SVDP School

Hello and Welcome Back to SVDP,

Many of you have been engaged in our long-term plan to retrofit and remodel the school, and we wanted to update you on our summer news. As you know, since 2015 we have been working hard to improve SVDP’s facilities. Some of the improvements are required to bring our buildings into compliance with city and state building codes. Beyond that, we envision a more modern, safer and environmentally responsible school.

Hopefully, you recall our spring/early summer update regarding our Project Manager, Feasibility Study and submittals to the city. Here are some highlights of our summer activities completed as building blocks of this long-term plan:

• In the lower school building, which will absorb more students during the middle school construction, we painted the two learning levels and installed new carpet in the classrooms and hallways.

• We are piloting new furniture in several areas. Our 3rd and 6th grade classrooms are completely outfitted with “thumbprint” flexible furniture. The Kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms are utilizing “puzzle” tables. The library can be reconfigured for multiple uses thanks to the installation of new mobile/foldable tables. Lastly, we added a few “flexible choice” seats (wobbly stools) to the 1st grade and 5th grade classrooms.

• We replaced over 200 sprinkler heads across the entire campus.
  

• We hired a full-time facilities manager, William Co, supported by a maintenance team.

• Father Ken returned from his sabbatical, and we are hopeful that his presence will improve communications with the Archdiocese.
  

• We have continued to review and refine the preliminary design documents in preparation of submitting for our site permit.
  

Unfortunately, with the assistance of our project manager, we have learned that some of the timelines and price points previously provided to us are unrealistic. We are fortunate, that with the help of parent connections, two very reputable construction companies are reviewing our plans and will provide us with more accurate pre-construction cost estimates. This work is being done on a pro-bono basis; and will not be an additional cost. With a project of this magnitude, we must expect delays, and are moving forward in other areas, while we await these revised estimates. For this reason, we have decided to delay the launch of our capital campaign.

All this work (past, present and future) depends on the dedication and support of parents, faculty and parishioners. We are so grateful for those that have assisted us so far in this process and welcome new volunteers. If you have a skill set you believe to be of value to our success, please contact Marguerite Pini. If you can’t volunteer, we encourage you to visit our project website from time to time to get updates. Together, we can provide our children with a next generation campus that will aid in their academic, spiritual, emotional and social development.

Sincerely,

Saint Vincent de Paul Administration

Website: svdpsf.com
Location: 2350 Green Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone: (415)346-5505