Please read to the end!

Wow, I haven't posted for awhile again!!!  I just don't seem to have enough time in a day to keep this up to date.  I am envious of those who religiously update daily and are always adding pictures, etc.

I have been trying to get everything done with my class before the end of the quarter.  Friday was it, and some of my kids still did not finish all their required work.  By this time in sixth grade they should know time management.  Plus, I am on them constantly!  I was happy with some of the work that came in, but that was from the students that I expected to do well.  I had one student out all week so I just have to figure her grades on what she already had in, which wasn't much and wasn't done well.  Just when I think I am making progress with this group, something like this happens and I wonder if ANYTHING I do makes a difference. 

I was also working on a proposal for interactive whiteboards for our school.  An anonymous donor wants to donate money so that we can purchase some and I had to do the research to find the best boards that would do what we wanted them to do.  On top of that, I had to research what we needed to replace our server since it is archaic and won't survive to do the job we need it to do if we get these whiteboards.  Mind you, I am not the tech person, just a plain, old, sixth grade teacher so all of this was Greek to me!  With the help of my husband, a friend of his who is an IT person, the people at CDW and the Poly Vision rep, I finally got it all together and submitted the proposal on Friday.  Now we just wait to see if the donor approves and gives us the money. 

My next job is trying to find ways to raise tons of money for our school.  You see, we are a small Catholic school in a very depressed community and many of our parents cannot pay full tuition.  Our public school system is overcrowded and rife with problems.  Our parents want to have their children at our school because we offer a safe environment and a better education.  Many of our students are first generation Mexican Americans whose parents want better for them they what they have had.  They are willing to sacrifice, but they can barely put food on the table much less pay tuition.  It is not uncommon to find more than one family living in the same house because they just can't afford anything else. 

Like everywhere, our school has fallen on big financial woes.  The parish can't/won't support the school at the amount of money that we need and the archdiocese doesn't look kindly on giving out big loans.  If we don't find a source of money, and soon, our little school will be closed and these children will have nowhere to go except the public school system.  Our parents don't want that.  Students are drafted into gangs as early as 4th grade.  It is just not a good environment to be in.  So, I am wracking my brain trying to figure out to whom I can plead our case. 

It is sad that we can't apply for so many of the grants that are available for education because we are a Catholic school.  We accept students of all denominations.  We even have Hindu and Jewish students in our school.  We don't discriminate against anyone and we offer a better product than the public school on MUCH less money.  Our students graduate and go on to the public high school far ahead of their public school peers.  Most of our students enter honors classes.  This is the advantage that our parents want for their children, yet without help, it might not be available for much longer. 

So if anyone out there has any great ideas, I'd appreciate it if you would share them with me.  If anyone would like to send donations to our school, they can be sent to:
St. Joseph Elementary School
118 Lincoln Ave.
Round Lake, IL  60073

Thanks to anyone who can give us any support or advice.