United We Thrive Capital Campaign Chair Bonnie Choruby recently announced a generous gift of $177,156 from the Estate of Sr. Rose Dolores Costello who died in June 2009. Sr. Rose Dolores taught at St. Mary of the Valley (now Valley Catholic School) for 27 years and served as principal for 11 years. While serving as principal, Sr. Rose Dolores formed the first school board, started an endowment fund and admitted the first boys to the student body. “All of us are extremely grateful to Sr. Rose Dolores for her many years of dedicated service to our school and for her generosity toward future generations of teachers and students. The new K-8 Education Center was something Sr. Rose Dolores really wanted to happen,” said Choruby.

Michelle Castano Garcia was named chair of the Board of Directors Nov. 1 for the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Foundation. Michelle has two children, a 6th grader and a sophomore, attending school on the Valley Catholic campus and has served on the Foundation board since Sept. 2006.

Michelle is Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager for Washington Trust Bank’s Wealth Management and Advisory Services department in Portland, Ore. With Michelle’s significant experience in trust and estate planning, financial planning and investment management, her expertise to the board is highly valued as a counselor on financial matters and an active participant in fundraising efforts.

Michelle entered the banking industry in 1986 working in a variety of Sales, Marketing and Management positions. Throughout her extensive banking career she has worked for U.S. Bank, Bank of the Northwest and Northern Bank of Commerce.

Michelle is an award winner of the Portland Business Journal’s “Forty under Forty” award. She is very active in the community working on various charitable boards and committees. Michelle earned her Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Communications with an emphasis in Economics from the University of Oregon.

The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Foundation was established in 1998 to encourage financial aid and community support for the education, health care, and community service ministries of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, including Valley Catholic School and Maryville Nursing Home in Beaverton, Ore. The Foundation supports these organizations through relationship-building, fundraising, stewardship, and marketing.

October was Annual Fund month at Valley Catholic and it shows! Parent participation numbers have risen from 22% before school started to 45% overall at the end of October! Look below or click HERE to see how your grade is doing. Thanks to your generosity, we had a very successful parent phone-a-thon at the end of October, which raised $10,441 and helped bring participation numbers up. A BIG thank you to our amazing volunteer callers, see below for the list.

If you have renewed your gift or given for the first time to the VCS Annual Fund – thank you! If you have not yet made your tax-deductible gift to the VCS Annual Fund, look for the Annual Fund displays and brochures in your school or click HERE to conveniently make your gift on our secure online giving page. Remember, It All Starts Here and no part of Valley Catholic School is left untouched by Annual Fund support. Truly every gift matters for our students and teachers.
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You now have access to the most up-to-date information available on how to make a planned gift to the SSMO Foundation. Our new planned giving Web site is constantly updated with the latest tax laws, brochures and information about making a charitable gift through bequests, gift annuities, charitable trusts, gifts of stock, and through estate and retirement planning. Learn a wealth of information and allow yourself to make educated decisions about setting your giving priorities.

See the Planned Giving choice on the Foundation‘s Web site under the GIVING tab.

October is Annual Fund month! All parents who have not yet given to the Annual Fund will be receiving a letter in the mail giving them the opportunity to participate with a gift.

Without the VCS Annual Fund and other school fundraisers, each family would pay approximately $2,100 more per child in tuition which is not tax deductible. Gifts to the Annual Fund are tax deductible. Remember, a gift of any amount makes a difference for every child, every day and your participation is important!

Help us reach 100% for VCS students.  (Make your gift today.)

Find out if your employer will match your gift with our new Matching Gift Finder.

Questions? Contact Melissa Maxwell, Director of Development, at 503.906.1139

More than 350 alumni in 15 countries have become “fans” of our new Alumni Facebook page.  While the page launched in March 2009, the fan base continues to grow. On Facebook, you can see alumni news, info on upcoming events, details on class reunions and photo albums.  Alumni, if you’re not already a fan we hope to chat with you in our newest online community!  To view the Facebook page click here.

Sunday, September 20 was the perfect day for a visit to Baggenstos Farms. Jim and Darla Baggenstos, parents of Hailey (6th grade) and Alexa (10th grade) generously hosted the event along with Troy and Lea Davis, parents of Autumn, Breanne and Carmel (10th grade). Many Sisters joined parents of 7th and 10th graders to hear Campaign Chair Bonnie Choruby, describe the features of the new K-8 Education Center while Valley Catholic students toured the famous corn maze designed by Valley Catholic’s own Chief Information Officer Dale Goodno.

See a full gallery of photos here.

The Eagle Gymnasium had a distinct aura as parents walked in the night of Sept. 3, and it wasn’t the feeling of sweaty gym clothes and exercising children. More than 100 parents still reeling from the first week of school, some also missing the beginning of the college football season, arrived to an aroma of chocolate.

They came to support and help kick off the parent portion of the United We Thrive K-8 Education Center Capital Campaign. Parents, faculty and staff enjoyed wine in specially-made stemless glasses etched with the Valley Catholic School logo. As they milled around and visited, they also enjoyed cheesecakes, truffles and a chocolate fountain. Read the rest of this entry »

On a brisk morning the first week of school, every student on campus filed out to the quiet corner of 148th and St. Mary’s Drive to the future site of the new Valley Catholic K-8 Education Center. As high school students lined up to form the outline and walls of the future school, the younger children gathered in what will be the inside and the classrooms. Valley Catholic School President Sr. Rita Watkins began by leading the nearly 1,000 students in the same prayer the Sisters have been praying for the last year blessing the work it takes to build the new school. She also explained more details about features of the school and where they were located pointing to the group of children who were standing near each area. There were cheers all around among students, parents, faculty and staff.

See a full gallery of photos here.

Have you made your gift to the Annual Fund?

The Annual Fund supports every facet of the ministries of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. Your gift to the Annual fund is vital for the health and well-being of all of the programs and services we offer. Gifts to the Annual Fund help:

• Bridge the gap between tuition and the true cost of education for Valley Catholic students
• Provide resources and care for our dedicated Sisters.
• Enhance the daily lives of Maryville residents.
• Sustain the extraordinary legacy of our ministries founded by the Sisters.

Your participation at any level is so important! If you haven’t made your gift yet, it’s not too late! As always, you can choose where you want your gift to go:

• Greatest Need
• Valley Catholic School (Early Learning, Elementary, Middle or High School)
• Maryville Nursing Home
• Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon

 There are several ways to give:

• Sign up for automatic contributions each month. Call 503-906-1147.
• Conveniently give online. Go to www.ssmofoundation.org and click on the MAKE A GIFT button.
• Use a pre-addressed envelope from a previous Spirit magazine.

Contact Melissa Maxwell, Director of Development, if you have questions at 503-906-1139 or at mmaxwell@ssmoministries.org. Thank you for your participation and for your continued support of the legacy and  ministries of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.