Dear Parent,

Parents make daily choices about their children. One of the most important choices you will make is about their education. If you could maximize your child's chances for a successful life what would it be worth to you? Many of today's parents start thinking of their child's college education when they are infants. Some start saving for college before the child enters Kindergarten. Why?

Did you know that the most impressionable and formative years are the elementary school years? Did you know that an average year of tuition at a Catholic Elementary School is less than the average family of four spends on a one-week vacation? Yearly tuition cost at Annunciation Catholic School comes to less than $3.60 per day. Will you find $3.60 per day to gain this tremendous advantage for your children? (If 2 children attend it is $2.46 per day per child and $1.82 per day per child for 3 children)

Here are some reasons why you should invest $3.60 per day on your child:

The U.S. Department of Education and Dr. James S. Coleman, sociologist and author of many landmark studies on American education, have unearthed some impressive statistics:

1.) In national and science achievement tests at both the elementary and secondary levels, Catholic school students outscored their public school counterparts; in all subjects, Catholic school students show greater academic achievement gains between tenth and twelfth grades than do public school students;

2.) Catholic school students from disadvantaged families show no corresponding academic deficiencies in math or verbal achievement, while similar students in public and other private schools show substantial academic deficiencies;

3.) In Catholic schools, minority students from underprivileged backgrounds outperform their public school counterparts;

4.) 3% of Catholic high school students drop out of school compared to 14% of public school students;

5.) Catholic school graduates of every ethnic background choose a pre-professional college curriculum twice as often as public school graduates;

6.) 83% of Catholic high school graduates go on to college as compared to 52% of public high school graduates;

7.) The graduation rate for all Catholic students is 95% and for public schools 66%;

9.) Catholic high-school sophomores are four times less likely to drop out than their public-school counterparts. Once graduated, they are much more likely-by 40%-to go on to college.

The above are the academic reasons for choosing a Catholic School. Now let's look at the Religious and Spiritual aspects.

Many parents believe a few hours a week of CCD classes versus a full time Catholic Education have an equal influence on their children's spirituality. Let's examine this: If your child is in sports do you encourage them to practice and learn the sport more or less? Most parent's encourage and counsel them to practice hard to get better. What happens when they practice more and harder?

Religious and spiritual training often gets less practice and encouragement from parents than sports. What do you believe the outcome of this is on your child's spiritual life?

In Annunciation School, Religious and Spiritual training are the fabric of the school. Christian values are practiced and learned each and every day. Is this worth $3.60 per day to you and your child? This is about the price of a Happy Meal. Would you give up a daily Happy Meal for the above advantages?

In a Catholic School we have Christmas Vacation not Sparkle Season or Winter Break. We have God and Jesus in our schools. We pray daily. We teach to Love God and neighbor. We are free to teach Christian values and morals without the impediments now in public schools. We teach right and wrong and The Ten Commandments, not political correctness. We teach Love for God and Man. In what environment do you want your child to be in for 7-8 hours per day?

Here are some facts: Catholic School Growth: 1985-1999; John Augenstein, PhD; Neal Meitler This research project of Meitler Consultants, Inc. has been published by NCEA. A synopsis of the report is provided here.

• Since 1985, 230 new Catholic schools have opened with 87,807 seats

• 204 elementary schools opened; 26 new high schools opened

• Parent groups and pastors are the most important individuals or groups in promoting the opening of a new elementary school; bishops are the most important force in opening a new high school.

Abstract: This report provides initial findings from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R), a successor to TIMSS 1995. The report details findings on the performance of eighth-grade students in mathematics and science in 1999, as well as changes in mathematics and science achievement in participating nations between 1995 and 1999. In addition, initial findings on education-related contextual factors related to teaching and curriculum in 1999 are discussed.

TIMSS-R had a large enough population of private school students to permit comparisons with public schools. According to the report, "In both mathematics and science in 1999, the average achievement score of U.S. eighth-grade nonpublic school students was higher than the average of their peers in U.S. public schools

NAEP: 1999 Trends in Academic Performance - Public and Private School Data

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has served as the "Nation's Report Card", monitoring student achievement across time. NAEP has regularly administered assessments in a variety of subject areas to nationally representative samples of students since 1969. The NAEP long-term trend assessments have provided a gauge of student achievement over time by administering the same assessments periodically across NAEP's 30-year history.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2000469

The full report of the SAT scores for the Class of 2000 is available from the College Board at: http://www.collegeboard.org/press/senior00/html/000829.html

When the public school budget comes up every year and the budget fight heats up - a cry is heard - "Do it for the Children" or "Our Children deserve it" - or "It's only a few dollars more per family"

For more information on Annunciation visit our website at http://www.annunciation.cc  For more info on Catholic Schools - Click on the Catholic links Page and go to The National Catholic Education Association Link

JAS 2001