EASTSIDE CATHOLIC SCHOOL President's Report 2008-09

Dear Families and Friends of Eastside Catholic,
It is a joy and a privilege
to share this letter with
you as we celebrate nearly
three decades of Eastside
Catholic, the special bond
that unites us all. Just
think of the young lives
that have been formed
and transformed at a
critical time in their lives
because of the dedication
of so many caring people
associated with our great community - the talented
and dedicated faculty and staff members whose strong
relationships with our students over the years is an
Eastside Catholic hallmark; our parents, past and
present, who have been extraordinary partners with
us in the development of our students; to our alums,
who remind us through their example that the Eastside
Catholic education of the whole person is truly
education that makes a difference in the world; and,
to our friends who appreciate and support Catholic
education as the foundation that will continue to
transform our world.
At the heart of Eastside Catholic, it is our love and
pride for each student that drives us to create a
community where each student can feel respected,
loved and accepted; where each student can encounter
the person of Jesus in their daily lives; where each
student can reach and stretch to meet high expectations
in all endeavors and develop fully their God-given
gifts; and, where each student can be transformed into
a servant leader who truly lives the words of the Prayer
of St. Francis as a child of God.
Last year was a time of tremendous transition as we
opened our beautiful new campus, our wonderful
middle school, and welcomed 40 new faculty and
staff members, almost 400 new students and 800 new
parents into our community. We continue to work
through the dynamics of that change as we continue
to settle into our new home and our new reality. The
key to our future is to keep the core of what makes
our school unique while moving forward in preparing
our students for the future in which they will live and
serve.
We are fortunate to have a committed Board of
Trustees that continues to guide us with their wisdom,
thoughtfulness and energy. Together, we have
embarked on a new strategic planning process for
Eastside Catholic this year. This is good time for self-
examination, to turn the lens inward. We are asking
ourselves questions such as: If Eastside Catholic was to
disappear, what hole would it leave in the community
that could not be fi lled? We are examining fi ve pillars,
the fi rst of which is how to continue to nurture our
Catholicity and community. The other four are:
school program, organizational structure, institutional
advancement (admissions, marketing, public relations
and development); and the fi nancial planning involved
to meet the long range goals that come out of the
planning process. All fi ve pillars are based on the work
of Jim Collins in a monograph called Good to Great
and the Social Sectors.
Our tremendous Campaign will come to a close on
December 31, 2009. We celebrate the accomplishments
of the entire Eastside Catholic community who
together, attempted and achieved a building project
that no private secondary school in the Northwest has
ever accomplished.
Thank you for your continued support of Eastside
Catholic in volunteering your time, in supporting
the building of our new campus and supporting our
Annual Fund. The Annual Fund allows us to carry out
our Mission, because it covers the difference annually
between the true cost of an Eastside Catholic education
and what we charge for tuition. In a very real way,
annual giving allows us to keep great teachers, to strive
for excellence in all that we do and to support families
in our community with much needed tuition assistance.
Many families, especially in this economic climate,
need help in addition to the sacrifi ces all parents make
to send their children to Eastside Catholic. During
2008-09, we allocated over $1.3 million to help our
families realize a Catholic education for their children.
At the end of the day, Eastside Catholic has been and
will always be about the people in our community.
Together, we have created a special place for students
to nurture and grow because everyone here cares and
works to that end. With your continued help, we
will continue to form and transform our students in
wonderful ways. Thank you again and may God bless
you, your family and the Eastside Catholic community!
Sincerely,
Jim Kubacki
President, Eastside Catholic School