Catholic Schools Week is a time to celebrate all the people that are a part of our school community and those that support us in our work. We also take a moment to celebrate our accomplishments as a school and as a network.
We will kick off local Catholic Schools Week celebrations on Jan. 26, at Mass within our parish communities. Our schools only exist because our parishioners and pastors believe our schools are a blessing to their community. Therefore, each day throughout the week, we will be celebrating a different stakeholder group including our community, students, nation, vocations, faculty and staff and parents. These days will be filled with games, thank you notes, special dress down days, service projects, liturgy, special treats and guests. It is a fun way to start off the new year and remind us of our collective mission to provide academic excellence while building up disciples.
The headline six months ago was that the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation is donating $150 Million to Big Shoulders Fund to support the Diocese of Gary Schools. This year our work regarding this historic donation focuses on building the policies and infrastructure to best use these funds to broaden our doors and impact our student outcomes. This type of work happening behind the scenes often doesn’t make headlines, but it is critical to set us up for success over the next decade of this partnership.
The Diocese of Gary also announced starting our own endowment to put towards teacher salaries. The goal is to raise $50 million for this endowment, which will take at least a few years to become sustainable but will have a long-term impact on teachers in our schools. These funds, along with these trusted partners, help to shape the opportunities available for the next generation of graduates in our schools.
This past November, I was invited to celebrate St. Thomas Moore School receiving the National Blue Ribbon at the award ceremony in Washington D.C. I am proud to be one of the few administrators who get the opportunity to participate in this prestigious conference and ceremony highlighting top public and non-public schools across the nation who have shown considerable growth or achievement on their student test scores.
The principal, Dr. Samantha Francis and Mrs. Andrea Leahy, the Dean of Curriculum and Data, joined me at the capital to hear from some top visionary educational leaders and receive the award. It takes an entire community to strive for excellence to be called a Blue Ribbon School. St. Thomas Moore School will continue to celebrate this honor throughout Catholic Schools Week.
The three diocesan high schools continue to grow in enrollment, academic success, and are making plans for continued growth. On Dec. 5, 2024, forty Andrean stakeholders gathered to kick off their strategic planning process. Bishop McClory started the evening in prayer, extending his appreciation for them offering up their talents to this strategic planning process. There are five committees now working in the areas of Mission & Catholic Identity, Academics, Marketing & Enrollment, Campus Master Planning, and Advancement & Development. These committees will work in tandem to develop the next steps for Andrean High School.
On Nov. 1, 2024, Bishop Robert J. McClory offered a blessing of the new football stadium Bishop Noll Institute. This is a result of years of capital planning and fundraising efforts. The school continues to raise funds for the additional phases of proposed work on the campus. The school board is actively reviewing their strategic plan, with a goal to finalize that work this summer. Meanwhile, Marquette Catholic is reviewing their current data and will begin their strategic planning process next fall. All three of our high schools can build off their strong academic and co-curricular offerings, and ongoing enrollment growth to dream what could be next.
These noted accomplishments and continuous signs of strength in our schools are possible because of the people that are part of our communities and the faith that connects us. If you want to see what is happening in our schools, many schools host an open house during this time of year. In Indiana, 97% of families qualify for school choice scholarships, which allows parents the opportunity to have their child attend one of our Catholic schools potentially for close to free, or with a monthly payment plan for the small fraction for the remaining tuition.
Thank you to all of our partners and supporters who help make the learning and the joy at our schools possible.
Dr. Colleen Brewer is the superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Gary.