Bishop Seabury Academy

 

As Headmaster of Bishop Seabury Academy, I have to do very little to make an impact on visitors to our campus.  A smiling student holds open the front door.  A 6th grader stands up with confidence in morning meeting and makes an announcement in front of the entire school.  A teacher plays chess with a senior in the foyer.  Students around the lunch table discuss a conflict on the other side of the world.  During a weeknight volleyball game, the gym bleachers thunder with the stomping spirit of fifty students.  And then we enter the classroom….where the real magic happens. This is what a school should look like.

 

Independent education is a choice we make because we celebrate excellence.  We uphold a tradition that changes lives in a fundamental way, developing adult leaders of confidence, independence, and good character.  We can achieve these goals only through the support of people who believe in them.

 

In every independent school, there is a gap that exists between the tuition that parents pay each year and the actual cost of running that school.  The gap between tuition and the real cost of educating a student is $1600.  October is the month when we ask our entire community—parents, trustees, faculty, friends, and alumni—to help us fill the gap.  This is the Annual Fund drive, where we raise funds to pay for heating, paper, photocopies, teacher salaries, and our yearly mortgage.  In other words, the Annual Fund is how we continue to exist.

 

The Annual Fund also allows us to offer financial assistance to the families of students who could not otherwise attend Bishop Seabury Academy.  In order to maintain a diverse student population and provide an exceptional education to these talented students, the Board of Trustees directs 10% of the annual operating budget to this cause, and 28% of our students receive assistance.

 

On the Annual Report, we offer a hearty “thank you!” to the list of donors who gave to the 2011-12 Annual Fund.  The generosity of these benefactors has real, tangible impact on the lives of our students, and I see it every day.  I ask the community again to invest in our objectives and to support Bishop Seabury Academy.

 

Please take a moment to consider what the school means to you and what you would be willing to donate to help us sustain our efforts, our high standards, and our mission.  These gifts are tax deductible, and every gift is important!  I do not ask for your contribution lightly but with affection and with the certainty that what we have here is precious and worth fighting for.

 

Yours respectfully,

 

 

Dr. Don M. Schawang

Head of School

 

 

 

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