PARISH UPDATES:
Monica Education Center and GREEN VALLEY ACADEMY
St. Monica has signed a 3-year lease with Green Valley Academy for partial use of the parish Education Center. GVA will be utilizing the 2nd floor of the “new school” as well as using/sharing office space on the group floor.
The mission of Green Valley Academy to build a solid foundation for a healthy and happy life for our community’s children. Through a nurturing environment, small class size, low student-to-teacher ratio, a highly experienced and accredited staff and holistic program, GVA helps ensure the success of each individual student.
Green Valley Academy provides a specialized academic setting for students…
- with or without an Individual Educational Plan (IEP)
- who need an accelerated pace
- who need remediation
- who are referred by local schools (usually those who need a homelike, safe environment due to issues related to anxiety and fear)
- whose parents want support for home schooling
- who may have some emotional and learning differences
- who want a private and safe environment in which to learn
Green Valley has had great success with children who suffer from fear-based anxiety caused by illness, family crisis, bullying in previous placement, post traumatic stress, eating disorders, high functioning autism, or other challenges and demonstrated a 98% success rate.
In this regard, the mission of Green Valley Academy aligns very nicely with the mission of St. Monica - reaching out, ministering to and supporting the “least of our brothers and sisters” (Matthew 25:40) We are pleased to have them as our neighbor and colleagues and look forward to a rewarding relationship with them.
PARISH MISSION AND PARISH FACILITIES STUDY (The Remington Group)
Recently The Remington Group met with a group of over 30 parishioners representing various groups, organizations and programs at St. Monica. The goals were to begin looking at all of our facilities and to:
- Determine what long-range maintenance and repair needs are evident,
- Ascertain how can the parish can better utilize and steward the facilities we have to support the parish mission and fulfill the parish vision,
- Consider in what way the parish might envision renovating existing, or constructing newer facilities to enhance the “pastoral priorities” emphasized by parishioners.
Questions that all groups addressed were:
- Describe your group/program.
- To what age group(s) is your program offered?
- What kind of gathering/meeting space do you currently use?
- What kind of gathering/meeting space could you use in the future to enhance the group/program?
- With parish growth, how many additional groups could be formed and how many people would be in each group?
- Is there existing space/room that will work?
- What else does the room need to be successful?
This past week a group of interested architects/engineers did a walk-through to examine all of our facilities. They were invited to respond to a “Request For A Proposal” to prepare a program that addresses the space and functional needs as identified by the parish user groups. Architects will eventually prepare a series of color renderings of the concept plans along with construction cost and furniture cost estimates for the schematic designs.
After meetings with the Parish Facilities Committee, it is foreseen that formal presentations will be held for parish leadership and our congregation.
A tentative timetable for the current, conceptual phase is:
- July 31st - Issue RFP
- August 12th - Property Visit
- August 21st - Cut off for Questions
- August 28th - Proposals Due
- Early September - Architect Presentations
Fr. Charles Zlock 