Dear Friends,
The thought of being “dead and gone” long before paying off the remaining millions on our 25 year mortgage has crossed my mind with some frequency over the past four years. Yet, in reflecting on my writing during that time, one of my strongest reoccurring themes has been “looking for the next mountain to climb.” The mountains have been rather small recently – EcoSPACES, our teaching kitchen, our 21st Century Learning Initiative, but all were vital to building the rich academic program that exists in our new building. Yet, before the next extraordinary journey could begin, it was clear we had to extinguish our mortgage. I set a self-imposed goal of five years to gain full ownership of the building. It sounded outrageous to many, but whenever one walks the hallways at St. Philip’s, they can easily “believe in miracles.” I am proud to announce that St. Philip’s Academy has completely extinguished all of the debt surrounding the building, every penny of which was a gift from generous individuals, organizations, and companies.
It is said that the turtle only makes progress when he sticks his neck out. I am reminded of this proverb when I mull over our days at 18 Washington Street, St. Philip’s second home. All of our equipment seemed mismatched, our students had to play in a local park and the rooftop garden, teaching kitchen, and turf athletic field were only dreams. Making those dreams a reality was a huge risk and required a huge leap of faith. Yet, many of us joined together for a voyage, that as my favorite prayer suggests; by daring to “act more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery, where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars”.
Part of our mission is “to create a love of learning,” which is something every educator strives for, but it will not materialize unless children are truly engaged. One of our goals in building 342 Central Avenue was to foster a spirit of learning that will result in a powerful intellect, an appropriate ethical framework, an abiding love for others and the capacity to find a life, which is both personally fulfilling and of value to others. We wanted children to be in a building filled with “magic” that caused them to wonder, explore, and imagine. The building is more than bricks and mortar, it is a learning tool. We wanted kids to learn science by putting their hands in the soil on the rooftop garden, learn fractions by cooking pizza in the teaching kitchen and understand energy. We’ve done more in this new $22 million building than we could have ever imagined.
The fact that we moved up Central Avenue has also brought greater meaning to the end of our mission statement; that St. Philip’s Academy strives to contribute to the ‘revitalization of the city of Newark.’ We have opened our doors and our hearts to our neighborhood. From our Horizons program to our outdoor concerts, we are becoming a more integral part of the Central Ward.
Paying off the mortgage on this building is only the end of chapter three, there is still much more to come. Now we are off to find that next mountain.
Warm Regards,