Thanks to all of the volunteer's for helping with the 95th Birthday letter mail out. Without help from our many friends of GCS projects such as this would not be easy.
In light of the current national financial difficulties that are in the news, we are not surprised that we are asked if we think this will impact GCS. We are all impacted at some level from massive to minimal, and it looks as though it might last longer than we would like.
So the question is how is Georgia Christian School doing today. How has the school been impacted by the current economy? Are we worried about enrollment, or fundraising for this year and the next? Will the quality of our programs suffer and progress be held up for a while?
Of course we will be affected. It would be rather silly for us to think that we would not be. I would like to say it this way, GCS is positioned to thrive in 2009 and beyond.
In enrollment, we are currently receiving many requests for applications for all grades, and it looks like we will be increasing our numbers over the 2008-2009 year. The word is getting out about GCS. Families are making it a budgeting priority to be at GCS, and join you and your children.
The fundraising has been impacted to a certain degree, but I still feel we can make our goal for this year to balance our budget. We are trying to cut down on the number of fundraising events that we have done in the past. We have a Jog-A-Fun scheduled for May 1st in conjunction with Fun Day 2009, and a Golf Tournament on May 4th at VCC. I hope all of you will get behind these events to help make them a success.
Our endowment has sustained losses like every other investment, but the fact that we have a substantial endowment and even are adding to it is a blessing that a lot of private schools do not have.
Our Board of Directors have put GCS in a position to thrive in difficult financial times by not having ANY long term debt. They are also concerned with keeping our class sizes to a level where quality education can be still maintained, unlike the trend of the public schools to increase class size to 30 students in grades 4th-8th and 32 9th-12th.
Finally, we are committed to continuing the trend to enhance the educational level with AP classes next year, more Smart Boards in more class rooms, and our strategic planning committee is almost finished with its plans to present to the Board in May.
There are four things that you can do to help GCS sustain and grow.
1. Pray with us. For the school to keep Christ king of our mission, to continue to progress for our children’s sake, and to keep our sights set on what matters most.
2. Talk with us. If you are having notable troubles, contact me by email or phone (229-559-5131), and tell him about your situation. If you are more comfortable initiating that conversation with your principal, then begin there.
3. Stand by us. If you’ve felt little impact with the recent difficulties, I hope you’ll consider a tax deductible gift to GCS for financial aid for a family that may be struggling or a gift for a GCS program to help that program continue to thrive and improve. Those who went before us here, did that for us. Now for some of us, this is our turn to make a difference. If you’d like to make a special contribution, contact me, Deland Guthrie by email or phone (229-559-5131).
4. Finally, continue to speak up for GCS with other families. Time and again, we’ve found that future GCS families seek us out because they first heard from you what a blessing the school is to your family. Please pass that word. Invite a friend to campus with you or introduce them to me. You’ll be blessing their children and the school by your good words. In every time, God teaches us lessons we need, lessons that change us for the better. That’s true with you, our families, and our school family. Let’s listen for His voice and grow in Him together.
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