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Campaign Case Statement "Building on Excellence": A Blueprint for
the Future Guided by its mission, Notre Dame de Sion School of Kansas City embarked on a major building campaign in 2003. The $17,000,000 goal encompasses new construction and renovations to its two campuses. This project will ensure that Sion’s future is marked by the same tradition of excellence that has characterized its rich academic history of more than 90 years, while addressing the demands of educating young people in the 21st century. Notre Dame de Sion’s Mission Statement The Notre Dame de Sion School in Kansas City is an independent Roman Catholic school providing the highest quality college preparatory education from preschool through grade 12. Sion continues the tradition of the founding sisters, the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion, inviting students to encounter God in a Catholic atmosphere that respects all faith traditions. The school partners with families and the community to prepare students for socially responsible, values based leadership in a culturally and religiously diverse world. A Kansas City Tradition— Notre Dame de Sion’s History Notre Dame de Sion School of Kansas City (Our Lady of Sion) has a rich tradition of academic excellence that was begun in Kansas City in 1912 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion. Celebrating more than 90 years of history, Notre Dame de Sion remains affiliated with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion, who continue to provide guidance to the Board and staff. The Kansas City school is one of 17 Notre Dame de Sion Schools around the world that provide students of all backgrounds with a place of learning in a caring atmosphere. Academics First At Notre Dame de Sion, students receive a rigorous academic education with a core curriculum in math, literature and language arts, science, social studies, world languages and religion. The student to teacher ratio is 12 to 1. As part of a long tradition… academics come first at Sion. The goal at the Elementary School is to educate students so they will succeed in the most competitive high schools. As part of their academic regimen, students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade are required to take French, fifth grade is an exploratory year of both French and Spanish and in sixth grade, they continue with their chosen language at a high school level of instruction. Students consistently score an average of two years ahead of their peers on nationally recognized standardized tests. More than 1/3 of the seventh grade class qualified for Duke University’s Talent Identification Program, by scoring in the 95th percentile or above on standardized tests. Although students are required to follow the core curriculum, High School students are able to choose from certain electives. The High School offers two types of honors classes in every discipline, in addition to regular academic courses. Advanced Placement classes, which are regulated by the Educational Testing Services of the National College Boards, and Advanced College Credit Program classes, which are college credit courses taught at Sion under the supervision of Rockhurst University, are available to students. Students are grouped into honors and regular academic courses at the start of school, but there is mobility within the system. The school is accredited as a College Preparatory School by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS ) and by the North Central Association (N.C.A.) Notre Dame de Sion has always been regarded as one of the best college preparatory schools in Kansas City. Sion has received National Merit recognition for 35 consecutive years, and the graduates have maintained 100 percent college acceptance throughout the school’s existence. Family, Friends, Faith in God At Notre de Sion, students receive much more than a superior education. Notre Dame de Sion strives to educate the mind, the spirit, and the heart. Students are taught to respect others and to appreciate cultural and ethnic diversity. Sion’s standard of excellence encourages students to reach their greatest potential. The level of academic rigor, spiritual enrichment, and social interaction at Notre Dame de Sion is excellent. Now is the time to expand and improve Notre Dame de Sion’s facilities and elevate them to that same level of excellence in order to continue the tradition of excellence for decades to come. A campaign for "Building on Excellence – A Blueprint for the Future" will allow us to achieve this important goal. Building on Excellence In 1927, the Sisters of Sion built their first campus at 3823 Locust Street in what is known today as Kansas City’s urban core. Formerly a boarding school for young women, the facility today is coed and offers Montessori Preschool through Eighth Grade education to approximately 360 students. There are few choices for private elementary education in the urban core and Sion’s tradition of offering quality education has been and will continue to be a strong foundation for central Kansas City. In 1962, due to significant growth in the enrollment, the Sisters of Sion purchased land and built a second school in South Kansas City—an all-girls’ high school. The final cornerstone was put into place just in time for the 1962-63 academic year. Enrollment today includes more than 400 students in Ninth through Twelfth grades. Sion is grounded in values that embrace socio-economic, geographic, religious and ethnic diversity and annually provides more than $450,000 in financial assistance. Students that attend Sion’s schools represent eight Missouri and Kansas counties and diverse faith and ethnic groups. A Blueprint for the Future This campaign represents the first significant expansion and renovation project Sion has undertaken since the schools were built in 1927 (Elementary School) and 1962 (High School).
