Catholic Schools Honored, ACE Co-Founder Speaks at Healey Awards Event

Nine schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Diocese of Allentown and the Diocese of Camden received special commendation at the second annual Celebration of Achievement hosted by the Healey Education Foundation. The event, attended by more than 200 diocesan officials, pastors, school principals, advancement, development and admissions directors and other strategic partners of the Foundation, was held on November 20, 2014 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue, Philadelphia. Schools new to working with Healey in the Archdiocese of Baltimore will be eligible to receive awards in 2015.

Rev. Timothy R. Scully, CSC, co-founder of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) and Hackett Family Director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI), spoke at the event. “America’s Catholic schools matter more now than they ever have,” he said in answering the question he had raised at the start: “What would America be like if there were no Catholic schools or if Catholic schools never existed?”

Rev. Timothy R. Scully, CSC, co-founder of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) and Hackett Family Director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI)

Fr. Tim noted other calls for reinvestment rather than resignation, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s reference in Our Greatest and Best Inheritance: “Catholic schools are sacred places serving important civic purposes.” He also cited examples of turnaround, including The Catholic School Advantage, the campaign to improve education opportunities for Latino children.

“Our story is not an obituary; it’s a renaissance,” he said. Fr. Tim also drew a comparison between the approach required to sustain Catholic education and the business and maritime lessons learned and shared by Robert T. Healey, Founder and Trustee of Healey Education Foundation, in his years as co-founder and CEO of Viking Yachts. “When we hit strong headwinds, we tack, we reinvent, we work the angles…. Bob knows that…. We need a collection of solutions with the goal of high quality education for every child in the country.”

And the SAGE Winners Are…

The School Advancement Grants for Excellence (SAGE) announced at the event recognize and incentivize outstanding work by Healey Education Foundation schools in advancing their schools’ missions. The 2014 winners are:

The SAGE Grants ($5,000) for Enrollment

Christine L. Healey, President, Healey Education Foundation, announcing the awards

• Highest increase in actual number of students – elementary school and highest percentage growth in enrollment – elementary school:  St. Peter School (Merchantville, NJ) with 41 new students and 15.8% growth, Advancement Director Kathy O’Callaghan
• Increase in actual number of students – elementary school, runner-up: St. Joseph the Worker School (Orefield, PA) with 38 new students, Advancement Director Lisa Geosits
• Percentage growth in enrollment – elementary school, runner-up: Trinity Academy (Shenandoah, PA) at 12% growth, Advancement Director Christine Fannick
• Highest increase in actual number of students – high school: Allentown Central Catholic High School (Allentown, PA) with 39 new students, Director of Admissions Elizabeth Kern
• Highest percentage growth in enrollment – high school: Berks Catholic High School (Reading, PA) at 5.2% growth, Director of Admissions Nicky Smith

The SAGE Grants ($5,000) for Annual Fund

• Most dollars raised through the Annual Fund – elementary school: Saints Peter and Paul School (West Chester, PA) for raising $121,484, Advancement Director Trish Kyle
• Most dollars raised through the Annual Fund – high school or special learning center: Allentown Central Catholic High School (Allentown, PA) for raising $319, 963, Director of Institutional Advancement Jackie Jones
• Highest percentage growth in the Annual Fund – elementary school: St. Christopher School (Philadelphia, PA) with a 364% increase, Advancement Director Charlene DiSarlo

The SAGE Competitive Grant ($10,000)

• Selected via an internal and external review process from among 25 proposals received: Immaculate Conception Academy (Douglassville, PA), Principal Patricia Tarquinio, Pastor Msgr. John McCann, Advancement Director Shannon Villa

SAGE 2014 Competitive Grant Winners from Immaculate Conception Academy (Douglassville, PA) with Robert T. Healey Sr., Founder, Healey Education Foundation (center)

Representatives from 11 Healey alumni schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, six new Healey schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and six new Healey schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia also attended the event.