The Mount: Register Now!
January 27, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Included with your daughter’s and/or son’s first semester grade report, are a letter from Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Providence, RI, on the mission of Catholic schools and recent articles on Catholic education from both the New York Times and The Wall Street Journa. Each of these documents addresses core issues facing U.S. Catholic schools, as well as highlights the enormous contributions that Catholic schools have made to the nation.
Bishop Tobin’s letter is the first in a series of twelve letters that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will write on various aspects of Catholic education. It is clear in Bishop Tobin’s letter that the mission of Catholic education is three-fold: to preach the Gospel; to develop an enlightened sense of service to the least of our sisters and brothers; and to cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving and worship of God. All of this, of course, flows from the context of a rigorous academic program.
Both the bishop’s letter and the Times and Wall Street Journal articles address the challenges that Catholic schools face, especially in the midst of the current global economic circumstances. However, these documents, just as numerous studies and articles previously written about Catholic education, note the enormous success of Catholic schools and the importance of Catholic schools to families and the nation. As Bishop Tobin says, “[Let us] resolve to recognize the irreplaceable and enormous value of our schools, and let’s resolve to do all that we can to preserve, support and hand on this important heritage.”
Your voice on behalf of Mount St. Joseph Academy is key to the success of our school. Now is the time to speak up about, and to promote, the value of MSJ. At the request of Bishop Matano, I met with him on January 16, 2009. Our conversation was about the importance of The Mount in the lives of current families, alumni, and the wider Rutland Community. I will have a follow up meeting with him in mid-March. It is important for me to present him with 80% of the 100 students on which the 2009-10 proposed budget is based.
If you are a parent/guardian of a returning student, please register now for 2009-10. Whether you are the parent/guardian of a senior or that of a current freshman, sophomore or junior, please encourage others to register at MSJ. Registration forms are available on-line, as well as through the admissions office and front office. The early registration period ends on February 8 and it provides a registration fee savings of $50. Please check the MSJ web site for details. Also, please refer to materials sent in the last mailing for details about tuition, tuition discounts for families with more than one child in RCS, as well as information about tuition assistance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Reynolds in Admissions (admissions@msjvermont.org; 775-0151, ext. 108) or Mrs. Robbins in Finance (crobbins@msjvermont.org; 775-0151, ext. 111).
Thank you for your unwavering support of The Mount.
Sincerely,
Paolo E. Zancanaro, MA
Principal
