alum gives St. Thomas More students 13 million reasons to say thanks
Nov. 2017 - Jim Stingl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In life, Leonard Gigowski ran a corner grocery store. The bachelor loved ballroom dancing and pigeon racing.
In death, he found a way to help generations of students pay their tuition at St. Thomas More High School, his own alma mater back when it was called St. Francis Minor Seminary.
This quiet and frugal man left $13 million in a scholarship fund that covers up to half the tuition for needy students who don't qualify for the private school choice program and its state aid payments. "He lived a very simple life, nothing extravagant whatsoever in his lifestyle. For the most part, he saved his money and wanted to provide a legacy, which he did," said Larry Haskin, Leonard's lawyer and friend who helped him set up the Leonard Gigowski Catholic Education Foundation.
Leonard was 90 and still in his New Berlin home when he died of cancer on July 21, 2015. He never married or had children. All but one sibling preceded him in death.He made a few small bequests to individuals and family members, but the vast majority of his estate went toward the scholarships, as he wished.
Mary McIntosh, president of Thomas More on Milwaukee's south side, recalls meeting Haskin for coffee and learning of the foundation. "He told me the size of Leonard's gift, and I almost fell off my chair," she said.
This school year, a total of $489,000 was awarded to 131 students to cover either one-half ($5,400) or one-third ($3,600) of the annual tuition, which is $10,800. The goal is to distribute 5% of the fund balance each year, thus keeping it going into perpetuity. Students can renew the scholarship each year as long as they keep their grades up. All of that is a pretty good reason for the school to feel grateful, especially in this week devoted to giving thanks.
"It's a fantastic recruiting tool to be able to reduce tuition, and to make it a bit more affordable for the families," said Haskin, a graduate of Pio Nono High School, also a predecessor of Thomas More.
So who was Leonard Gigowski and how did he become a millionaire 13 times over? Click here to read more in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Siena Catholic Schools of Racine Names Brenda White as System's First President
Aug. 2017 - The Board of Directors of Siena Catholic Schools of Racine announced today that Brenda White has been named to serve as the first President of the newly formed school system.
Ms. White joins Siena Catholic Schools from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where she has served as associate superintendent of schools since 2008. As part of this role, she began working six years ago with school and parish leaders to build support for the formation of a regional model of Catholic education in Racine and has been a driving force in bringing Siena Catholic Schools into existence.
“Establishing strong leadership is a critical step as we prepare to launch our new school system and we are fortunate to have Brenda taking on the chief leadership role,” said Daniel E. Horton, acting chairman of the Siena Catholic Schools Board of Directors. “Her established leadership in advancing Catholic education, her strong relationships with school and parish leaders and her deep commitment to the Catholic faith will help us put the Siena Catholic School system on a successful, sustainable path to serving students and their families for years to come.”
Prior to her role in the Archdiocese, Ms. White served four different Milwaukee-area schools during her 22-year tenure as a principal after beginning her career as a teacher in special education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Central Michigan University, a Master of Science in Administrative Leadership and an Education Specialist degree with a focus on the Superintendency from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
“My career in education has been rooted in my passion for serving children with diverse learning needs and backgrounds,” said Ms. White. “Through advancing the church’s mission of Catholic education in Racine, I am committed to strengthening our schools and parishes, extending our evangelization efforts and forming students who become models of service and leadership in our community.”
Ms. White will assume her responsibilities as President on September 1. She will report to the Board of Directors and have two senior leaders reporting to her – the Director of Schools and the Director of Business. Both of these roles are under active recruitment.
Seton Catholic Schools Celebrates the Start of New School Year
And Welcomes Four New Schools to the Network
Aug. 2017 - Seton Catholic Schools celebrates the start of a new school year and welcomes four new schools into the network including: Catholic East Elementary, Our Lady Queen of Peace, St. Charles Borromeo and St. Roman Parish School.
Seton Catholic Schools is a network of 13 schools committed to transforming Catholic education in Milwaukee. Embarking on its second school year, Seton Catholic Schools has a student enrollment of 3,500, making Seton Catholic Schools the second largest education provider in the city of Milwaukee. With schools across Milwaukee, Seton Catholic Schools is guided by a rich tradition in Catholic faith and strives to prepare each child academically and spiritually for high school. Last year, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named Seton Catholic Schools the Education Organization of the Year.
