PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Friends,

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and that this letter finds you and your loved ones well. As I reflect on the past year, I am filled with gratitude for this community and am pleased to share some highlights that are only possible with your support.

Our students continue to uphold Dowling Catholic’s longstanding tradition of excellence not only in academics, athletics and the arts, but also in their faith lives and service to others. Nothing demonstrates this more than the annual Christmas Baskets service project. Thanks to outstanding leadership from the senior class, our students were able to help 98 local families this Christmas season. This is a testament not only to the giving nature of our families, faculty and staff, but also to the generosity of those in the greater community. It is an honor to carry on this tradition started more than 50 years ago by the BVM Sisters at St. Joseph Academy.

This was just one of the many extraordinary things that took place in recent months. We had excellent representation at the All-State Music Festival in November, and there were many additional opportunities throughout the semester for band and choir students to perform at competitions, concerts and community events. There were also two excellent live theater productions that took place on campus, and the list goes on of the many ways our students shared their many gifts.

Our student-athletes also competed at the highest levels with all fall sports teams qualifying for state. The boys cross country team finished an unprecedented season by defending their state title, the 10th in program history and the eighth in the past 12 seasons. I am continually impressed by the commitment it takes for our students to achieve this level of success in the classroom and in their activities.

Looking ahead, we continue to innovate and find ways to ensure a strong future for our Catholic schools. I am pleased at the progress that has been made as we begin implementing our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan which lays out an ambitious but attainable vision for the future of our school. Additionally, in the pages ahead you will read about the regionalization of the 12 Catholic schools in the Des Moines area. I am honored and humbled to lead this important initiative which builds upon our past success and helps shape the future of our schools.

Ultimately, our goal is to provide an environment where every student discovers and cultivates their God-given talents and graduates with the confidence to lead positive change in the world.

Thank you for your continued support. Your partnership makes our mission possible.

In Christ,

Dr. Dan Ryan President