WINTER 2012
Destination: DePaul Cristo Rey DePaul Cristo Rey High School, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, provides an opportunity for young women and men with economic need to obtain a Catholic, college-preparatory education, made affordable through an innovative Corporate Work Study Program.
MEMBER OF THE CRISTO REY NETWORK
1133 Clifton Hills Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 (513) 861-0600 www.depaulcristorey.org
Inside
2 Students Dress for Success 3 Be a Difference-Maker 4 Catholic Schools Week
DPCR Receives State Charter, Plans Growth
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he second half of the academic year began in a momentous way with word early in January that DePaul Cristo Rey had received its official charter from the state of Ohio. The charter is not only a validation that DPCR and its academic plan have met all state requirements as a licensed Catholic school; it carries a very significant economic benefit. DPCR is now eligible to receive state funds for auxiliary services including reading support, textbooks and science equipment. Of even greater significance, the charter allows DPCR to accept EdChoice scholarships or vouchers from eligible students beginning with the Class of 2016.
to recruit Corporate Partners to provide 24 additional full-time positions for the next school year.
“EdChoice scholarships provide substantial support for families seeking better educational opportunities for their children,” says Sister Jeanne Bessette, president. “DePaul Cristo Rey provides an affordable option for families seeking private education, and the EdChoice scholarships will now assist us in reaching even more families.”
Doubling the number of students and jobs also increases the need for transportation. This school year, most transportation has been outsourced and is supplemented with two school vans. To better manage costs next year, more of the transportation will be provided by DPCR staff and vehicles. Efforts are underway to acquire new or gently used seven-person vans to get students to and from CWSP jobs.
More students require more jobs
Classrooms at capacity
Receiving the state charter and EdChoice approval enables DPCR to focus fundraising efforts on long-term needs beyond the scholarship support that has been so vital to the school’s launch. Planning and fundraising will continue to be critical as the school grows, starting with a new class of ninth graders in August. This second class of students will more than double current enrollment and necessitate adding at least three additional teachers, including one for foreign language class which will be required of all sophomores. Doubling the number of students also means DPCR’s Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) must double the number of job placements. Efforts continue
Planning also focuses on maximizing all available classroom space because next school year all classrooms will be in use all day. Space in the Student Center will be converted into two additional classrooms. By the following academic year, 2013-14, classroom capacity will be reached, and it’s likely modular classrooms will be needed to accommodate all students. The campus master plan developed in 2011 includes a major addition to the main classroom building. Mapping out the financial strategy to make that building project possible will be a priority in the months ahead.
T H E S C H O O L T H AT W O R K S F O R C I N C I N N AT I
Dear Friends of DePaul Cristo Rey,
Students are Dressed for Success
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s one of the newest members of the DePaul Cristo Rey School community, I have had the oportunity to take a firsthand look at this remarkable Cristo Rey school. It is evident that the many men and women who were part of the initial study, who said “yes” to the challenge and who were instrumental in making the school a reality, were visionary and committed to creating a Catholic school that is unique to Cincinnati. They want a school that will change the lives of students who call DePaul Cristo Rey home. I leave school every day with a feeling of gratitude and pride knowing that I have the opportunity to be a member of the team that is making a difference in the lives of students; students who have made the commitment to accept the responsibilities of being a member of the DePaul Cristo Rey community. Students who are eager to learn, talented, proud to display their faith and inspiring to all of us. All of the exciting things accomplished on a daily basis are a result of the dedication and hard work of many people who have shared their time, talents and treasures. Without all of you, the school would not be thriving as the newest Catholic high school in Cincinnati. The boundless outpouring of support that has graced our path has been phenomenal. Plans are already being crafted for the next school year when we will have both freshman and sophomore classes. With the growth there will be many new challenges and we will need more than ever the generous spirit of our donors and friends. We need you to be our ambassadors in the community telling the DePaul Cristo Rey story and encouraging your friends to get involved. On the opposite page, there is a gift list that identifies some of our pressing needs. Please take a look at the list and if you or someone you know could be of help, please call us. Thank you again to all who have joined us on this journey and brought us to this point where together we embrace the mission and are bringing a Cristo Rey education to the underserved in the Greater Cincinnati area. Going forward we will need each and every one of you reading this newsletter to continue to believe in us and help us further advance our mission. Wishing you all the very best. Take care and may God continue to bless you and your family.
