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Home > About > Admissions > Stewardship Stewardship What is Stewardship Tuition? St. Mary’s Parish is committed to make catholic education available to all parish families, regardless of their financial situation. In order to provide these services to all, and sustain the practice of responsible financial planning, St. Mary’s Catholic School has adopted the Stewardship Tuition Program. The Stewardship Tuition Program is an individual tuition plan whereby parents who meet the Stewardship Tuition qualification criteria, discern what they can honestly pay toward the actual cost of educating their child(ren) at St. Mary’s Catholic School. This decision involves consideration not only of their financial resources and volunteer hours, but also their responsibilities as stewards of the Church. The program works because St. Mary’s families consider catholic education a real priority even when it involves financial sacrifice. Who is eligible For Stewardship Tuition? There are four requirements for eligibility for Stewardship Tuition. The family must:
How Stewardship Works During the Spring, each family is required to attend the Stewardship Informational Meeting, during which the budget and planning objectives for the coming year are presented. Subsequently, families make an appointment with a school representative to register their child(ren) in the school. At this brief meeting, families will be asked to make a commitment for the coming year regarding tuition based on discernment of their financial situation. Families alone decide how much of the actual cost per student they can afford to pay. (2009-2010 cost per student is $4,400) All information is kept strictly confidential. During this meeting, families are also required to make a commitment for the minimum number of volunteer hours they will provide for the coming year.  Volunteer Guidelines CONFIDENTIALITY As you work with the staff and students, information of a confidential matter may be shared with you. The problems, abilities, relationships, and confidence of students, their parents and the staff should never be discussed with anyone who does not have a professional right or need to know. If you have concerns, please discuss them with the teacher or principal. DISCIPLINE Students rarely have behavior problems while working with volunteers; however, the responsibility for discipline rests with the professional staff. Volunteers may not discipline students. Please make the teacher aware of any discipline problem that arise while you are working with a student. DEPENDABILITY Thank you for being prompt and consistent. We know there are times when you will be ill, on vacation or unable to volunteer for one reason or another. However, please let the staff know as far in advance as possible. Remember, the teacher will be expecting you on the days you are scheduled to volunteer and so will the children. All persons working with students must have an updated Washington State Patrol Criminal History Information Check on file with the Diocesan Office.  Key Stewardship Terms Steward: One who strives to use with the greatest care for the common good the gifts given him by the Creator. Stewardship Discernment: A process by which a family prays, reflects, and acts upon how they will live out their distribution of the gifts God has given them. Sacrificial giving: Giving that is planned (requiring thought and time), proportionate (to what God has given us), prioritized (coming from our substance rather than our abundance), prayerful, and pure (given freely). First Fruits: "Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce." Proverbs 3:19 When we give of our first fruits, we demonstrate the great importance that God has in our lives. Frequently Asked Questions How much do I Pay? You pay as much as your financial means allow as your Stewardship Tuition pledge. Will we be asked about our financial situation? No. You arrive at your decision in honesty before God, and you tell us what you will pay. Will others know how much we are paying? No. We pledge to keep the tuition agreements confidential. Will my children be excluded if I can’t Pay the full cost of their education? No. We want your children and ask that you support the schools finances with what you can honestly pay. This allows catholic education to be available to all. Won’t some people be getting off too easily? We expect families to be honest when making their tuition pledge. Stewardship means every family is making its maximum effort to support the school; therefore, no one is doing more or less than someone else. Is there a minimum tuition amount? Our hope is that you will study the facts and figures and pledge to pay as much of the cost of your child(ren)’s education as possible, without thinking in terms of minimums. Can I pay more than the actual cost per student? If you choose to share your God-given gift, your generosity is always welcome to help ease the financial demand on our school. How do my parish and diocesan pledges affect my tuition pledge? Every donation you make to your parish or diocesan charities is part of your total financial commitment and will be a factor in your discernment of what your family’s Stewardship Tuition will be. |
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This page was last updated by ghammersley on Friday, January 29, 2010. Login above to edit this page. Copyright © 2012 St. Mary's Catholic School. All Rights Reserved. |
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