The Education Commission members would like to take a few minutes and follow up with everyone after our Parish/School Community Meeting.  First of all, we would like to say thank you to everyone who has submitted an idea and/or suggestion or who has stepped up to volunteer for a committee.  We truly appreciate your input and volunteerism and still encourage others to submit their ideas and/or join a committee.  Secondly, the committees are beginning to meet to begin concentrating on a particular area to enhance St. Joseph School.  We would like to invite everyone to view the idea lists, committee members and times of meetings on our school’s website.  We will continue to update the website as we continue our mission of raising money for St. Joseph School.

Fundraiser Enhancement Committee Members
Beth Martin – Committee Chair bamartin@illinoismutual.com 

• Tina Curtis
• Andrea Howell
• Michelle Kelch
• Schad Martin
• Brad Nauman
• Ramie Nauman
• Stacey Palka
• Sheri Robison
• Beth Smith
• Brian Smith
• Marla Swanson
• Lisa Taphorn
• Angie Williamson
• Sandy Zuercher

Ideas

Have carnival in the evening and include a dinner
Have a celebrity parish or school parents basketball game.  (Celebrities could include mayor, past alumni, Local TV personalities or radio personalities, high school coaches, etc)
Does “Bergner Days” where they sit at the door and sell coupons for charity, work for schools?
For silent auction, have the items on the internet open for bids a month before the auction  ( school & parishwebsite)
Envelope marked for donation St. Joseph School once a month rather than just during Catholic Schools Week
St. Joseph School Garage Sale $2.00 at the door to get in each person marks their own items. Everything left goes to the needy of the parish.
5K run to benefit St. Joseph School
3-0n-3 Basketball tournament would be a great idea.  There is always so much interested in basketball and this could be something for the young as well as adults.  Perhaps parents could do a bake sale with it and donate baked goods for the concessions throughout the tournament, to raise some money for our school.
Chuck E Cheese Night   We have done this with preschool, and you receive 15% of all sales taken in, including food, merchandise or game tokens.  You don’t have to send people up to work it.  They offer the teachers a free salad bar or small pizza if they came.  But we just signed up and then received a check within a week or two from them.  Very easy fundraiser 
Eliminate the “Spring Fling” In its place, make the dinner/auction mandatory
Has anyone checked into doing a food booth at Marigold Festival.  Ex: pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. 
Lots of members (church) and students have family members or relatives that are with Pekin Insurance Co.  would they help “Pekin Insurance” sponsor something.Have carnival in the evening and include a dinner
Have a celebrity parish or school parents basketball game.  (Celebrities could include mayor, past alumni, Local TV
personalities or radio personalities, high school coaches, etc)
Does “Bergner Days” where they sit at the door and sell coupons for charity, work for schools?
For silent auction, have the items on the internet open for bids a month before the auction  ( school & parishwebsite)
Envelope marked for donation St. Joseph School once a month rather than just during Catholic Schools Week
St. Joseph School Garage Sale $2.00 at the door to get in each person marks their own items. Everything left goes to the needy of the parish.
5K run to benefit St. Joseph School
3-0n-3 Basketball tournament would be a great idea.  There is always so much interested in basketball and this could be something for the young as well as adults.  Perhaps parents could do a bake sale with it and donate baked goods for the concessions throughout the tournament, to raise some money for our school.
Chuck E Cheese Night   We have done this with preschool, and you receive 15% of all sales taken in, including food, merchandise or game tokens.  You don’t have to send people up to work it.  They offer the teachers a free salad bar or small pizza if they came.  But we just signed up and then received a check within a week or two from them.  Very easy fundraiser 
Eliminate the “Spring Fling” In its place, make the dinner/auction mandatory
Has anyone checked into doing a food booth at Marigold Festival.  Ex: pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. 
Lots of members (church) and students have family members or relatives that are with Pekin Insurance Co.  would they help “Pekin Insurance” sponsor something.

Ideas

An “in house” expert on the Spalding Scholarship so the school can assist the families in filling it out.  The “expert” can also review the scholarship application forms that families fill out to ensure accuracy before sending them on.
Float in Christmas parade.  We didn’t have one in the Marigold parade, but many other churches didL
Have a couple “Hospitality Days” when current parents could host a coffee/chat/informational meeting with prospective parents, give them tours of the school, and sit in on classroom lessons
Start an Alumni Association
Bigger sign on the fence to promote school
Is it possible to work out an agreement with Edison and Broadmoor to allow students to play sports with their home district.  If so, we could adjust our boys basketball schedule so there are no time conflicts and allow them to play for both school or if this isn’t allowed give them the choice for sport teams.
Pekin High has a night to show some of their student’s special projects and activities at the end of the year.  Notre Dame does a Pancake Breakfast to show case some of their art and special projects to kick off Catholic School’s Week
I wondered for our Sunday Mass that precedes Catholic School’s Week, if we could have some 7th & 8th graders give a short talk at Mass, to explain some of their special projects and reaching out ministries that they are involved in. We have always had coffee and doughnuts in the cafeteria after that Mass, with artwork displayed and a book fair in the library.  It is usually school families that come to that.  But if we could have some of our junior high kids speaking at church, with perhaps some posters in the back, displaying some of their special activities that they help out with during the year, more parishioners who may not be able to get over to the cafeteria might be interested in seeing what our kids do.  We could have posters from our kids working the soup kitchen, doing the Rosary Walk, filling Christmas Shoe Boxes for kids around the world, preparing baskets filled with baby items for young mother, etc.
I thing if we are trying to promote our junior high, what a better way than to have the junior high kids themselves, talking about their activities, and perhaps who their faith has deepened and grown through their services to others.
I hear a lot of talk about improving and stressing academics.  The number one thing we should stress is our Catholic Christian identity, our love for the Lord and our Faith

