Principal’s Message for September 29, 2019

We had a wonderful Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 19^th!  With Memorial Hall full of parents, eager to hear about all the good things happening at Saint Mary School, the year got off to a great start.  It was evident, right from the beginning that all the hard work put in over the summer by the staff and parent volunteers is beginning to pay off.  With improvements on so many levels, the students have been walking the halls with smiles which are reflected in the parent comments during normal conversations.  As I’ve mentioned before, those most effective in promoting our school are the parents and their children.

One of the items that need to be presented at BTSN is the School Financial Report.  The report used to be a 10-page template, containing bar graphs and pie charts, which no one in the 5^th row from the stage or further, could even begin to see clearly.  We decided to make this process simpler and more visible for the parents by presenting a line-by-line list of revenues and expenses.  For the third consecutive year, if everything goes according to plan, we will have a balanced budget and finish the year “in the black”.  This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but trust me it is given the school’s financial performance for a good many years.  The feedback we received from many parents was both positive and encouraging.  Positive in that they were relieved to hear the school was financially stable (contrary to the “parking lot talk”), and, encouraging because of the support for the path the school is taking in terms of its academic program and the community/family feel we’re developing here at SMS.

To further “toot our own horn”, we have been developing a SMS Board where people with children in the school, and some with none, have stepped up to sit on the Board and commit to assisting in taking SMS into the future.  With Judge Joseph Oxley at the helm, the Board has begun to build subcommittees in the following areas:  Marketing/Public Relations, Advancement/Development, Buildings & Grounds, Catholic Identity, and Strategic Planning.  If you have any skill in these areas and would like to be part of our amazing future, please reach out to me at the school via my email at cpalmer@stmaryes.org.  We are looking, as the saying goes, “for a few good people” to lend us their talents for the betterment of Saint Mary School.    

Please continue to pray for our school, its staff, students and families, and our clergy as we strive to provide an education that is unapologetically Catholic, family centered, caring to others and respectful to all. Please check our website, Facebook page and the Church bulletin for updates and upcoming events that you can enjoy with us.

God bless,

Craig Palmer
Principal