Pictures from our first week of classes!

We did it! Thanks to God’s gracious providence and the support of many, many people, we opened the school and completed our first week. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the multitude of friends who have prayed for and supported us financially over the past two years. We truly could not have opened without your generosity. The enrichment classes last year were good since they enabled us to build relationships and work out the kinks, but I am so excited to have a fully operating, 5 day-a-week, Chesterton Academy here in Kansas City! I know it will be a source of renewal for Catholic education, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and to the Church at large here in the KC. God is good!

After receiving the photos from our first week, I was struck by the incredible transformation our school has undergone. While there still remains work to be done, we have made tremendous progress. I still remember the first time walking through the building and thinking: do they really think we can have classes here? It needed a lot of work. However, I did see the potential, as did many others, and this week it has become a reality. We have 20 amazing students and I would stack up my staff of 9 against any faculty in the city; our teachers are the best of the best.

I’ve also taken this opportunity to reflect on our journey and share some ‘before and after’ pictures with you. As you will see, the third floor used to be a pre-school with big blotches of colors everywhere and the floor, walls, and ceilings in serious need of repairs. The colorful doors were also, shall we say…. distracting. It sure has come a long way!

The ‘before’ pictures

When we first moved into the space, it was hard to know where to start. However, with the help of an army of volunteers, we successfully painted most of the walls and the trim on the third floor. Even though we were not finished, we were anxious to have Bishop Johnston bless the school as we started our Enrichment Classes. While I love the natural light on the third floor, it was a bear to tape and paint all the window trim. Thank you to all those who gave up part of their Saturdays to help us!

the Bishop’s blessing / in-progress pictures

While we slowly made some progress after the Bishop’s visit, it was not until Fr. Johnson gave the green light for Luke Kush Painting to come that we made significant progress. Kush helped us refurbish the floors, finish painting throughout the school levels and stairways (including hand-sanding and staining each spindle!) We also renovated our bathrooms at this time to complete the spring make over.

Later in the summer, knowing my own artistic limitations, I gratefully handed the reins to Sarah Winter, Lisa Corley, Debbie Lee, and Maria Ott. They lead the decorating charge while I was at home for my daughter’s birth. They did a fantastic job! Finally, John Corley, Jack Argetsinger, and Steve Gabrault made us beautiful wooden tables to help create an atmosphere worthy of the curriculum. It was a labor of love that took many hours; thank you John, Jack, and Steve!

Finally, we could not have done any of this without your prayers and financial support. Thank you! I hope you will join us at the Mass of the Holy Spirit on August 31, at 6pm to thank God for the opening of our school.

Enjoy the photos!

Pictures of our first week after renovating