Anyone have kids in catholic school and going to one of the Regional meetings tonight? Not sure if I can make it and what the point of the meeting even is. Heard rumors about budget woes and possible future consolidation but could be untrue. If this meeting is just another lecture by the archdiocese on giving more $$ to them I would like to avoid that!
I went to the one at LFS last night. The bottom line is that the catholic schools are hurting bad. They need a lot of money and the only way they can see getting is to have lots of fundraisers, but mentioned last night is that this is a small county and you can only get but so much, the economy sucks and the prices keep going up. So what they are thinking of doing is merging schools (LFS and St. Micheals) to make one school. But whose going to pay for that school was the biggest question. They're trying find out ways to keep things going.
It is not about giving more money to the Archdiocese of Washington, but about supporting your local Catholic school. I believe the ADW is making bad decisions in not supporting the education of our youth, but leaving the majority of the financial burden on the parents who choose to have their children educated in a loving, faith filled environment where moral values are a cornerstone. To the parents who say they can't afford to send their child/ren to a Catholic school, I say you need to check your priorities. Is it more important to drive a new car or have your child learn to respect others? Is it more important to go to Disney World or have your child learn how to talk to God? The 4 letter words my child learns at school are Faith, Love, Caring, Jesus, Respect, Compassion, & God.
Because of the dedication, passion, and foresight of the administration, staff, parents, alumni, and community, St. Michael's School is in excellent shape to survive and thrive in Ridge. We have remained open during the financial crisis of the last couple of years and we will be open next year as St. Michael's School - NOT as a merged school. St. Michael's has much to offer with a Spanish program offered to all grade levels, an art program that has received much recognition, including art displays in the Md State House and the world renowned Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. By the end of this school year, many of our classes will have Smartboard technology. We have one of the greatest computer labs of any school in the County. Our teachers are second to none with many years of experience. Our principal is an alumni of the school with roots in the community and a resume matched by no one. Our students pray together every morning and attend Mass every week. They treat each other as family and move on to become National Honor Society members in high school and leaders in their communities. St. Michael's School is "Heaven on Earth" with a great story to tell. We are not going anywhere! We welcome everyone to come be a part of our family.
