Dear Fellow Patriots,
Let us introduce ourselves to those of you we haven’t had the pleasure yet of meeting. We are Harris and Keri Martin and we have the privilege of serving on the Habersham Fund Parent Committee representing PreK-1st grades this year. Our eldest daughter, Sinclair, is in first grade. Next year, our daughter Jane will enroll in kindergarten, and, eventually, our son Charles will join their ranks as well.
We were drawn to The Habersham School for a number of reasons, many of which you probably share. First, we wanted our children to receive a superior education. We believe that The Habersham School’s classical model not only offers excellent instruction but also propels children into a lifelong love of learning.
Second, as parents of young children, we wanted an institution in which our children spend 7+ hours every week day to be reinforcing the convictions we hold at home—chiefly, that “Christos Kurios” (Christ is Lord) over all, and that He is worthy of all our love and devotion—heart, body, soul, and mind. We have been impressed and humbled as we observe the school’s curriculum, noting how no subject is divorced from this ultimate reality.
In many ways, what we have in this school seems too good to be true. And it is precisely for this reason that we choose to support the Habersham Fund: We want to be a part of maximizing the school’s potential—to see its roots in the Savannah community grow deep while the opportunities it offers to students grow wide.
You may be saying to yourself something like, “But, I already pay a substantial amount of money every year in tuition. Why should I give above that?” As we have learned, nationwide, Christian school tuition dollars on average only cover 80% of operating expenses, leaving an operational shortfall that must be made up through annual giving. Moreover, a school’s operating expenses do not include the cost of such things as facilities upgrades and improvements or increased extracurricular offerings.
One thing we were excited to learn about was the availability of further financial support from foundations to private schools. One of the keys to gaining access to such funding is the level of fundraising participation from a school’s families. Even small gifts from parents can result in significant fundraising momentum by making support from foundations more accessible to a school. In other words, foundations are less concerned with the dollar amount given, but the percentage of parents who believe in the school enough to give something. When community buy-in is high, further financial support from foundations becomes a realistic revenue source for a school.
We hope to spend much of the next 12+ years with many of you. In that time, we hope to see our children mature in their faith while becoming educated, thoughtful citizens. We hope to see them engaged in their learning; winning championships in sports or on mock trial teams; playing instruments and singing in chorus; and all the while displaying Christ in the midst of a broken and longing world, with grace and humility. As long as The Habersham School is committed to the principles and convictions that produce such students, we are committed to contributing to the Habersham Fund to support the continued enhancement of the school.
If you share these convictions and desires, we encourage you to join us in supporting the Habersham Fund this year!
If you have specific questions about where your money goes or if you simply would like to talk further and learn more, please feel free to reach out to either of us. We look forward to engaging together as we work toward our goal of fully funding The Habersham School!
Sincerely,
Harris and Keri Martin
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