In recent days, I have been catching myself searching for signs of fall with the eagerness of a child. A cool (relatively) breeze in morning carline, then, by evening, the shadows cast by our high flown steeples and towers tracing ever steeper angles across the cobbles and copses—each an indication that the year is moving along and that we are making progress with it. As cooler weather comes in earnest, I hope that you and your family will find time to enjoy time together out in Creation, and will be able to hear it proclaiming its Maker.
Yes, we have, accompanied by the changing seasons, been making steady progress in our Mission at The Atonement Academy. Here are some recent milestones:
Accreditation visit. For more than a year, this campus has been preparing for a visit that finally took place over the past three days. During that time, a team of veteran educators from across the state, assembled by our accrediting body, Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops - Education Department (TCCB-ED), sojourned among us in order determine the extent to which we were carrying out our Mission of formation in virtue through education. As we assembled on Wednesday afternoon to hear their presentation, I was encouraged by visiting team’s enthusiasm for our teachers’ and our unmistakable Catholic identity. “If I lived anywhere nearby,” said one of the teachers on the team, “I would be sending my kids to Atonement!” Although all faculty and staff deserve credit, a special thanks is due Sister Mary Margaret for her months-long work of preparing the school’s self-study document and for attention to detail in paving the way for a successful visit. Our final accreditation status should be announced in December.
Class Sponsors up and running. I have met with each of the 7th-12th Lead Class Sponsors and they are busy establishing communication (and in some cases, even committees) with students and parents in their assigned grade-level. The Sponsors’ mandate is to provide the leadership and parent support that will assist students to move from Middle School to Upper School to Graduation enjoyably and safely. Thank you for your patience and generosity as this effort gets off the ground.
Passing the torch. Though he has not been among us long, we have benefitted immensely from Mr. Landry’s tenure as the school’s (and church’s) Business Manager. In less than a year, he, with the help of business office staff, established a working budget, updated our financial aid process, and instituted more responsive requisition and bill-paying measures. We will miss Mr. Landry and wish him well in his new venture. Before he left, Mr. Landry led the search for his successor in a thorough and transparent manner. That is why I am very pleased, but also confident, in introducing Mr. Scott, our new Business Manager. Mr. Scott has extensive experience in school and church financial management. Most recently, he has been running the business office of a Catholic school in the Fort Worth area. In the course of the interview process as well as during the few days since he started on Monday, I have already witnessed a steadiness, good sense, and depth of experience that I am sure he will serve our school for years to come. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Scott and his family to San Antonio and to Atonement.
A necessary conversation. Before the end of the quarter, we will be practicing our execution of the “active shooter” protocol that the school established last year. This is unfortunately a matter of prudence in our day and age. Though I typically try to keep my weekly letters celebratory in nature, I thought it was important to give those of you with younger children a chance to discuss the matter with them first. Know that in our own approach to this matter, we will do our best to balance age-appropriateness with preparedness.
Well, that’s another week. Let’s keep going strong, and let’s continue to pray for one another.