by Gloria Lorusso
The first of firsts seems to be an ongoing theme, even into
the new year here at St. Isidore. As our parish and school
embark on 100 years of planting, growing and sharing with
our St. Isidore community, a grand celebration has been
in planning since 2017, to mark this milestone. However,
Covid-19 had other plans. And so, we were struck with
the decision to forgo all of the efforts of past and present
faculty, parishioners, and families OR press on and
innovate once again. And so, we chose the latter.
On February 20, 2021, Your St. Isidore hosted its first
ever, Virtual Gala: “There’s No Place Like Home!” Months
of swift action planning came together in the form of
an incredible production, which was launched by a
livestreamed mass, celebrated by Father Jim Murphy. The
production was a mix of live and previously narrated clips
of our parish and school heritage; Interviews with voices of
past and present, along with comical parity’s and birthday
wishes from our former pastors and a special message from
Bishop Hicks. What a wonderful celebration it was!
If you were not able to join us, or would like to relive this
momentous event, please see the archive on our parish
page: www.stisidoreparish.org
We are eternally grateful for the continued support of
our parish community. Thank you for believing in us! We
are just shy of reaching our $100,000 goal, in honor of
100 years! Another $25,000 would ensure our school may
launch its next phase of Advancement Initiatives.
As we all know, 2020 was a uniquely challenging year.
Our students are navigating classes under far from ideal
conditions. Our faculty and staff are working harder than
ever to provide outstanding instruction. Using a STEM
focused curriculum, in partnership with Microsoft, our goal
is to become a Microsoft Showcase School. While we are a
1:1 school, some of our classes are using aging Chromebooks
that need to be replaced with Surface Pros. Our “vintage”
networking equipment needs to be replaced as well. Our plan
is to upgrade our shared internet connection to a dedicated
fiber connection, alleviating much of the network congestion
(and frustration) we have been experiencing with remote
teaching and learning.
Our attendees’ investments not only supported our current
students and faculty/staff, but the future of St Isidore Catholic
School. Think of your own sons and daughters currently
attending, or your children who have graduated already, or
the children who will attend SICS in the years to come.
Catholic education is a gift and at St. Isidore, we are committed
to ensuring we continue to pivot and evolve with the ever
changing times to secure its future. Our ask: Would you consider
us in your annual gift contributions and help pave the way into
the next 100 years? We humbly ask for your continued help in
funding our growing technology programming, as we continue
to meet the needs of 21st century teaching and learning.If you
have already given, we graciously thank you! You are the reason
we continue to thrive.
Happy 100th, St. Isidore! Into the next 100 years!