Sparkle Worley Development Director 2
All of the female students, including Kami Brown (left) and Meagan Pope (right), received a professional outfit when Dress for Success Cincinnati brought its Mobile Career Transformation Center to DePaul Cristo Rey in December. The young women received clothing, shoes and accessories which met the school dress code for their roles as student-professionals. Dress for Success Cincinnati has also joined the Corporate Work Study Program and will employ a team of DPCR students next school year.
Support the Charter Fund Everyone at DePaul Cristo Rey is thrilled with the news that the school has received its official charter from the state of Ohio and is now eligible to accept EdChoice scholarships for incoming students. However, it’s important to point out that none of the students in the current ninth grade, the Class of 2015, were eligible for those scholarships, a loss of $1.2 million to the school. The DPCR Charter Fund was established to seek financial support to help make up for the EdChoice dollars unavailable to this class. Please consider a gift to this fund and contact Development Director Sparkle Worley at 513-861-0600 to discuss how.
Matching Grant Successfully Achieved Grateful for the generosity of many friends and foundations, DePaul Cristo Rey is pleased to announce it has successfully met its fundraising goal to receive the Economic Recovery Match Grant from the SC Ministry Foundation. Through this grant opportunity, the SC Ministry Foundation offered to match two-for-one new gifts to DPCR, thereby tripling the initial amount of each contribution. The Foundation, a public, grant-making organization that promotes the mission and ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, offered the match grant as another form of assistance to DPCR in its efforts to raise significant start-up funds in its first years. Many generous individuals contributed to this effort as did the following foundations: Ruth J. and Robert A. Conway Foundation - $25,000 grant for scholarship support. Thomas J. Emery Memorial - $25,000 grant for scholarship support. Andrew Jergens Foundation - $20,000 grant for scholarship support. Ndukwe Foundation - $5,000 gift to support the athletic program. Jack J. Smith, Jr. Charitable Trust $10,000 for educational resources. Sutphin Family Foundation - $10,000 gift for educational resources. Everyone at DPCR expresses deepest gratitude to the SC Ministry Foundation and all who helped make this matching grant a success.
Be A Difference-Maker Any gift you make to DePaul Cristo Rey High School will be a difference-maker to the students and staff. We will gratefully accept any contribution you are able to make, but please consider supporting one student for one year with the following opportunities. All gifts are tax-deductible.
Summer Readiness Programs Corporate Office Readiness Enrichment Training (CORE) prepares incoming ninth graders for their corporate work experience. The Academic Bridge program provides reading and math readiness. Both are three-week summer programs. • $1,000 – will cover the costs of one student’s participation in CORE and the Academic Bridge programs.
Scholarships All families are responsible for some financial ownership in their child’s education at DPCR yet few can afford our maximum tuition. • $5,000 – Full Tuition Scholarships • $2,500 – Half Tuition Scholarships
Transportation
Academics And Co-Curriculars Involving students in athletics and co-curricular activities are essential components of a well-rounded education. The leadership and teamwork skills learned are keys to student success.
Every day a quarter of the students are transported to and from their CWSP positions. • A new or slightly-used seven passenger van will allow us to manage some of the transportation needs more cost-effectively. • $1,400 – is the cost of transporting each student to his or her workplace for 10 months.
Technology All DPCR students receive a Tablet PC for their academic studies. • $1,600 – will pay for one Tablet PC computer that a student uses for all four years.
• $500 – will cover the cost for a student to play a sport or participate in a co-curricular activity.
School Supplies The proper learning tools are crucial to a student’s success in class and are needed throughout the year. • $100 helps to cover the costs of the most basic supplies including paper, textbooks, pencils and pens.
Other Any amount is welcome to assist with DPCR’s most pressing needs.
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1133 Clifton Hills Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45220
Visit our Web site at www.depaulcristorey.org and find us on Facebook
Catholic Schools Week Celebrated DPCR students, faculty and staff participated in various events and activities during Catholic Schools Week, January 30 - February 3. 1
1. Principal Andrew Farfsing accompanied a group of students to represent DPCR at the Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Mass held at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral.
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2. Students participated as lectors, music ministers and servers for the all-school Mass during Catholic Schools Week. 3. To celebrate Catholic Schools Week with acts of service, the students spent one afternoon performing cleaning and gardening tasks to spruce up the school buildings and grounds.
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4. All students ended the week with a field trip to the Cincinnati Museum Center.
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