February INDEPTH 2011 - Hillcrest Christian School

FEBRUARY 2011 1State of thesince the school year began.We depend uponSchoolHillcrest families, bothSTEPHEN ALLENpast and present, to spread the good newsHEAD OF SCHOOLabout Hillcrest. Thank you for your referrals.Facilities. Each year attempts are madeConsidering the state of the school and to improve our school facility. This year, ourits future, I can’t help but first thank auditorium has new stage and house lighting,the committed parents, employees, seating, media equipment, paint, and furnishings.Thank you again to those who madevolunteers, and alumni who gave so muchto make a great foundation for this ministry this possible through donations. In addition,today. Without you, our school would not be our facility is now set up for wireless to supportmuch of what we are now doing withthe same. Thank you for the heritage and traditionsthat exist today.technology. These improvements rarely comeAcademics, Educational Quality, without considerable expense. Your tuitionand Programming. Our school continues and donated dollars are hard at work helpingto have a strong academic reputation. The to further the environment and experience ataverage standardized achievement test scores HCS.remain nearly two years ahead of the national Mission. We must all remember thataverage, and HCS graduates are accepted into HCS’s mission statement makes it clear thatsome of the best universities in the country. the school is here to support Christian families.Please keep that in mind as you are re-One of our primary efforts to expand the waythat teachers teach and the way that students cruiting others to our school.learn is in the introduction of the iPad/iTouch Finances. Like many non-profits andprogram this past year. Unfolded as simply many businesses, finances are tight. We continueto look for ways to improve the school’sa desired concept at the annual auction in2010, it is now becoming a reality in 2011. In financial picture by watching how we spendlarge part, this is due to the strong academic money as well as by increasing income throughleadership of Mrs. Horan and Mrs. Jackson, fund raising. HCS is as strong as our financialthe vision of various individuals including our support of donations and volunteerism.board leadership, and of course, those who Volunteerism. People freely giving ofdonate the funding to initiate and sustain this their time, energy, and resources has alwayseffort. Other additions to the HCS school been strong at HCS. PFA remains a strongexperience are the return of high school footballthis past fall, the addition of high school greatly improved its support over the last twosupport group, and our Athletic Boosters hasbaseball this spring, and the introduction years. Thanks to the leaders and committedof French to our academic offerings in high workers of these two groups as well as manyschool, thanks to Mrs. Blumenthal. who serve as individuals.Enrollment. Our enrollment is just Outreach. It is important that our studentslearn to experience the difference thatslightly lower than it was a year ago but hasheld relatively steady at around 360 students giving to others makes in the community aswell as in their own lives. Our small groups,chapel offerings, support for Manna, OperationChristmas Child, and Buyamba providestudents with opportunities to experiencecharitable giving, emulating the grace andgenerosity of our Lord.The Future. In the short term, we havesome busy months ahead as we face an accreditationvisit in March, wind up this schoolyear, and prepare for the next. We have significantvisions for the future. Check out themajor wish lists posted on our school websiteat http://www.hillcrestcs.org/fund-raising/wish_list/index.shtml. Consider reaching towarda new level of support to help these goalsand dreams come to fruition. We pray for heroesand champions for Christian education.Employees. In these tight economictimes, HCS has not given staff members a significantsalary increase for several years, withno increase the past two years. Appreciatingour staff as you do, you’ll be glad to know thata 3% budget increase for salaries is plannedfor 2011-2012. We are all so thankful forwhat our teachers and all employees do dailyto love and train our students.We will continue to keep vigilant tomaintain our mission without compromiseand to sustain our efforts to teach from aChristian perspective. The world is often depictedas a dark place. We shall only shinemore brightly in our community if we as individualsand as a school community striveto reflect the Savior of the world. It is onlythrough Him that real hope, promise, andchange will impact our school. Thanks for allthat you do to help make the unique experiencethat we call a Hillcrest education. It is apleasure serving you as Head of School. I praythat He will richly bless you and our partnershipin the greatest and most fulfilling task ofraising our youth to please Jesus Christ in allthings. •