Wednesday, October 19, 2016

The Gaston Day School Fund, FallFest, and the State Athletic Tournament

This blog will cover three current topics, beginning with heartfelt thanks to you for your continued, generous support for the Gaston Day School Fund. The school is in great shape academically, socially and financially, but your contributions to the GDS Fund are vital to our commitment to you and all our donors to maintain a balanced operating budget each and every year. Your support makes everything possible, from faculty development to facility improvements to scholarships and financial aid. The annual fund keeps everything running smoothly.

As usual, our faculty are at the top of their game and, as a result, our students are well prepared for college. We encourage all of our faculty to be innovative and creative in their teaching methods and classroom management styles. 

We provide as many opportunities as possible for our students, whether it's in the fine and performing arts, athletics, clubs or co-curricular activities.

Your gift to the GDS Fund helps protect the value and reputation of a GDS education. Your son or daughter will be able to look back with pride and gratitude because they will be so well prepared for college and life. This is what the GDS Fund helps accomplish. Thank you so much for your generous support in the past. Please help us out again this year!!

In addition to this being the start of the annual fund campaign, this is also the season when we just completed another spectacularly successful FallFest and sent two of our athletic teams to the state tournaments. FallFest took place on October 1, which really must have been one of the most beautiful days of the year. As I arrived at the event, a GDS parent turned to me and noted, "there is not a cloud in the sky!" I have never seen a bigger crowd at Gaston Day in my sixteen years here. Every parking space on the campus was occupied except for a handful in the front of school. Additionally, cars were parked on the grass in many locations around the School. 

FallFest seemed to have more booths, more rides, and more fun than ever!! Thanks to the hard work and creativity of the PA volunteers who ran FallFest, we raised $45,000, a record amount. It was simply one of the happiest, most successful FallFests in school history. A special thanks to Michelle Kinsley, Susie Marks, and Pam Russell for their leadership. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Parents Association, for FallFest and all that you do to support our school!!

The two Gaston Day School teams that made the state tournament were the boys soccer and girls volleyball teams. Both teams are young, started slowly, jelled in mid-season, and finished strong. Boys soccer lost a tough match 1-0 to Christ the King Catholic School yesterday to finish a great season. Girls soccer will play this weekend. Good luck, Lady Spartans!!

As always, thanks for your confidence in Gaston Day. Please contact me if I can help you or your students in any way.