DIOCESAN NEWS
06/11/10
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Canton Holy Child Jesus School receives CSA funds
By Fabvienen Taylor
CANTON — When Holy Child Jesus Elementary School principal Felicia Jackson-Stewart asks individuals or organizations for donations to the school, she does it from a sense of strength and pride in what the school stands for.
“I ask people to give because they believe in Holy Child Jesus and in Catholic education. I don’t ask out of a sense of being a poor little school struggling to survive,” said Jackson-Stewart last week.
Next year will be Jackson-Stewart’s third year as principal. She is an alumnae of the school and both of her parents taught there for a number of years.
At the end of the 2009 school year, facing shrinking numbers of returning students, Jackson-Stewart made the difficult decision to close five grades.
From a student body of 100 in pre-K3 to sixth grade, the school reopened the 2009-10 school year with 48 students in pre-K3 — first grade.
“It was heartbreaking to disappoint kids who had been here since they were three years of age to have to tell them they would not finish grammar school at Holy Child Jesus. But at the same time, I had to look at the financial issues we were facing.
“Tuition is $2,750 a year, but the actual cost this past year was $6,000 to educate one child.
In addition to tuition, the school receives mission grants from the Diocese of Jackson, holds fund-raisers, a drawdown, and receives a subsidy from the Holy Child Jesus Parish.
As a mission school, Holy Child Jesus also receives funds from the annual Catholic Service Appeal (CSA) collection which kicked off the weekend of May 1-2 in all parishes and missions.
“The 2010 CSA theme, ‘One Family in Christ’ is a good one,” said Bishop Joseph Latino in a page one article in the April 30 Mississippi Catholic.
“While we live in different counties, and we name our parishes after different saints, we all belong to the church of the Jackson diocese. We belong to one Roman Catholic Church.”
“We have very different communities but we are only one family. And if one member is in need, the whole family is concerned about that one in need, if it is a real family.”
Bishop Latino said the church of the Jackson diocese is not “just a made-up family. We all have the same Father, the same mother, Mary, the same brother, Jesus. It is a rather select family and our relatives are unique,” he said.
In addition to mission schools/parishes, the CSA helps fund seminarian education, evangelization/faith formation, campus ministry, Catholic Charities, and retired priests/clergy assistance.
“Also we receive donations from people who really believe in Holy Child Jesus and what it stands for and who want to see its 63-year legacy continue for more students, according to Jackson-Stewart..”
The environment at the school is one where everyone feels they are a part of the school, she said.
“No differences are shown toward or among students concerning what neighborhood a student may live in, what material possessions they have or don’t have. We just all attend Holy Child Jesus together. It is an environment where everyone comes and our parents enjoy sending their children here,” she said.
Jackson-Stewart said the school is moving forward with plans for rebuilding grades, starting with adding the second grade back next year.
“We have the understanding that in order to have a certain grade level we have to have enough students to afford the teacher.”
“Our plan is to add back grades as it becomes financially feasible. We have waiting lists for pre-K and our kindergarten is really strong,” she said.
Right now there are 25 students enrolled in pre-K, 15 in kindergarten, and 11 each in first and second grades.
“This year all of our kindergarten students came out able to read. To me that was great.”
Before cutting grades last year, Jackson-Stewart said two grades with a small number of students in each, were combined in one classroom with the teacher instructing both grade levels.
“Two grades with nine kids was not a feasible way to run the school financially. And over the years that model of instruction had fallen out of favor with parents who wanted their children only exposed to material for their grade level, she said.
“A lot of things were done out of kindness to parents who wanted their kids at Holy Child Jesus, and the school and church were left with the accumulating debt.”
During the year, a fourth-grade student who had to leave last year spotted his former principal in a store and informed her he made the honor roll at the public school he now attends.
“I live in Canton so I often see some of our former students at church or in town. All the ones I’ve talked to are doing academically well, on the honor roll, or getting awards in things like reading, all of which to me speaks well of Holy Child Jesus.
“When a student leaves Holy Child Jesus and excels academically at a new school, it means a lot to me,” she said.
“I feel we’ve done our part, given them a sense of security in the classroom and know when they leave Holy Child to go to St. Richard, or St. Anthony or St. Joseph or to public school, they will do well and represent Catholic education well,” said Jackson-Stewart.
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