May 5 , 2008 - Cardinal, Mayor, 2010 Initiative Break Ground on New Era In Catholic Schools In Dorchester/Mattapan
Brighton,
MA - The
revitalization of Catholic education in Dorchester/Mattapan took a
significant step forward today when ground was broken on the Columbia
Campus of Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy. Cardinal Seán P.
O'Malley was joined by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, local clergy,
the Catholic Schools Office, Campaign for Catholic Schools, members
of the 2010 strategic planning committee, students, teachers and
staff as well as representatives of the Teen Center at today’s
event.
As
was announced last November (2007), Catholic schools in
Dorchester/Mattapan are being revitalized through a comprehensive
plan, designed at the local level, as part of the Archdiocese of
Boston’s 2010 Initiative. The plan calls for the establishment
of one regional school on five campuses all offering Pre K-8. The
Academy has established a website at www.popejp2catholicacademy.org.
Cardinal
Seán said, "The Archdiocese is blessed by the
contributions many people are making toward our efforts to strengthen
and enhance Catholic education. Generations of families have been
educated in Dorchester/Mattapan, our Catholic schools' alumni are
well represented among leaders in education, government, business and
many other professions. We look forward to educating future
generations and helping to develop tomorrow’s leaders at Pope
John Paul II Catholic Academy.”
Mayor
Menino said, "This groundbreaking for the Pope John Paul II
Catholic Academy symbolizes the City's ongoing work with the
Archdiocese. This neighborhood has always identified with its strong
parishes and the mission of its Catholic schools, and the 2010
initiative has my support."
Jack
Connors, Chair of the 2010 Strategic Planning Committee and chair of
the Campaign for Catholic Schools, said, "Catholic education in
the Archdiocese of Boston has a bright future. Today’s
groundbreaking is a major step forward. In September, 1,500 students
from Dorchester and Mattapan will enter Pope John Paul II Catholic
Academy, which will be built at cost by Suffolk Construction. We
will provide these youngsters with the right kind of environment in
which to learn; the kind of environment that they deserve and that
their parents want for them. Over the next two years, we will
renovate each of the five campuses. The building on one campus will
be completely razed and in its place will be built the first new
Catholic school in Boston in over 50 years. We thank Cardinal Seán
for giving us the opportunity to implement his important vision for a
new and improved Catholic education.”
A
priority for the 2010 Dorchester/Mattapan implementation committee
has been enrollment. As of today, enrollment for Pope John Paul II
Catholic Academy is at 90% capacity (1372 as of May 1, 2008). The
school anticipates 1,500 students for the next school year, with the
ability to add additional capacity in future years. Also, 257 new
students have enrolled in the Academy.
Dorchester/Mattapan
Plan
As announced last fall, the
seven current schools will be realigned under a new management
structure consisting of a regional board and a regional director.
This will provide greater resources for curriculum, staff, technology
and finances and ensure the long-term viability of these schools
while maintaining their Catholic identity.
Pope
John Paul II Catholic Academy will consist of five campuses all
offering Pre K to Grade 8. The campus school locations are:
Columbia (former St. Margaret’s), Neponset (St. Ann’s),
Lower Mills (St Gregory’s), Mattapan Square (St Angela’s),
and Dorchester Central (St Mark’s).
Sr.
Kathleen Fitz Simons, CND, Interim Superintendent of the Archdiocese
of Boston Catholic Schools, said, “This plan allows us to
enhance curriculum, improve technology at all campus locations,
provide increased programs for families beyond the regular school
day, work towards increasing teacher salaries and reinforce our
commitment to families who want to preserve Catholic education in the
community.”
Columbia
Campus Enhancements
The
Columbia Campus will include 22 classrooms, which includes six
kindergarten classrooms. The support spaces included a music room,
art room, computer room, resource room, science room and teacher’s
room. There will be an 18,000 square foot addition, which will have
an elevator, gymnasium, auditorium, and cafeteria, among other
additions. The existing rectory has been demolished to make room for
the addition. The school will have all new windows, mechanical,
electrical, plumbing and sprinklers and an elevator.
John
Fish, President and CEO of Suffolk Construction and a member of the
2010 Strategic Planning Committee, said, “Our objective is to
create a classroom experience at the Columbia Campus and across the
other five campuses that will allow students to learn in an enriching
and exciting environment. Improved technology, creative use of
space, and a commitment to develop classrooms that allow for the best
interaction between student and teacher is guiding us in our work.”
Dorchester/Mattapan
2010 Fundraising Effort in Full Swing
The
cost to implement the plan is projected to be $68 million and will be
paid for largely through private donations. Established in late 2007,
the Campaign for Catholic Schools (CCS) will raise the necessary
funding for the project and is well underway with extensive outreach
to individuals, organizations and philanthropic organizations
interested in having a lasting positive impact on Catholic education
in the Archdiocese. The Campaign’s budget has been covered by
private philanthropy. All funds raised will go directly to the
Dorchester project with no overhead cost. In the five months since
its inception, more than $17 million has been raised.
