Throughout the school year, there are many opportunities for the Habersham community to gather together for fellowship and to catch up. Some are part of the routine…from morning drop-off to afternoon pick-up, regular PATS and Consider This meetings, sporting events, plays and performances, holiday gatherings, House events, ice cream socials, opening and closing ceremonies, graduation, and other scheduled times when families interact with one another.
The Habersham School’s annual illumination event, however, is the largest single gathering of our community and guests. From friends and families to board members and faculty, this year’s gathering of the Habersham community at illumination was wonderful.
If you were able to join us, it was a great venue with wonderful music, a live sketch artist, and good food. The social part of the evening, however, was the highlight. It was a blessing to see so many folks together making new friends and reconnecting with others. I want to extend another heartfelt thank you to our two top-tier sponsors Thrivent Coastal Financial Consultants and PIER Commercial Real Estate as well as to our friends and families and table hosts.
If you could not make it, I would like to share a few highlights from the evening. No jazz music, sketches, or food, but I would like to let you in on a few of the key highlights.
- illumination kicks off the annual Habersham Fund. This year’s goal is to raise $200,000. We announced that with 100% board and employee participation, we are already over a third of the way there with $70,000+ given and pledged.
- Two senior students shared their own stories of their Habersham experience. They highlighted why they believe that The Habersham School is distinctive in Savannah in their own words.
- Ashley and Catherine Smith, as the chairs of this year’s Habersham Fund, talked about their “transformational” experience at The Habersham School. They encouraged each of us, as like-minded families, to generously support the “power of a Habersham education”.
- We distributed the newest H Magazine, our largest ever, which included our Annual Report and lots of other glimpses into the many aspects of The Habersham School.
- We announced that we will be promoting a “Week of Giving” from Nov 27-Dec 1. Our goal is to close out this year’s Habersham Fund by the end of that week. We would like to encourage every family to prayerfully consider a gift or pledge that will count toward this year’s goal.
- Every gift for the remainder of the school year would then be committed, whether designated or undesignated, to the needs and improvements that invest in our people, programs, and plant (facilities).
- We announced we have hired our first graduate, Millie Hoover, as our new Alumni Ambassador! Habersham alum, be on the lookout as Millie will be reaching out to connect with you regarding some exciting things on the horizon.
At last year’s illumination, Mr. Bill McGee, serving as interim Head of School, challenged everyone to consider making The Habersham School one of their top two or three giving priorities, after the church. I agree with him as an investment in the school is an investment in our students. This is the essence of our partnership which is rooted in Kingdom work.
Eyes on Christ,
Pat McCarty
Head of School
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