Improve marketing our school to area parishes
Look at non-Catholic parochial schools for ideas about how to keep the school financially solvent/sound.
Possibly hire “neutral/nonparent” coaches for the sports teams (esp. basketball) so the players will be learning similar plays/coaching methods as public schools.
First off, Father Tim need to do a Sunday Sermon @ all the masses addressing the issue.  He needs to get up there and shock, scare, etc. people in this Parish.  This is not just a “school thing”, it’s a “Parish problem”.  There has been no “sense of urgency” conveyed regarding this matter – no where has it been stated that this is a Huge issue that needs immediate action!  I don’t think this sense of urgency was portrayed at the community meeting either.  He needs to put out a “call to action” as soon as he can.  If the 7th and 8th grade close, the school may soon follow and families will leave our parish to join other parishes so their children can have a Catholic education K-8!  This is a Parish problem!
Some thoughts from a “senior citizen” parishoner.  To me it sounds as if you are asking for financial help to pay students tuitions.  I’m not too motivated by this approach.  However, if the real problem is that there is a possibility that some of the grades will be cut, I think that the Parish should be informed of this.  I would be more likely to contribute to the school under these circumstances.  Actually, having sent my children to St. Joseph School without paying tuition, I would challenge others like me to “pay it forward”.  I know that it would be more like paying it back, but I much prefer the forward approach!  I’m really most concerned about the Parish not being informed about all the possibilities.  Portions of our Church contributions do go to the school – right?
One of the committees, or perhaps a new committee, needs to look at retention of current St. Joes students and how to ensure students remain through the 8th grade.
I thought the Oct. 1 meeting was well organized and presented.  These meetings should take place on a regular basis – at least twice per year.  This was the first time I was even aware of a financial problem with the school, and already the teachers’ salaries have been frozen for this school year – something I find very troubling.  I would like the Education and Finance Committee meeting dates to be well-publicized and open to the public, so parents/parishioners can attend and be more informed.
Perhaps the school should look into conducting an annual fund each year, specifying the financial needs of the school and targeting alumni.  We are contacted constantly by our colleges, high schools and grade schools to support their campaigns, and St. Joe’s should also ask their alumni to help support the school.  Then all donators could be recognized with a simple plaque at the school, listed in the church bulletin and school newsletter.

Market this school!  Not just to East Peoria and those areas recommended by the diocese but to all outer laying towns (Hopedale, Delavan, Green Valley)
How about a Budget for all to review. How much money is needed to really run our school?  Not just some random number that Tom came up with.  I’d for one would like to see a budget and have the school run by it!
Grandfather in the 7th & 8th grade tuition and do not increase multi child amount to them for the next two years (People may pull their child to avoid increase)
Give a break to 7th & 8th grade student’s tuition
Envelope in packet and marked for donation t St. Joseph School once a month rather than just during Catholic Schools Week
Make families sign a contract before entering kindergarten with an agreement for K-8 with tuition adjusted accordingly
         Ex: tuition for agreement of K-8 $25.00; Non agreement $35.00
Require new parents to sign a form pledging a required number of hours of service
Increase tuition significantly for parents with multiple children and tuition in generalL
Many of our “grandparents” with second-generation-grandchildren attending our school were fortunate to send us (their children) to St. Joseph for free.  They need to be challenged to “pay it forward” and help out the children currently attending SJS
I thought the Oct. 1 meeting was well organized and presented.  These meetings should take place on a regular basis – at least twice per year.  This was the first time I was even aware of a financial problem with the school, and already the teachers’ salaries have been frozen for this school year – something I find very troubling.  I would like the Education and Finance Committee meeting dates to be well-publicized and open to the public, so parents/parishioners can attend and be more informed.
Perhaps the school should look into conducting an annual fund each year, specifying the financial needs of the school and targeting alumni.  We are contacted constantly by our colleges, high schools and grade schools to support their campaigns, and St. Joe’s should also ask their alumni to help support the school.  Then all donators could be recognized with a simple plaque at the school, listed in the church bulletin and school newsletter.
I am in favor of raising the tuition for single students, as well as for families, to be more comparable with private schools in the area.  I’ve been told by several that St. Joe’s is a ‘bargain’ compared to other schools.  I also think the school lunch rate could be raised as well.