Building
on the success of the establishment in 2007 of Trinity Catholic
Academy, Brockton, the current focus of the CCS is aimed at raising
major funds for Catholic schools in Greater Boston as designated by
the 2010 Initiative. Current projects include the following
campaigns: $68M to help establish the new, five-campus Pope John
Paul II Catholic Academy serving Dorchester/Mattapan. A targeted
portion of this campaign goal ($4M of the $68M goal) is directed at
major renovations and program enhancements for the Catholic Charities
Teen Center at St. Peter, Dorchester, MA. Another funding priority
of CCS is to raise $4.5 million to renovate and upgrade of St. Ann
School in Gloucester. Additional Catholic schools projects are being
identified for future funding.
Dorchester/Mattapan
Pastor’s Statement
In
a joint statement, pastors in Dorchester/Mattapan stated: “Catholic
education is a priority for the Church and for our community. We
extend our sincere thanks for the incredible work and commitment of
so many who are dedicating their time, expertise and resources in
providing the families of Dorchester/Mattapan with this new Catholic
educational experience. We pray that our Lord continues to bless our
community as we undertake this exciting journey in the life of Pope
John Paul II Catholic Academy.” By: Fr. Thomas Foley (pastor
of St. Ann), Fr. Richard Conway (administrator of Holy Family), Fr.
George Carrigg (pastor of St. Christopher), Fr. Paul Soper (pastor of
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta), Fr. Alexander Keenan
(administrator of St. Ambrose), Fr. Daniel Finn (pastor of St. Mark
and St. Peter), Fr. William Joy (pastor of St. Matthew and pastor of
St. Angela), and Msgr. Paul Ryan (pastor of St. Gregory).
Teen
Center Program Improvements
The
Catholic Charities Teen Center, located at St. Peter’s, will
receive $4 million of significant upgrades and enhancements for its
important mission. Catholic Charities President and CEO Tiziana
Dearing said, “Catholic Charities is engaged in the important
work of providing community-based programs to help youth stay on
track in their studies and stay out of trouble. We feel support from
the 2010 Initiative for the Teen Center is going to greatly benefit our work in the
community.”
Regional
Director, Principals, Teachers and Professional Staff Update
The
Board of Directors of Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy is pleased
to announce that Mary L. Russo has been named Regional Director. A
professional educator for over 30 years, she has been recognized with
many of the most prestigious awards in education, namely the U.S.
Department of Educations National Distinguished Principal Award
and the Massachusetts Elementary Principal of the Year Award.
Currently the principal of the Richard J. Murphy School in
Dorchester, she previously was the principal-on-loan for the Boston
Annenburg Challenge, a Cohort of 24 schools in the city of Boston and
prior to this she was principal of Samuel W. Mason School in Roxbury.
She has been a teacher, as well as a specialist in reading and basic
skills. Sr. Kathleen said, "We are honored that Mary has
accepted this position and that she is so committed to helping us in
our mission to greatly enhance Catholic education in
Dorchester/Mattapan."
In
addition to the hiring of a regional director, principals have been
hired for three campuses. They are: Ms. Claire Barton Sheridan
(Columbia Campus), Sr. Paula Kelley (Lower Mills Campus), and Ms
Catherine Cameron (Neponset Campus). Principals for the Dorchester
Central and Mattapan Square campuses are expected to be hired within
the next several weeks. All of the current teachers from the 7
schools, who applied to Pope John Paul II, have been interviewed and
the majority of these teachers have been given offers to teach at the
new school. We currently have 12 full time teacher openings and the
interviews for all part-time, administrative and specialist positions
will be ongoing this week.
Inner
City Scholarship Fund
Since
its inception in 1991, the Inner City Scholarship Fund, the signature
program of the Catholic Schools Foundation, has provided over
$65,000,000 in scholarship support for students to attend Catholic
schools in the Archdiocese of Boston, as well as providing
technology, counseling and marketing support for the schools. As
this transformative project is underway, the Inner City Scholarship
Fund is working in collaboration with the Campaign for Catholic
Schools and the 2010 Dorchester/Mattapan Implementation team to
ensure that no student is denied admission because of an inability to
pay tuition.
2010
Initiative: When the 2010 Initiative
was announced in August 2005 the Archdiocese stated that it believed
that the most effective plan will be one developed by drawing upon
the collective experience of principals, pastors and local
stakeholders working with professional education experts, consultants
and practitioners in the community. The Archdiocese is committed to
developing a sustainable plan that will meet the needs of students
and local communities now and in the future.
About
the Campaign for Catholic Schools: The Campaign for Catholic Schools is a new nonprofit organization
established in December 2007 by Jack Connors, Jr., Chairman Emeritus
and a founding partner of Boston advertising agency Hill, Holliday,
Connors Cosmopulos, Inc., and John F. Fish, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Suffolk Construction, Boston. The Campaign was
established as an outgrowth of the 2010 Initiative, a major strategic
planning effort aimed at rebuilding and revitalizing the Catholic
Schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB). The CCS
operational budget is funded by private philanthropy and is a
donor-advised fund of the RCAB under the direction of a board of
trustees. CCS welcomes gifts of all sizes, which may be designated to
particular school projects.
About
the Archdiocese of Boston: The
Archdiocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated
to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of approximately
2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically
diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 295
parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 48000
students in its Catholic schools and 156, 000 in religious education
classes each year, ministering to the needs of more than one million
patients annually in its hospitals and 200,000 individuals through
its social service outreach. Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty
different languages each week. For more information, please visit www.rcab.org.
|
