Raise the Roof!

Saint Clement School parents enjoyed their own "recess" on the school's rooftop last Thursday night at an event designed to generate funds to build a new playground. More than 240 parents attended "Raise the Roof" on top of the now-nine-year old school addition at the south end of the school campus.

While the space was transformed for an evening of entertainment, including twinkle lights, "grass," and some modern outdoor furniture, the rooftop typically has only a simple padded flooring, some protective netting to keep too many balls from bouncing out onto Orchard Street, and that's it. Children use the space for recess and perhaps a game of kickball or tag for the younger grades, but no playground equipment is currently available.

Principal Melissa Dan explained the importance of physical play for children of all ages, stating, "Research has shown us time and time again that learning occurs outdoors in ways not possible inside the regular classroom. An increasing body of research continues to indicate the benefits of unstructured play -- and specifically outdoor play -- for elementary school children. As indicated in current brain research, if students are given the chance to move around and be active, be outdoors, be free -- they return to the classroom more attentive and able to concentrate on the academic tasks at hand. This translates into better academic performance!"

Fr. Ken Simpson announced at the event that a parishioner's bequest totaling $200,000 was received by the school to kick-off the fundraising efforts. Additionally, another donor agreed to match up to $75,000 of pledges made that night. Those two generous contributions made it much easier to inch closer to the goal by collecting donations and pledges totaling $430,000 in just a few short hours. Most importantly, the generosity and dedication of Saint Clement parents and parishioners will go beyond just the boundaries of 2524 North Orchard Street as two percent of the Raise the Roof proceeds will benefit our sister school in El Salvador.

With a goal of $500,000, contributions and pledges are still being collected to help create the new space. A brochure detailing the work to be done, sponsorship recognition levels, and reasons to contribute to Raise the Roof is available here. You can complete the pledge card with your contribution amount and mail it to Saint Clement School, Raise the Roof Campaign, 2524 North Orchard Street, Chicago IL 60614. 

Pictures in this story courtesy www.amyboylephotography.com

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