About Development
The St. James Development Program evolved from a series of parent focus groups conducted in 1993 under then principal, Maureen Hintelmann. In the face of diminishing enrollment Mrs. Hintelmann set out to discover what the school could do to improve itself and attract more families within the community. Through these focus groups the solutions were beginning to unfold: broaden the curriculum; provide more athletic and extracurricular activities; prepare the school… and the building… for the next century.
Mrs. Hintelmann embraced the challenge and recruited a talented team of visionaries for a Development Committee. The group’s mission would be to help her shape the future of St. James Elementary School and build a financial foundation for its future growth beyond the day-to-day needs supported by the PTA.
In 1994 the St. James Development team began to tackle issues raised in the focus groups one at a time. A broad spectrum of issues was pursued. Everything from new traffic safety patterns to the creation of Math and Computer Labs to refurbished lavatories to new furniture for the classrooms and more were addressed.
When Mrs. Janet Dolan became principal in 1997, she continued to pursue the mission set out by her predecessor. In the Fall of 2000, Mrs. Dolan invited parents to a presentation. Utilizing a slide show in her presentation, Mrs. Dolan asked parents to take a journey with her. She asked parents to think about the future of our children; to think about the opportunities that lie ahead for our children; to think about how we as a school community can give our children the best we have to offer. In closing, she invited parents to share their time, talent and treasure.
Since then the group has expanded even further and the list of accomplishments are more and more visible. By the end of 2003 the entire school will have Internet access with over 50 computers throughout the school. The lavatory renovation project has been completed and the last phase of the furniture replacement project will be completed when the doors open in September of 2003.
St. James is also proud to announce that enrollment for the 2003-2004 school year is the highest it has been in history.
Development Committee
The Development Committee is made up of a core group of individuals including the Principal of St. James, a Development Coordinator, and the St. James’ Financial Director. This core group has defined the following committees:
Alumni - responsible for establishing and cultivating our relationship with St. James alumni.
Events - responsible for researching, coordinating and planning events sponsored by St. James Development.
Scholarships - focuses on all aspects of the St. James scholarship program. This includes the types of scholarships offered, eligibility requirements, selection and awarding of scholarships.
Communications - supports St. James Development with Marketing and Communications to St. James families, alumni, local businesses and the community.
Fundraising Partnerships - dedicates their time to establishing and cultivating relationships with corporations as well as local businesses to help raise funds for Development projects. Matching Gift Donations, and United Way are among some of these programs.
Each of the Committees has a Chairperson and is made up of parents just like you. They are men and women from various backgrounds including technology, marketing, law, finance, sales, management, event planning, entrepreneurship and more. Some are currently employed full-time in these professions; others share expertise from a former career. All generously give of their time and talent for the betterment of our school.
Short and Long Term Goals
Here are some of the future goals being pursued by St. James Development.
1. Plan a calendar of events to celebrate St. James School’s 125th Anniversary Celebration in 2004.
2. Increase funding for the St. James Scholarship Program. We have supported many of our families during the post-9-11 poor economic times, which has dramatically reduced our funds for this critical program.
3. Enhance the Alumni Association by increasing membership and improving communication of events.
4. Replace all windows and upgrade vertical blinds.
5. Air-condition the school