joliet Diocese Prohibits Distribution of
  Individual School Performances.
• Diocese Based AchievementReading 76Language
  Arts 78Mathematics 73

20
Iowa Test of Basic Skills

• Teachers Receive Staff Development on Test
  Interpretation.
• Used by Teachers to Analyze and Improve
  Curriculum.
• Used by Teachers as One Measure to Evaluate
  Student Growth and Guide Differentiated
  Instruction.
• Will be Expanded to Grades 3 8 for 08/09 School
  Year

21
Academics Highlights

• Reading
• New Series for K 5th Grade
• Emphasis on Reading Library Books
• Language Arts
• Write Extended Responses to Prompts, Starting in
  1st Grade
• Write Research Papers, Starting in 6th Grade.
• Mathematics
• Solving Linear Equations in 3rd Grade
• Algebra is the Basis of 8th Grade Program
• A number of students start with Geometry in High
  School (Skip 1st Year Algebra)

22
Academic Highlights

• Computer Science K 8
• Computers With Internet Access in All Classrooms
• Over 50 Workstations in Library and Computer Lab
• Technical Skills Instruction
• Keyboarding in 1st Grade
• Excel in 3rd Grade
• PowerPoint in 4th Grade
• Integration of Technology Into the Curriculum
• Use of Streaming Software (Discovery Education)
• Classroom Assignments Involving Computer Use

23
Enrollment and Recruitment Initiatives Vincent
Barrett
24
Marketing and Recruitment

• Faith in Education the umbrella of Catholic
  identity at SJS
• Recruitment and Retention Committee - Four
  subcommittees
• 27 members, meet monthly Sep-Jun (Join Now!)
• Recruitment Engine for growth, always
  recruiting, a continuum
• Retention New parent/family activities,
  playgroups, social activities
• Marketing Long term planning consistent,
  targeted, branded message
• Sister Parish Partnering
• Divine Savior, OLMC, Christ the Servant,
  Ascension of Our Lord
• Each has a Religious Education program
• None have Schools
• Project to the community positive message,
  proactively, inclusively
• Welcome new families leverage the SJS Website
  introduce yourself
• Ambassadors for SJS You and Me We are the
  Ambassadors

25
Marketing and Recruitment

• Catholic Schools Week 2008 Catholic Schools
  Light the Way
• 48 CSW tours 2008 (38 CSW tours 2007)
• 34 Scheduled 14 Drop-In
• 28 Signed for K Readiness Testing (as of 1/28/08)
• Thank you notes sent
• Playgroups formed
• Fun Fair invitations extended
• Follow-up process in-place
• Today 388 Students (41 Kindergarten children),
  228 Families, 550 Religious Education Students
• 450 Students - Growth Path Goal
• Tour Parent feedback Warm/Open Environment,
  Staff/Parents Energy, Clean, Advertising
  Recognized, Well Organized, Attention to Detail,
  Excellent Follow-up, Proactive Communications

26
Marketing and Recruitment

• Marketing Communications Plan activities and
  works-in-progress
• Strategic initiatives to attract new families,
  retain existing families
• SJS strengths, opportunities, challenges
• Target audiences
• Communications strategies consistent brand
  identity
• Within SJS, Rel.Ed students, DG community, Sister
  Parishes
• Brand management, recruitment programs, retention
  programs
• Leverage SJS constituencies
• School Board, Parish Staff, School Staff,
  Administration support
• Committee leadership Parent Forum, fundraising
  committees, AB
• SJS Website
• Call-to-Action Continue to be an Ambassador for
  SJS in your daily lives
• Faith in Education message Positive, Proactive,
  SJS Identity

27
School Finances/Proposed Budget and
Tuition Kevin Delaplane
28
School Finances/Proposed Budget and Tuition

• Update on Last Year's Initiatives - Financing the
  School
•  
• Parish Subsidy, three year commitment(first year
  is the current school year) of 525,000 with a
  proviso after 2 years.
• New approach to kindergarten tuition of 1,000.
• Cost-based approach to setting tuition in grades
  1-8.
• Tuition strategy through a combination of tuition
  and tax deductible stewardship.
• Coordinated management of fundraising. Budget
  100,000 in proceeds this year. Two main events
  this year are the Hoe Down held in November and
  the Annual Appeal currently in progress.
• Outsourcing of tuition collection, stewardship
  collection and tuition assistance administration
  through FACTs.

29
School Finances/Proposed Budget and Tuition

• Affordability of the School
•  
• Significant multi-child tuition discounts ranging
  from 50 for second student to 90 for the fifth
  student
• Creation of formal tuition assistance program.
  This year we are providing 27,000 of assistance
  to 14 families.
•  
• Creation of the School Foundation
•  
• To be funded by two-thirds of school family
  stewardship, fundraising proceeds, miscellaneous
  gifts to the school and contribution of current
  balance in Principals fund.
• To be used to fund tuition assistance,
  multi-student family discounts, discretionary
  offset of operating expenses and future academic,
  facility and technology enhancements.

30
School Finances/Proposed Budget and Tuition

• Parish Stewardship
•  
• Renewed focus on school family tax deductible
  stewardship obligations to the parish
• Two-thirds of school family stewardship
  contributed to foundation.
• The overall response to this program has been
  great. Please comply with your pledge.
• If your employer has a matching gift program,
  please utilize this benefit to match your
  stewardship contribution.

31
School Finances/Proposed Budget and Tuition

• Parish Financial Situation/Commitment to the
  School
•  
• Father Jerome and the parish are fully committed
  to the school.
• The parish has a significant projected budget
  deficit for next year, which Father and the
  Pastoral Council are addressing in the budget
  review process which is currently in progress.
• The School represents approximately two-thirds of
  the parish budget.
• For the 2008-2009 school year, the parish has
  committed to a subsidy of 525,000 and
  contribution of two-thirds of school family
  stewardship to the school.

32
School Finances/Proposed Budget and Tuition

• Overview of School Budget
•  
• Total projected expenses for next year are
  approximately 1.95MM. Of this amount,
  approximately 80 is teacher and staff
  salaries/benefits.
• Sources of revenues 
• Tuition 50
• Parish Subsidy 27
• Foundation(1) 21
• Miscellaneous 2
•  
• (1) Funds from school family stewardship and
  fundraising activities.

33
School Finances/Proposed Budget and Tuition

• Looking Forward to 2008-2009
•  
• Continuation of all initiatives discussed above.
• Continuation of combined tuition and tax
  deductible stewardship from the families.
• Focus on Fundraising. Fundraising is volunteerism
  and participation. This will be a topic in the
  break-out sessions.
• The proposed budget currently under review
  reflects kindergarten tuition of 1,200 per child
  and an approximate 5 tuition increase. This will
  help to offset our rising costs(for example,
  salaries, pension/medical insurance, utilities,
  and insurance).

34
A Tradition of Excellence In Catholic Education