Planning is well underway for the 2018-2019 school year and I appreciate the great trust you have placed in Father John V. Doyle School by your decision to enroll your children in our school. I am aware that this is a decision that involves sacrifice and commitment on the part of our school families. The administration, faculty, and staff - along with Father Grenon, the trustees, Finance Council, and School Board – are all committed to providing the best Catholic education for all of our students.

With that in mind, I am writing today to address the questions and concerns that have recently been raised regarding the finances and the long-term plan for Father John V. Doyle School. Just as in your family’s household, we must be mindful to create a plan for the future while balancing revenue and expenses in the school. Father John V. Doyle School depends heavily on tuition revenue which is generated by our student population. We are also very grateful for the support of the parish, as demonstrated by the subsidy provided each year, scholarships and other tuition assistance, and individual parishioner donations.

The current enrollment of Catholic schools in general has shown a steady decline over the past 10+ years. This has been particularly hard felt by elementary Catholic schools. As our high schools remain strong, we are committed to doing all we can to remain a partner and "feeder" school to the Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Providence.

At Father John V. Doyle School, we have experienced a decreasing enrollment that mirrors the national trend. At the same time, our parish and school leadership, as well as our School Board and Finance Council, have been actively monitoring the trends and developing plans, both short and long term for our school.

A major portion of our expenses are staffing related. As enrollment declines, so does our ability to keep up the same number of staff from year to year. Changes or loss to faculty and staff are certainly painful, however they are necessary to insure a balanced budget. As several of our valued faculty retires, we are able to adjust the funding available from salaries and wages into continuing to offer a quality program.

This year, two of our faculty has announced that they will be moving on. Mrs. Kathleen Brusic will be retiring at the end of this school year in order to enjoy more time with her husband and visits with her family! Mrs. Brusic has been a part of our school family for so many years that it is impossible for us to imagine what it will be like without her. She will be missed by faculty and students, alumni and extended families! Mrs. Collette Maynard will be taking a leave of absence to join her husband in Ireland for a professional opportunity! Mrs. Maynard has been a valued member of our faculty, currently in Grade 5 and before that, as part of our middle school team. We wish her well on this exciting journey!

One other change to our staffing that I would like you to be aware of is in resource services as that position will move to part-time. Mr. Ted Emmott will continue to work with our students to offer academic support as he begins a transition toward retirement. Mr. Emmott’s commitment coupled with services provided through the town of Coventry give Father John V. Doyle School confidence in the quality of education provided to all of our students.

In terms of increasing revenue toward a balanced budget, we continue to actively market our school in a variety of ways. You will see our ads in local newspapers and online. In addition, many members of our parish and school community have stepped up to create and attend terrific fundraisers such as our most recent Silent Auction and tomorrow’s Golf Tournament. We welcome new ideas and the energy of individuals to assist us in the success of these important, enjoyable events!

As you probably know, our parish will be led by a new pastor, Father Michael Woolley, beginning July 1st. We are happy to report that Father Woolley is a Coventry native who grew up in our parish. Father Woolley will be meeting with Father Grenon and me to insure an effective transition, particularly as it concerns our school.

The finance council will continue to meet on an average of every 6 weeks. The School Board and Development sub-committee will continue to meet, also on an average of every 6 weeks, to evaluate and improve our program and marketing efforts - new members and ideas are always welcome!

Father Grenon, Father Woolley, Father Fleming and I, along with the faculty and staff, remain committed to the quality of education at Father John V. Doyle School and will be diligent in our efforts to the continued success in keeping with the mission of our school to provide a solid, well-rounded education based on Roman Catholic Tradition. By all working together, we can stabilize our enrollment, and change can be used to our advantage. I encourage all school families to continue to support our fundraising and social events, those offered by both the school and the parish! I also ask that you act as an Ambassador for Father John V. Doyle School at all times and work to promote its mission. Your positive attitude and support are so very important to the future of our school!

As always, Thank You for your support of Father John V. Doyle School!

Mrs. Jae T. Smith

Our faculty and staff are so very thankful for all of the wonderful ways in which they were appreciated this past week!

Many thanks to Mrs. Andrews and her small committee for all of their time and effort! We loved the treats and gestures of appreciation received each day this week - from breakfast to "fish" to a yummy taco luncheon to prayers and sweet treats! THANK YOU!

One of the funds used in the financial aid process is the Rhode Island Education Corporate Tax Credit Program which is funded by local businesses and corporations. We now have an opportunity to become involved in requesting an increase to the amount of aid that would be available from the Rhode Island Education Corporate Tax Credit Program. Please read the Phone2Action campaign and log into the website www.edchoiceri.org to complete the campaign. Please encourage friends of our school community to do the same. The more people who register, the greater the chance that our request will be heard and approved by our Senators and Representatives. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Ed Bastia ebastia@dioceseofprovidence.org at the Catholic School Office.

Progress Reports have been sent home with students today.

Once again, we are offering the following summer camps:

Art Camp

Book Camp

Theater Camp

Please refer to the attached flyers for more information on each fun-filled camp!

Join FJVD family and friends at the PawSox game vs. Syracuse Chiefs on June 23, 2018!

Click here to purchase your tickets!

SchoolKidz offers pre-packaged, school supply kits filled with the exact supplies requested by your child’s teacher. Kits are offered per grade level (entering grades 4-8) and arrive personally with the student’s school, name, and grade. The kits are a cost effective and convenient way of purchasing your back-to-school supplies.

Skip the lines this summer. Order your supplies with SchoolKidz!

You can place your order online at www.ShopTTKits.com by June 15.

Use account number 92272.

Saint Raphael Academy will be hosting a Summer Theatre Camp for students who will be entering grades 7, 8 and 9.s. The camp will be directed by Moira Costigan-Carraher, a Rhode Island-based actor, vocalist, director and teacher. Mrs. Costigan-Carraher is a Saint Raphael Academy alumna and is one of the directors of the theatre program at the Academy. She recently directed Antigone, which won the RI State Drama Festival 2018. The camp will run from Monday, July 30 – Friday, August 3 and will culminate in a final performance. The price for the one-week camp is $150 but will be offered to students entering Saint Raphael Academy as freshmen for the discounted rate of $125. More information about the camp is below. Please contact the Admissions Office at Saint Raphael Academy with any questions.

• Progress Reports May 4
  
• Golf Tournament May 5
• Ascension Thursday Mass (5M) 10am May 10
• Middle School Dance May 10
  
• No School for Students/Faculty PD day May 11
• Father Grenon 40th Anniversary Mass 5pm May 12
• Doyle Dinner Theater May 19
• Dress for Charity May 25
• Gentlemen's Choice Event June 2
• Eighth Grade Awards Night June 5
  
• Music Program Spring Concert June 7 @ 12:45pm
  
• Grade 8 Graduation Mass June 9 @ 11am
  
• PreK Graduation & K Celebration June 15 @ 9am
• Last Day of School for students June 19
• FJVD Night PawSox vs. Syracuse Chiefs June 23... use the link above to purchase your tickets!

Website: fjvd.org
Location: 343 South Main Street, Coventry, RI, United States
Phone: (401)-821-3756
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gofjvdsaints