by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Third graders at Our Lady of Unity School here were captivated as Archbishop Shawn McKnight walked into their classroom, sat down and began to read them a book.
“The Sour Grape” by Jory John had a particular effect when read by the archbishop, his enthusiastic interpretation delighting both the students and adults in the room.
Archbishop McKnight and a group of leaders from the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) visited Our Lady of Unity as part of its selection as this year’s Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann CEF School of Excellence on Oct. 15.
“Our staff [and] our students were excited to meet him and learn more about him,” said principal Cally Dahlstrom of the archbishop. “We were honored to be able to show him our community and our students.”
Students and faculty gathered outside the school to greet the group as they arrived.
The children cheered boisterously, lifting signs of welcome and offering the archbishop fist bumps when he passed by. Music filled the parking lot as dancers from the group Itsï-asuli performed.
Our Lady of Unity then opened its doors to the group for a tour.
Vince Cascone, superintendent of archdiocesan schools, was all smiles as the scene unfolded.
He called Our Lady of Unity “a vibrant school community that has seen enrollment growth over the last several years.”
“When you walk through the doors of the school, you feel the sense of togetherness and family,” he added.
Vince Anch, executive director of CEF, was “thrilled that Archbishop McKnight got to tour OLU, interact with the students and teachers and learn more about a CEF school.”
“He really seemed to enjoy the experience and even took time to read to students,” Anch continued. “More importantly, the school staff and students were very excited to meet the archbishop.
“You could feel their pride and joy that day.”
Our Lady of Unity has 184 students — all of whom receive some type of scholarship from CEF — and 138 of them are on tax credit scholarships through CEF, said Dahlstrom.
“CEF makes dreams come true,” she said. “Our families would not be able to consider Catholic education without the support of CEF.”
Our Lady of Unity has experienced significant growth in enrollment this past year and made strides in assessment tests and fundraising efforts, said Anch.
Those improvements, along with a deepening of its Catholic identity, earned Our Lady of Unity the School of Excellence award.
Principals apply for the award each year, and schools are graded on categories like academics, catholicity, enrollment management and financial strength.
Staff from CEF and the archdiocesan schools office review the applications, discuss the schools with the best scores, select three finalists and choose a winner.
“The winning school receives a $2,500 scholarship and is recognized at CEF’s annual Gaudeamus gala,” said Anch. “The finalists also receive scholarships.”
Cascone said CEF’s ability to offer Catholic education to all families makes it “a vehicle for evangelization.”
“Much like teachers who often never see the full impact they have on a child’s life,” he said, “I am confident that CEF has a profound and life-changing effect on the lives of countless children.”
Cascone believes in the impact Catholic education can have on a child’s future.
“We have had the greatest blessing of hearing many young people share how the very trajectories of their lives have changed due to the partnership of CEF with schools such as Our Lady of Unity,” he said.
Our Lady of Unity honored at Gaudeamus
Our Lady of Unity was honored as the Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann CEF School of Excellence at the annual Gaudeamus gala on Nov. 1 at the Overland Park Convention Center.
CEF also honored Msgr. Thomas Tank for his decades of service to the archdiocese. Deacon Dana and Deborah Nearmyer were honorary chairs, and Lisa and Michael Connor were gala chairs.
The gala raised more than $4.4 million for CEF’s scholarship program, which makes Catholic education accessible for students in need in the archdiocese.
More about CEF
The archdiocese currently has 22 CEF schools — 20 grade schools and two high schools.
“Schools are considered CEF schools when their rate of poverty among their students reaches at least 15%,” said Anch.
“Currently, the 22 CEF schools average 40% poverty rates with some reaching over 80%. Our Lady of Unity was over 90% last year.”
To learn more about CEF or to donate, go online to: cefks.org.
To view more photos from the Our Lady of Unity visit, click here.
