Summer 2017 S T. B E N E D I C T P R E P H I G H S C H O O L
ALUMNI NEWSLE T TER
“Not Typical, but EXTRAORDINARY” HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM CONCLUSION PLAN UPDATE: As was announced this past February, through the strategic planning process, we came to acknowledge that our high school program is no longer financially sustainable due to market trends, demographic shifts, and declining enrollment. The financial challenges and declining enrollment make it impossible to sustain the superior four-year college preparatory academic experience that our bright and deserving high school students seek. Since the announcement our parish school has begun the high school transition plan. For our last two classes, the high school experience may not be typical, but we will make it extraordinary.
· providing four
2017-18 GOALS:
our upper classmen and acting on their recommendations: - new student lounge for HS students only - a new venue for prom - team building outing in September to Iron Oaks
· being committed to our rising junior and senior
classes through a tuition freeze and renewal of financial aid to those currently receiving assistance
· working to continue to offer a quality academic
program that prepares students for college entrance by having a fully certified and dedicated faculty
· continuing our dual credit course AP British Literature through Loyola University
· having Ms. Colleen Fahrenbach join the staff as our guidance counselor to help all students identify and achieve success in entering the colleges or universities of their choice.
· the continuation of our Protégé internship program for seniors
options for our Agora experiential week learning program: one international trip, one service- oriented trip, one local trip, and one regional trip to the Smoky Mountains.
AGORA 2017: St. Benedict High School service trip to Costa Rica
· seeking input from
Ninety-five percent of rising juniors and seniors indicated they intend to return to SBPS in the fall. We have also been providing transfer assistance to other Catholic high schools for the accepted, incoming freshman applicants and the rising sophomore class (majority were accepted at DePaul College Prep). For more information regarding our strategic plan, “Reaching New Heights 2020”, please check out our website at www.stbenedict.com.
THIS HAS BEEN A YEAR OF TRANSITION. We are grateful to Mr. Ben Mazzone (left) for all his hard work and efforts to build alumni relations over the last five years. Back in January, Ben became the school financial recorder working in our tuition office. Mr. Joe Accardi (right) assumes the role of Director of Alumni and Annual Giving beginning in July to support the work of yet-to-be-named Head of Parish and School Stewardship, who will oversee all the advancement work around the block.