sTUDENTS AT sT. sEBASTIAN sERVE THEIR COMMUNITY
On Holy Thursday, a group of parents organized a service morning for the entire St. Sebastian school. The Sebs' students dug deep into their hearts, and piggy banks, and raised $407.50 to purchase all the supplies needed to complete the projects. Two additional donations helped them to reach a total of $682.50. With the materials purchased, the students participated in different projects to support organizations in the Milwaukee area, including:
- 200 ham sandwiches for the Guest House (2nd grade)
- 100+ Easter cards for the Catholic Charities Adult Daycare (K4, K5, 5th & 6th)
- 100 decorated cross necklaces and many personal letters to Educate Uganda (1st & 7th)
- 100 flip-flops (beach sandals) and Prayer Cards to donate to Educate Uganda
- 24 no-sew blankets for Catholic Charities Pregnancy Support Program (3rd, 4th, & 8th)
- 14 no-sew blankets for Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program (3rd, 4th, & 8th)
The entire student body acted in concert to help and serve others in the spirit of Christian Faith. In response, Catholic Charities sent these very kind words: "There is something very alive and positive going on at St. Sebastian - and you are to be congratulated on advancing that living spirit!"
Our 2017 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation WINNERS!
Recipients of 2017 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation student scholarships and teacher fellowship awards have been announced. These awards recognize the importance of exceptional students and school leaders who create successful school environments for students and faculty members. Each student recipient receives a $5,000 scholarship and each fellowship award recipient will receive a $3,000 grant and a matching grant will be awarded to each fellow's school. Join us in congratulating our Catholic school winners!
Student Excellence Scholars
Sara Pederson, Catholic Central High School
Brook McArdle, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
Emily Nolan, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
Sophia Mueller, Dominican High School
Matthew McLachlan, Marquette University High School
Morgan Kallay, St. Thomas More High School
Student Initiative Scholars
Laura Soto Andrade, Messmer High School
Amanda Wroblewski, St. Joseph Catholic Academy High School
Educational Foundation Fellowships
Catherine Zurawski, Pius XI Catholic High School
Naomi Stewart, Prince of Peace Catholic School
Michael Falk, St. Mary’s Visitation Parish School
Kristin Teska, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Waterford
Exemplary Recognition School Awards for 2016
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Office for Schools would like to recognize the following schools for the 2016 Exemplary Schools Program.
Awards for Academic Excellence
St. Eugene School, Fox Point
St. John Vianney School, Brookfield
St. Robert School, Shorewood
Awards for Educating the Whole Student
Catholic Memorial High School, Waukesha
St. John Vianney, Brookfield
Awards for Mission and Catholic Identity
Lumen Christi School, Mequon
St. Alphonsus School, Greendale
St. Charles School, Hartland
St. Dominic School, Brookfield
St. Eugene School, Fox Point
St. John the Baptist School, Plymouth
St. John the Evangelist School, Greenfield
St. John Vianney School, Brookfield
St. Mary's Visitation School, Elm Grove
Awards for Technology Integration
Lumen Christi School, Mequon
St. Robert School, Shorewood
Previously part of the accreditation process, the Exemplary Schools Program is now a separate process to identify schools with exceptional programs. Schools applied for recognition in four categories by submitting written applications. Schools with superior written applications were selected to be visited by a team of experts. For complete information about the Exemplary Recognition Program in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, please see: http://schools.archmil.org/educators/Exemplary-Recognition-Program.htm
Congratulations to each of the schools for their outstanding commitment to Catholic education!
Archdiocese of Milwaukee Announces New High-Performing Educational System Designed to Strengthen Urban Milwaukee Catholic Schools
"Dear Friends in Christ,
Many blessings to you for a happy, healthy and productive New Year. As many of you know, one of the top priorities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a renewal of the Church’s focus on issues of social justice. Historically, it has been the Catholic Church’s presence that has contributed to the building of the city. We have done so through our parishes, schools, hospitals and charitable organizations. We have been a source of renewal, especially in times of crisis.
There are a number of priority initiatives underway throughout the Archdiocese to bring together and strengthen this outreach, as well as the ability of our parishes to do more and be more for those we serve, especially those who are marginalized.
To that end, I am pleased to share with you news about the formation of a transformational educational system designed to help urban students overcome social and academic challenges and empower them, as well as their families and educators, to achieve their God-given potential.
Called Seton Catholic Schools, this independently chartered, financed and governed network of Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic elementary schools will eventually serve more than 10,000 kindergarten through eighth grade students throughout Milwaukee. I encourage you to review the attached media release that provides greater detail about both our strategy and commitment, as well as the impressive leadership team charged to oversee all aspects of Seton Catholic Schools.
It is our mission and our duty to provide every child access to the highest caliber of academic instruction, as well as faith formation and character development. We will continue to keep you informed of our progress over the coming months and I welcome your input, support and prayers as our leadership team undertakes this most important work.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee