Renaissance Campaign Kickoff Celebration

Final Year and Public Phase of Campaign Underway

Supporters of Bishop O’Dowd High School’s Renaissance Campaign gathered at Sequoyah Country Club on Sept. 24 to celebrate a significant campaign milestone – reaching the $7.5 million mark toward the ultimate goal of raising $9 million – and to mark the start of the public phase of the three-year campaign.

The steady stream of accomplishments during the campaign’s initial two years include the creation of a state-of-the art chemistry lab, the installation of eight new 70-foot light towers that illuminate O’Dowd playing fields and the complete refurbishment of 26 classrooms.

Funds raised have also allowed for the enhancement of O’Dowd’s academic and co-curricular programs and supported faculty professional development and curriculum advancements. 

The celebration was tempered, however, with the realization that there is still much work to be done. Seeking gifts from all constituents is a crucial campaign goal for this year, as the campaign will end on June 30, 2010.

With the money raised during this final year, O’Dowd will complete the remodeling of all academic facilities, including new lighting and flooring for the hallways, new lavatories, a state-of-the-art PA system and 1,200 new lockers, as well as inaugurate the O’Dowd Scholars Program (OSP).

The OSP is a new endeavor that is designed to meet O’Dowd students’ growing need for financial aid.  This year, O’Dowd awarded approximately $1.8 million in scholarship aid to more than 300 students, with the average grant being $6,000.

At the Kickoff Celebration, President Steve Phelps said he was proud of how hard the school community has worked to support the renaissance of Bishop O’Dowd High School.

“We have worked incredibly hard to raise more than $7.5 million of our $9 million goal.  But we are not finished. We have not yet hit our goal. We need your support now more than ever, not just to reach our goal, but to exceed it,” Phelps said.

“In my career as a coach, the hardest points to score in a tough game were always near the end of the game. How we do this year will have a major influence on the success of the next two phases of the Renaissance Campaign. Together we will achieve everything we have promised,” he said.

Other members of the O’Dowd community provided concrete examples of how campaign funds raised to date have positively impacted students.  

English teacher Summer Dittmer ’97 said donations to the Renaissance Campaign help every student, in every classroom, every day.

“The O’Dowd faculty is well aware that contributing financially to our community is a very personal decision and we recognize the significance of including us in your philanthropy now, more than ever,” Dittmer said. “I can honestly say that your crucial gifts have made the difference between O’Dowd being good and O’Dowd being excellent.”

Dittmer related how the technology advancements – ranging from Blackboard, an interactive course management system, to DyKnow, software which creates collaborative digital learning environments – made possible by the Renaissance Campaign have profoundly and positively impacted O’Dowd classrooms.

“These advancements allow us to teach effectively on so many levels, producing consistently high SAT and AP scores, as well as maintaining the impressive caliber of students who attend and graduate from O’Dowd,” she said.

Freshman parent and former faculty member Tom Tyler recounted his experience at this year’s “Back to School” night.

“I was taken with how lovely the campus looked.  Partly that was due to the soft light of the early evening but mostly it was because of all the new landscaping in the quads, the sparkling new windows on the classroom building, the fresh coat of paint, and the many rooms with new desks, wallboards, and cabinets,” he said.

“I was further impressed by all the new computers, the LCD projectors suspended from the ceilings, and the multimedia centers integrated into the front of each room. Much had clearly happened in the few years since I had left those classrooms,” Tyler said.

But what impressed Tyler most was the level of enthusiasm, engagement, and passion that was evident in the teachers as they were pouring themselves into their 8-minute presentations.

“I sensed that they did not take our sacred trust in them lightly - they would indeed take real good care of our children. And they would do so while opening our children’s minds and hearts to the great adventure of learning,” he said.

Campus improvements during the initial phase of the campaign have been remarkable, said Katie Ring ’10.

“When I first toured the Bishop O’Dowd High School campus four years ago as a nervous eighth grader, it was very clear to me that the school had been built in the fifties. As my friends and I drove back to school, we commented on how old it looked, many of us didn’t think chalkboards still existed,” she said.

“Stepping onto campus this past August couldn’t have been further from that first experience. The momentum that began years ago has continued to build each year, increasing the excellence of all aspects of the school. New windows lined the walls, projectors hung in every room, classrooms had been remodeled, carpeted, and updated,” Ring said.

Added Ring, “In my final year at O’Dowd, I am sad to know that I won’t be returning next fall to see the newest advancements, but I am also excited for the future for which O’Dowd has prepared me.”

For more information about the impact The Renaissance Campaign is having on the school’s curricular and co-curricular programs, or to make a gift to the Renaissance Campaign, please visit the “giving” page of the O’Dowd website or contact O’Dowd’s advancement office at (510) 553-8628.