Recent Projects
New Windows at Byrider Hall
In 2022, Byrider Hall, which houses the school gym as well as several meeting rooms, was upgraded and refreshed with new hallway flooring, fresh paint on hallway walls, new interior and exterior doors, a new entryway patio, and added security features. Portions of these upgrades were funded by the Foundation’s new Byrider Hall Improvement Fund. The meeting rooms along the south side of the building also received new windows, a long-overdue replacement of the original windows that were still in use in this area. The Foundation’s Byrider Window Fund provided most of the funding for these new windows. Thank you to the donors who supported these two funds for making these upgrades possible. Byrider Hall is now a more functional, attractive, and secure building that makes a positive impression on visitors to this heavily-used facility.
Picnic Tables for Sebastian’s Garden
The St. Sebastian School Garden is an outdoor classroom and garden that was established in May, 2011. The garden is located on the parish grounds, adjacent to Byrider Hall. The garden provides students and teachers with a unique learning environment – one in which the principles of gardening/farming, environmental science and entrepreneurship are cultivated. Shortly after the garden was created, The Spectacular Garden Fund was established at the Foundation with proceeds from the 2011 Spectacular, the school’s annual fundraiser. Over the years, the garden has experimented with different layouts and crops, adding a volunteer crew of parishioners and parents. Sebastian’s Garden has also developed a strong partnership with Good Samaritan Hunger Center, an independent non-profit that is also located at Byrider Hall, to which all the produce from the garden is donated. In 2022, in conjunction with the established fund at the Foundation, interested donors helped purchase two sturdy picnic tables for Sebastian’s Garden. The tables will be used by the adult and student garden teams when they take breaks from their dedicated care of the garden.
We Give Catholic/Giving Tuesday
2021 Zwisler Hall Audio/Lighting Project
In 2021, the #weGiveCatholic campaign focused on the Zwisler Hall project to overhaul the audio and lighting systems. The #weGiveCatholic effort, “Lights, Camera, Action,” raised over $21,000 for the project. An additional $53,000 for this major project was provided by proceeds from the paddle raise at the 2022 St. Sebastian Spectacular, the school’s annual fundraiser. Thanks to the generous support of these two efforts, the main audio system and all of the stage lighting in Zwisler Hall has been replaced. A new speaker unit was installed above the stage in a large circular area that now also holds speakers for the new schoolwide PA system, which was paid for separately with a grant. The majority of the project was completed in time for Catholic Schools Week events, including Open House, the Spelling Bee, Pastries with Parents, and Terrier Trivia!
2022 New Activity Tables and Chairs for Our Youngest Learners
In 2022, the #weGiveCatholic effort, “Our Youngest Learners,” raised $13,076 for the replacement of the activity tables and chairs in the kindergarten and preschool classrooms. In addition to the online giving campaign, the school held a “change bandit” competition, which yielded over $2,200 in change (and bills)! Thank you to everyone who emptied out their piggy banks and searched their couch cushions, and congratulations to the preschool classes, which brought in the most change and were rewarded with doughnuts and cider. The new furniture will be installed before the 2023-24 school year, and we look forward to sharing pictures and further details when the work is completed.
Click here to go to the Foundation Through the Decades pages, where Foundation projects from the last 50 years are featured.