A Note from the Head of School and Board Chair
Brendan J. O’Shea and Gloria Taft Becker ’92HS
Dear Friends of Saint Mary’s School, It is with continued gratitude that we thank each of you for your commitment to Saint Mary’s. This Annual Report summarizes our accomplishments for the 2016-2017 school year, and what a year it was! Not many schools in our country have the joy of remaining dedicated to their original purpose. In fact there are fewer than three dozen independent schools dedicated to the education of girls. Over the course of our 175th anniversary year, you opened your hearts and welcomed us to your cities across the country for record attendance at regional events. You met the challenge of meeting our $175,000 matching gift. You reconnected alumnae friends and families in one of the largest and most successful events of our history during reunion weekend by kicking off our May 12th birthday with the most beautifully spirited Gala one could imagine. You made calls, you arranged flowers, you asked over and over “what can I do and how can I help?” YOU accomplished the possible, and we sincerely thank you for your efforts to advance the mission of our beloved school. We won’t stop here; we must not stop here. Following the Gala, we heard from so many of you that this is the moment for Saint Mary’s, and we agree. We value the collective work that guides us into the next 175 years of educating girls. With a strategic eye towards investment in the future, your gifts to the Annual Fund contribute to our annual budget. We know that tuition and endowment alone will not sustain the important work at hand. Our endowment provided over $400,000 in scholarships and over $300,000 in support of the school’s campus and facilities. Throughout this report you will see examples of how our girls are being impacted by your gifts to Saint Mary’s. On behalf of the entire Saint Mary’s community, we thank each 2016-2017 donor and volunteer during this momentous year. Together we can do anything, and we have our sights set high for the future of Saint Mary’s. Thank you for your commitment to travel with us on this journey. Sincerely,
Brendan J. O’Shea Head of School
Gloria Taft Becker ’92HS Chair, Board of Trustees
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