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Dear Parents,
In the Diocese of Wichita there is a school where the teachers have not received a raise for five years. Only about one-third of the children start school speaking English fluently. Yet this year, that school was declared a Kansas School of Excellence for scoring exemplary on every state test.
In another school, the principal teaches 5th and 6th grade all day, serves the students lunch at noon, takes care of the school’s computers in the evenings, and on Saturdays tutors students all day. Her salary is lower than the average teacher’s salary in our diocese. This year, her school was also named a Kansas School of Excellence for scoring exemplary on every state assessment.
There are many more such stories in our Diocese. Over 2,000 children qualify as low income. Over 1,700 children need individual learning plans. More than 700 children live in a home where English is not the primary language spoken. Yet the schools they attend continue to excel despite the lack of funds to pay adequate salaries or buy essential equipment like textbooks or computers.
Six years ago Bishop Jackels established the St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School Fund to help the parishes and schools which serve the greatest numbers of our poorest families.
St. Katharine Drexel of Philadelphia was a phenomenal woman. One of the wealthiest women in America, she used all her wealth (more than $10 million) to build schools across the United States for the very poorest children. She denied herself everything, even wearing her shoes for ten years at a time so that everything could be spent for her schools. That is why the diocesan-wide campaign to help our poorest schools is called “Walk in Sister’s Shoes.”
Resurrection Catholic School will proudly participate in this third annual Walk in Sister’s Shoes because we want to imitate St. Katharine Drexel in helping the poor. Walk in Sister’s Shoes will run from January 6 to February 3.
During this month, the children will be learning about St. Katharine Drexel. In addition, we will ask students to follow St. Katharine Drexel’s example by collecting money in the shoeboxes in their classroom. Additionally, your child's homeroom teachers will be contacting you to discuss other activities which will be implemented.
Last year, the children of our Catholic schools raised more than $45,000 in Walk in Sister’s Shoes, or nearly $4.50 for every child in our Catholic schools. That was an amazing amount to raise. This year we are asking you and your children to be generous again. It is our fervent hope that as more people learn about the great works of the St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School Fund, they will respond as generously as our children do. If you would like to learn more about the St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School Fund, go to DrexelCatholicSchoolFund.org.
Thank you very much for your support and stewardship!
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Angelo |
Third Quarter Servers 2011-12
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