THE WOODLANDS THE WOODLANDS
CHRISTIAN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY A C A D E M Y SEPTEMBER 11, 2015
Head Of School Notes - by Julie Ambler Families at The Woodlands Christian Academy are extraordinarily generous, and it is because of your support that we are able to offer our students a beautiful learning environment where they are challenged to grow spiritually, academically, physically, and socially. I am grateful for the many gifts received over the years, and I thank you for recognizing the eternal impact these students will be equipped to make as servant-leaders for Jesus Christ. An annual fund campaign is vital to the continued success of any private school. Typically, proceeds are applied toward the general operating expenses of a school such as for salaries, utilities, debt service and other overhead. For the first time in our school’s history, thanks to enrollment growth and good stewardship, tuition and fees cover 100% of our operating expenses. This is good news, but we still need an annual fund campaign to provide enhancements to our campus, grow our academic and co-curricular programs, provide need-based financial aid, and offer cutting edge technology tools while striving to keep tuition increases at a reasonable rate. Woodlands Christian will continue to hold an annual fund campaign each fall. Henceforth, it will be called The Warrior Fund, and I am so grateful to Kelly and Charles Owens for serving as our inaugural chairs. Families may designate their gift from the following categories: Need-Based Financial Aid: This year, we gave approximately $400,000 in financial aid to 54 students with demonstrated financial need. Our goal is to increase this pool by at least $50,000. Fine Arts: As we advance our fine arts programs, we would like to invest in better sound equipment, microphones, musical instruments, digital art software, display panels, a flatbed scanner, storage facilities, and a green room for video broadcasting. Our goal is to raise at least $75,000 for these enhancements.
STEM: To excel in the 21st Century, our students will need a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math. To increase their exposure to these fields at Woodlands Christian, we would like to purchase items such as more digital lab equipment/sensors/probeware, a Spectrometer, a chromatograph, a 3-D printer, a SMART table, a digital telescope, an interactive topographical map, virtual reality suits, graphing calculators, robotics materials, additional microscopes, classroom sets of iPads, and other cutting-edge lab equipment. Our goal is to raise at least $75,000 for STEM. Athletics: At last spring’s auction, we were blessed to receive the funds for synthetic turf, track and stands. We would like to complete construction of the 2,000 square feet inside the stands to include concessions, a multi-purpose exercise room, and storage. Our goal is to raise at least $150,000 to cover this cost. Debt Reduction: Woodlands Christian has a first lien loan from Woodforest Bank of approximately $2.6 million. This has been reduced from an original loan of $4 million and will be fully amortized and repaid within 11 ½ years. However, any proceeds received to reduce this loan faster will benefit the long-term financial health of our school. Our goal is to apply at least $100,000 toward additional debt reduction this fall. Our overall goal is to raise $450,000 from 100% of our families. Please pray about where your family would like to contribute and for our overall success. You will receive additional information about The Warrior Fund in the mail within the next few days, but you may make your gift as early as today by clicking here. We are humbled and honored to serve alongside you as we inspire the next generation of Christian leaders. Thank you for your partnership.