Picture this…..The fourth quarter starts, as Coach Moore paces the sidelines, the Pioneers immediately sink a three-pointer to tie the game. A timeout is called and the band springs into action, bringing the fans to their feet.
From 1990 to 1998, thousands of St. Francis de Sales (SFDS) students, alumni, and families watched Coach Larry Moore Sr. prowl up and down the court as he led a state runner-up team, two final four teams, and all three of his sons to winning seasons. Now fast forward to 2023, and his son, Larry Moore Jr. (a nine-time conference champion coach) takes his own place on the SFDS sidelines as head coach, with the newly formed Pioneer band behind him!
This type of momentum was hard to imagine when just five years ago we didn’t have a band and enrollment was 105 students. How did we get here? Hard work, ambition, and belief. Now, this year, band is back in the curriculum and our enrollment has surged to 160 students.
At SFDS, we make no small plans. Our sustained ambition is evident everywhere:
In our brand new front doors – Students walk through new doors every morning into a school-wide morning assembly, energizing them in body, mind, and spirit.
In our teachers – Teachers are supported by a new Director of Curriculum Instruction and challenge our students with academically rigorous classes and high expectations.
In our use of technology – Teachers move around the classroom engaging small groups using new interactive technology, including Vibe boards, to share ideas and engage the class.
In our lunchroom – Students receive a nutritious hot lunch in a renovated space, surrounded by an indoor vegetable garden developed by our ecology club. Just one of several capital improvements finished this year!
In our programming – Members of our first-year choir and band eagerly hone their skills in preparation for Christmas caroling, and each day, students head to their Work Study jobs. Young journalists learn the power of the written word, and future environmentalists measure atmospheric changes in Wolf Lake and visit the Dresden Power Plant.
In our community – Our ambition reaches well beyond our school community. From summer backpack and new clothing giveaways to monthly food drives, organized and run entirely by Work Study students, we are passionate about supporting the Southeast Side.
And we are ambitious for our future. We expect to grow to more than 200 students in the next two years. Then it’s onto 300!
All of this for our students because we are most ambitious for their future. Regardless of the resources our students have, they deserve high expectations and grand ambitions. One hundred percent of our students rely on scholarship assistance to help offset the cost of providing an ambitious, values-based education. Can you help?
Please help support our students’ ambitions with a gift to our scholarship fund today.
Here are the ways in which you can help today provide access to current and future Pioneers:
● Make a gift online at www.sfdshs.org/appeal
● Send a check in the enclosed envelope
● Snap the QR code below and give online
● Call us at 773-731-7272
Last year, we hosted a college jazz ensemble at SFDS. After the event, several students came to me and said, “We need band and choir here!” So we listened, and we acted: one school year later, band and choir are back. We responded to their ambition.
That is what makes SFDS special; we are teaching kids to set their expectations high, to be ambitious in their own lives, and to make no small plans.
All these opportunities (and more!) would not have been possible without your support. Please continue to provide our ambitious students access to an equitable education with a gift to our scholarship fund.
Your proud and grateful Pioneer,
Roni Facen
Principal and CEO