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Upper School closes in on 100 percent challenge met by Lower and Middle schools
Sep 20, 2002 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
The Lower School and Middle School faculty have met the challenge by reaching their Annual Fund goal of 100 percent participation. Lower School faculty members were the first to reach 100 percent participation, leading the way for the others. Upper School faculty giving is currently at 99 percent. So far, the business office, physical education department, communications office, Inman House, Milford House, and Barnes House have all reached 100 percent participation.
According to David Hicks, Darlington School president, the tuition for each student at Darlington School is discounted about 20 percent. He said, “The difference is made up with Annual Fund and Endowment dollars. I believe that everyone who can afford to pay the full cost of their children's education at Darlington ought to do so by giving the difference to the Annual Fund and taking the tax deduction for doing so.”
According to Mark Tayloe, principal of the Lower School, part of the success of this year’s Annual Fund at the Lower School should be attributed to the faculty’s faith in the School and their understanding of the big picture. Most of the faculty has been at the School for 10 years or more, many of them for 20 years or more, and Tayloe considers the faculty wonderful team players.
He said, “When we talked about the importance of the Annual Fund and what a great marketing tool it would be to the major gift divisions that our faculty is 100 percent behind the annual fund they jumped on board.”
According to Tayloe, the faculty was very proud of the Lower School’s success.
Reatha Carroll, fourth grade teacher and a faculty member for 31 years, confirmed this when she said, “My first reaction was one of pride. I think it is wonderful that we are all unified in how we feel about our school and in our efforts to let others know how we feel. As meager as my contributions might be compared to some, I have always supported the annual fund with a sense of responsibility as part of a team. It is good to see improvements and changes and know in some way you were a part of it.”
Lola Bradshaw, fourth grade teacher, also took pride in the faculty’s achievement. “I am very proud of the Lower School for being the first of the three schools to make a 100 percent commitment to the Annual Fund," she said. "My husband and son are both alumni of Darlington, my deceased mother-in-law was president of the mother's club for four years when my husband attended Darlington, and I have taught here for 25 years. We are so Darlington oriented, and I think it is nice when the faculty and staff support their place of employment. This fund helps in so many ways. My husband and I are glad to be a part of this effort.”
Tayloe said the average giving to the Annual Fund for the Lower School is about 85 percent. Last year the percentage was down to 63 percent but Tayloe said that the lower percentage was very abnormal for the Lower School and was due to some people forgetting to pay their pledges.
When asked why the Lower School faculty undertook the School’s challenge, Tayloe said, “We have a wonderful group of teachers at the Lower School who are totally devoted to their work with children. They took on the challenge of meeting the 100 percent participation goal because of their love for children, and they know that the Annual Fund tremendously supports the children they teach.”
“I gave because I believe in Darlington School. I believe in its academic excellence, its six-part mission statement and in its heritage of Judeo-Christian ethics and principles," said Janice Cox, kindergarten and pre-first teacher and a faculty member for 13 years. "I have seen the difference that a Darlington education makes in the lives of the students and experienced the fulfillment of contributing through teaching. Giving to the Annual Fund is an opportunity to share in the present and future of Darlington School.”
Hicks said the Board of Trustees burst into spontaneous applause when they heard of the Lower School’s accomplishment. He said they were filled with “delight and appreciation over the generosity and solidarity of our teachers.”
Regarding the Middle School's participation, Principal Jim Van Es said, "I am not at all surprised at the 100 percent participation of our faculty. They are committed to Darlington and it is reflected in the job they do."
"Our faculty is always generous to Darlington in the gifts they give and the time they spend with the students. They understood the importance of the annual fund and they wanted to participate," English instructor Sally Muschamp, who spearheaded the Middle School Annual Fund drive, said. "I am very proud of the Middle School faculty. They gave willingly and without question. The faculty at the Middle School is a wonderful group of people who continue to do an excellent job in the classroom as well as the Darlington community."
According to David Hicks, Darlington School president, the tuition for each student at Darlington School is discounted about 20 percent. He said, “The difference is made up with Annual Fund and Endowment dollars. I believe that everyone who can afford to pay the full cost of their children's education at Darlington ought to do so by giving the difference to the Annual Fund and taking the tax deduction for doing so.”
According to Mark Tayloe, principal of the Lower School, part of the success of this year’s Annual Fund at the Lower School should be attributed to the faculty’s faith in the School and their understanding of the big picture. Most of the faculty has been at the School for 10 years or more, many of them for 20 years or more, and Tayloe considers the faculty wonderful team players.
He said, “When we talked about the importance of the Annual Fund and what a great marketing tool it would be to the major gift divisions that our faculty is 100 percent behind the annual fund they jumped on board.”
According to Tayloe, the faculty was very proud of the Lower School’s success.
Reatha Carroll, fourth grade teacher and a faculty member for 31 years, confirmed this when she said, “My first reaction was one of pride. I think it is wonderful that we are all unified in how we feel about our school and in our efforts to let others know how we feel. As meager as my contributions might be compared to some, I have always supported the annual fund with a sense of responsibility as part of a team. It is good to see improvements and changes and know in some way you were a part of it.”
Lola Bradshaw, fourth grade teacher, also took pride in the faculty’s achievement. “I am very proud of the Lower School for being the first of the three schools to make a 100 percent commitment to the Annual Fund," she said. "My husband and son are both alumni of Darlington, my deceased mother-in-law was president of the mother's club for four years when my husband attended Darlington, and I have taught here for 25 years. We are so Darlington oriented, and I think it is nice when the faculty and staff support their place of employment. This fund helps in so many ways. My husband and I are glad to be a part of this effort.”
Tayloe said the average giving to the Annual Fund for the Lower School is about 85 percent. Last year the percentage was down to 63 percent but Tayloe said that the lower percentage was very abnormal for the Lower School and was due to some people forgetting to pay their pledges.
When asked why the Lower School faculty undertook the School’s challenge, Tayloe said, “We have a wonderful group of teachers at the Lower School who are totally devoted to their work with children. They took on the challenge of meeting the 100 percent participation goal because of their love for children, and they know that the Annual Fund tremendously supports the children they teach.”
“I gave because I believe in Darlington School. I believe in its academic excellence, its six-part mission statement and in its heritage of Judeo-Christian ethics and principles," said Janice Cox, kindergarten and pre-first teacher and a faculty member for 13 years. "I have seen the difference that a Darlington education makes in the lives of the students and experienced the fulfillment of contributing through teaching. Giving to the Annual Fund is an opportunity to share in the present and future of Darlington School.”
Hicks said the Board of Trustees burst into spontaneous applause when they heard of the Lower School’s accomplishment. He said they were filled with “delight and appreciation over the generosity and solidarity of our teachers.”
Regarding the Middle School's participation, Principal Jim Van Es said, "I am not at all surprised at the 100 percent participation of our faculty. They are committed to Darlington and it is reflected in the job they do."
"Our faculty is always generous to Darlington in the gifts they give and the time they spend with the students. They understood the importance of the annual fund and they wanted to participate," English instructor Sally Muschamp, who spearheaded the Middle School Annual Fund drive, said. "I am very proud of the Middle School faculty. They gave willingly and without question. The faculty at the Middle School is a wonderful group of people who continue to do an excellent job in the classroom as well as the Darlington community."
