Past Principal Points

Building & Banquets

I have some exciting news: We are adding a new building to our site. The Board has approved the purchase of a new portable classroom to be added on to the existing building H. The city has given approval for the move, and we expect to have it in place by the middle of November. The new building is currently being used as a show suite for Fletcher Village by the Post Office in Airdrie. It is a triple wide with approximately 1900 square feet of space, making it by far the largest building on our site.

This building will not be ready for use this year as it will need to be renovated into classrooms, but it has tremendous potential for us. If we can create two classrooms, a seminar room, and some office or storage space, it will allow us to grow to 250 students with one grade per class in the coming years. The purchase price is about $18,000 ($10 per square foot!) which is almost exactly the amount we have budgeted for our building fund this year. The cost of the move will be about $4500, and renovations may be another $5000. These will be covered from our Contingency Fund which was just created this past year. (Congrats to the Board for wise planning in setting up this fund!)

Most of our Building Fund comes from the offering given at our Annual Friendraising Banquet. This year it would be great if this offering could completely cover the costs of this new addition. The Board is trusting that it will, and on faith has made the commitment to purchase. If you have not indicated your intentions to attend, please contact the office ASAP to let us know that you are coming! If you cannot attend, but would like to make a gift to the school, please send your cheque or pledge in a sealed envelope to Cathy Ricks, our bookkeeper. We will see that your gift is included in the total when we report the offering at the Banquet.

Some people have asked whether giving at the Banquet is included as part of the Fundraising requirement in the Parents’ Pledge. It is not. Giving is just that, a gift. It is not required, but very much needed and appreciated. Gifts come out of our own pockets and represent a portion of our earnings. Fundraising usually comes from others who purchase something from the school or sponsor one of our children in the Read-A-Thon or Serve-A-Thon. Gifts are tax receiptable, while fundraising is not.

The Board could have included the giving at the Banquet as part of the Fundraising requirement, but that would have meant increasing the requirement by approximately $180 per family, and then there would be no tax receipt and no free will offering. The Banquet represents a major faith element in our budget, and it represents the depth of commitment to the school above and beyond that which is required. It is good for us to have to depend on the Lord and each other in this way. We hope that every family will be able to attend whether they can give financial support or not. Come to hear our students minister in music. Come to be challenged by Deborah Grey, a committed Christian and the first Reform Party Member of Parliament. Come to rejoice with us in God’s provision! Hope to see you there.