Welcome to our new blog series "Group Spotlight," where we shine a light on some of the amazing organizations behind the scenes of our Parish. Each post will introduce you to a different group, explaining their mission and how you can get involved.
For our first post in the series, we're excited to share more information about our School Development Team!
What is the School Development Team?
The St. Patrick School Development Team is a newly-created committee open to all parishioners - not just families with children in our school.
Our Mission
Our mission is to work together, each using our own unique gifts, to foster friendship and build community in our parish by planning, managing, and executing parish social events that generate awareness, appreciation, and financial support for our parish school.
We respond to God’s call to receive the gifts He has given us and share them in love of God and neighbor. Hospitality, one of the four Pillars of Stewardship, is central to our mission. We accept our responsibility, as St. Patrick parishioners, to support and develop our parish school.
Our current annual events include:
Annual Fall Auction – This sold-out event generates funding that is critical to the school’s operating budget and provides additional funding for projects around the St. Pat’s campus. It is a night of celebration and community!
Annual St. Patrick’s Day Raffle – This event takes place during the St. Patrick’s Dinner. Students are responsible for selling raffle tickets. The drawing takes place towards the end of the dinner and provides a wonderful source of excitement for all those participating.
Annual Trivia Night – This is one of our goals for 2024-2025! A Trivia Night is a great way to meet new people and build on existing relationships through some friendly competition.
Our Why: Supporting the Mission of Diocesan Catholic Schools
Put simply: because Catholic schools are the mission of the entire parish. Only through the stewardship of all the parishioners are we able to maintain excellent schools without tuition or any government support.
The Catholic Diocese of Wichita believes a Catholic education is the best gift a parent can give a child. A student of a Catholic school will not only receive an outstanding academic education, but more importantly, will receive a rich formation in the way of stewardship which will prepare them for life and give the entire family the opportunity to grow in the Catholic Faith. Enrolling a child in a Catholic school is a partnership among the family, the parish, and the school.
Our diocesan schools do not charge tuition. Rather, we have a unique funding model for our schools that is a partnership between parents and parishes. School parents are asked to practice active stewardship in their parish. In return, parishes sponsor Catholic children to attend the parish school.
A common misunderstanding is that our Catholic schools are “free”. They are not free as we provide an education rich in resources and opportunities for children, competitive wages for employees, and campuses that are safe and comfortable for the entire school community. Our parishes commit much of their financial resources to support our Catholic schools, and it is an entire parish effort through active stewardship.
Do you have gifts to share? We would love to hear from you!
To join or learn more, please contact Tammy Hook (785-979-7982) or Crystal Robinson (316-204-6073).
Or send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
And for all the latest about the School Development Team, follow us on Facebook!
