December 8, 2010, Immaculate Conception

Dear friend of the Academy of St. Priscilla at Divine Savior,

Over two thousand years ago, an angel surprised the young maiden Mary with the message of a coming child, her son Jesus.  It is He, the living Word of love, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.  This birth came about because Mary said yes to the call to love her child. By so doing she made Jesus her own, and by so accepting Him, she embraced not only Him, but all who love Him, and in a certain way, all who love.

Today, parents can be surprised with wonder when love comes into the world in the person of their own little baby. By recognizing the life and beauty of each child, we all are called to accept love, and in a very personal, special way to accept this love as God’s love when we accept a child as our own, whether we do so as a parent, or as a member of the same Church which loves and supports the calling and mission of Christian parents.

The first years of a child’s life are so special and innocent that they require of us adults a solemn commitment. We feel called to offer little children an environment of safety, of encouragement, of individual attention, and of loving instruction by skilled teachers.

The Academy of St. Priscilla at Divine Savior exists to surround each child with this same expression of love, by providing an excellent and joyful Catholic education to children ages 3 to 8.  

The Academy, which opened September, 2009, is a “Primary Center of Excellence” that provides innovative student-centered Catholic education for children ages three to eight years old, preparing them from Early Learners Pre-School, through Pre-Kindergarten and Grades Kindergarten to 3rd, for the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist by assisting parents, who are the primary educators of their children, in fostering the child’s growth in faith. The mission of the Academy is to evangelize our families while providing their children with an excellent education.

A young child has a natural desire to learn, and to discover. Their simplest action, from a walk around the block, to their first encounter with a plant or an animal or the written word, can be filled with excitement. For this reason, our curriculum, taught by talented and certified faculty, is designed for our students to receive individualized instruction tailored to their unique gifts and abilities. They learn with themes of literacy, social interaction, and problem-solving in the content areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies using current materials and the teaching method of Differentiated Instruction using SMART Board™ technology. Our students also learn the basics of the Spanish Language, Physical Education, Library, and Art. Our facility has recently been equipped with a brand-new fire alarm system. In addition, we provide Extended Care before and after school to help meet the needs of children when their parents have work obligations.

When little children find joy, they wish to remain in that joy. They wish to “Do it again.” The Academy is proud to use the Rowland Reading Program, a comprehensive program designed to give children the foundation they need to be successful readers by incorporating an imaginative play element into the path of learning to read. This Rowland Reading Program continues as Superkids in Kindergarten through Second Grade. For more information on this program and why it is so successful please visit www.rowlandreading.org.

Our school parents report that their children are making great strides, and see school as fun.  The “word is out” in the educational community about the quality of the Academy, and several teachers have enrolled their own children with us.

Through the help of God and the work of many people of good will, the Academy has grown from 10 children in September 2009 to an expected 32 in January, 2011, well along the way to our self-sustaining goal of 42 students. The growth of the Academy when other schools have seen declines in enrollment has been an amazing and challenging journey for our faculty, our Director Mrs. Jennifer Adamski Hodge, our school parents, and our Board of Specified Jurisdiction.

We have benefited from encouragement of His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago, of former Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Paprocki, now the Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, of Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey, OP, Superintendent of the Office of Catholic Schools and her wonderful staff, of pastor Rev. Richard LoBianco especially and the generous people of Divine Savior Parish in nearby Norridge, Illinois, and our friends in St. Priscilla parish in Chicago, where the mission and vision of the Academy was born when the old St. Priscilla School closed in 2009.

This vision and commitment for innovative Catholic Christian education is today shared in many special ways by our dedicated Board of Specified Jurisdiction, our educators, our parents, our families, and our alumni, friends, and supporters, especially from among the parishioners of St. Priscilla and Divine Savior parishes.

The spiritual writer, Dame Maria Boulding, OSB (1929-2009), wrote in her Advent book, the Coming of God, that “God’s longing for us is the spring of our love for Him.” We believe that behind the curiosity of each child to know and to understand is also a call from God to love. By establishing and maintaining a school such as the Academy of St. Priscilla at Divine Savior, we are committed to be true to this innocent, child-like love.

Our Lord taught us to “Ask and you shall receive; Seek and you shall find; Knock and the door will be opened to you (Lk 11:9).” To make it through this very challenging second year, we need your help, whether by your prayers, your volunteer time, or your financial support.

Please help by serving as, or help us to find, Christmas angels! We must raise a total of $20,000 by the first week of January, 2011 to meet our current obligations and to also effectively promote our February 1, 2011 registration date. Please send your donation of $25, $50, $100 or more as soon as the Spirit moves you, to:

Academy of St. Priscilla at Divine Savior
7750 W. Montrose, Norridge, IL 60706
(708) 452-0323

Or donate securely online:

We thank you for your prayers, your good will, and for your generous support.

May you have a blessed Christmas! 

With our thanks, in Christ,

Albert J. Schorsch, III, PhD
As Chair, Board of Specified Jurisdiction
Academy of St. Priscilla at Divine Savior

7750 West Montrose Ave., Norridge, Illinois 60706 • P. 708.452.0323 • F. 708-452-0494 • www.academysp.org

http://www.academysp.org/Fundraising/Fundraising.html