Dear Parents and Friends of SVDP School,
We are a week away from the night of oft he 2018 Great Expectations Gala. I hope you are ready to have a marvelous, mountain-fabulous time on this evening! Prior to the night of the gala, I would like to share with you the anticipated 2018 Paddle Raiser, as well as review the previous three years’ Paddle Raiser projects.
The Paddle Raiser for the 2018 Gala is to Enhance the Education and Dining Experience in the Cafeteria, benefiting all who use the campus and especially our children. We have divided the project into three tiers – 1) Level 1 is estimated to cost $42,000 and would provide a whole new look for the cafeteria: paint, uniform flooring, new brighter and softer lighting, and enhancements to the lavatories; 2) Level 2, if we raise a total of $57,000 (or $15,000 more) we will complete everything in Level 1 and would add 12 new round tables; 3) Level 3, if we raise $71,000 total we will complete both Level 1 & Level 2, but would add audio audio-visual educational resources and an introductory Makerspace workshop. [See https://spaces.makerspace.com// for basic ideas].
For your reference, I am including information on what we have raised in the past three years for paddle raisers, so you know how your funds have been spent and the progress on each:
* 2015 Paddle Raiser – K-8 Curriculum for Coding and Robotics including materials and curriculum – Goal $37,000, Amount Raised & Spent $37,425. This program is fully implemented and our annual budget carries the operating costs to main the laboratory and to provide the faculty training to operate and advance the Robotics Lab.
* 2016 Paddle Raiser – Facility Upgrades & Academic Advancement – Goal $30,000, Amount Raised $34,320. Facility upgrades included replacing the art room floor, which was completed summer 2016. It also included minor gym foyer renovations: new tile was laid and new lighting added summer 2016. New logo mats have been ordered for the gym entry; one has arrived already, the other is being tracked down; and athletic championships are now recognized on gymnasium banners inside the gym. The academic advancement has two components: purchase of at least 15 new iPads along with two charging carts (purchase completed and iPads have been in use since the 16-17 school year), and $5,000 toward differentiated literature, which is being spent as the needs arise in the classrooms. There is still a sum that can and will be spent as student needs dictate.
* 2017 Paddle Raiser – Outdoor Learning Lab – Goal $45,000, Amount Raised $89,510, Amount Left to Spend $29,510. This original project was broken into four (4) projects – 1) Greenhouse – we needed to have the chicken coop and raised beds in place before finalizing dimensions of the greenhouse. Additionally, since we raised amounts in excess of our goal, we were able to make the project a year-round learning experience by spending roughly $15,000 to run underground water and electricity to the greenhouse pad. This expanded the program from May-October availability to year round use. The cost of the greenhouse is about $20,000; 2) Raised Garden Beds – these have been built and filled with soil, and have already received a cubic yard of compost, teacher training and curriculum development have been underway for the past 10 months; 3) Butterfly/Pollinator Sensory Gardens – this was planted. This curriculum and physical space will require several years for full development; and 4) Raising Chickens – the coop was built and chickens are happy. There are additional funds reserved to sustain the program for several years, including professional development for teachers and curriculum purchases.
A review of the past several years manifests the tremendous support that our community gives to the education of our children and this fact is central to the success at SVDP School. Thank you for your generosity to these projects, and the many others that don’t happen to be featured in a specific gala. They each impact and enrich our children’s formation and growth. I hope you will continue your support this year with the 2018 paddle raiser which beautifies the daily school environment and directly impacts educational opportunities.
Looking forward to seeing so many of you at the Colorado History Center next week.
With prayers for your families,
Sister Dominic