Elementary School The Elementary School, located in the urban core of Kansas City, Missouri, is within walking distance of a number of disadvantaged neighborhoods. Per 2000 census data, it is estimated that 2,463 children under the age of 18 live within the school’s zip code. Further, it identifies that 63% represent the African-American community with a median household income of $22,006. The first significant enhancement for the Elementary School is the new Activities Center. The original sunken gymnasium seated 50 and did not meet the standards to host athletic competitions. The Activities Center houses a new gymnasium with a seating capacity of approximately 700, a stage for the performing arts and space for the Extended Day program. The new Activities Center allows many parents and grandparents to come and view the games or performances of the students. Nothing can replace a smile on the face of a child as he or she looks into the stands or audience to see his or her loved ones there enjoying the performance. Many working parents rely on the Extended Day Program at Sion. Parents want to know that their children are receiving the best care available in a safe atmosphere. Improving the extended day area, and parents’ access to it, enhances the lives of the families who utilize the extended day program. Who wouldn’t want to make it home for dinner…just a little earlier? The air-conditioned Activities Center provides an enrichment program for the students and community at large during the summer months. This Summer Program will be offered to neighborhood children to encourage their participation. The Activities Center can be a community resource for corporate meetings, receptions, and other community events enabling it to be an earned income tool. A collaborative partnership with the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City allows theater classes to be offered through Sion’s Summer Program. The Coterie has also expressed an interest in utilizing the stage for small performance productions. The sunken floor in the old gym was raised, enabling the new space to serve as a Dining Hall. The students have had to eat in multiple shifts in different rooms throughout the building. Now larger groups of students can enjoy lunch together in the new space. Air conditioning in the school is essential to the development and well being of students as they learn new skills and develop academically. Just imagine on a 100-degree day how difficult it would be for a fourth grader to accurately calculate times tables or for a kindergarten trying to learn to read. The physical and structural demands of integrating central air-conditioning into this more than 90-year-old facility create challenges that renovation plans address. Renovating the elementary school lobby will improve facilities in two ways. First, the removal and upgrading of the current entrance will create a more inviting atmosphere for parents, students and visitors alike. Second, the improvements to the check-in and check-out will provide a more secure environment for students, faculty and visitors of the Locust Campus. There will be fresh paint and lighting upgrades throughout the school creating an environment conducive to academic achievement and classroom harmony. Hundreds of children have learned how to swim in the original pool that will receive a new heater and fresh paint on the walls. High School In 1997, a thorough assessment of Sion’s physical facilities was conducted. Budget allocations have been made annually over the years to fund necessary expenditures. Renovations and replacements have been carefully prioritized according to available resources and long-term strategic plans. Due to years of basic maintenance within the confines of a limited annual budget, the school has not been able to expand and improve its facilities. The time has come to broaden Sion’s vision and expand and renovate the campuses in a major way. Over the years, enrollment has increased at the High School and Sion has acquired additional classroom space at the Rockhurst University Campus located north of the school. In an effort to bring the classrooms back onto the main campus, the original gymnasium will be converted into six classrooms. Sion’s gym and facilities did not meet standards to host large athletic tournaments. The new gym, which seats 800-1000, allows for such events and has the potential to generate additional revenue. The new Gym and Athletic Center contains locker rooms, a weight room, a training room and concession stand, and round out a state-of-the-art physical education program. The space between the new gymnasium and the future Fine and Performing Arts Center is called the Grande Salle. This reception hall for the new gym and theater can seat approximately 200 guests. It has a separate entrance and will serve also as a resource to the community for corporate meetings, community stage performances, events and functions. A new Fine and Performing Arts Center will also be constructed that will serve as a professional theater with fixed seating for 650. The Center will be the new home for stage productions, instrumental and vocal concerts and classrooms, an art room and photography lab. Nearly 75% of Sion high school students enroll in Fine and Performing Arts classes each year. This facility will enable Sion’s Drama department to produce stage productions and performances that require significantly greater "sophisticated" stage, set, and acoustical dynamics than current facilities allow; provide the Music Department with a venue to perform vocal and instrumental concerts in a comfortable, acoustically sound and state of the art environment with a much larger audience capacity; provide a space for Sion to house speakers and performers of dance and music where the entire student body can gather to appreciate and enjoy the activities. A new outdoor courtyard will have a sculpture garden and serve as a location for an outdoor classroom. New landscaping and walkways will also be improved. A new Chapel will replace the existing school entrance to provide better accessibility and to emphasize the importance of the sacred area. It will enable the school to offer Mass and prayer opportunities to approximately 120 students, family and parents at a time as well as providing a quiet place for prayer and reflection. The dining hall will be expanded to seat 250, which will reduce the number of lunch shifts. Currently, there are four lunch shifts with approximately 110 students in each. Through these renovations and expansions, existing classrooms will be reconfigured for efficiency. Air conditioning will be added to the building, along with technological upgrades and handicap accessible facilities. Existing classrooms will be reconfigured for efficiency and to maximize space. An outdoor Athletic Complex including an all-weather track, soccer, field hockey and softball fields will round out the construction project and complete the enhancements to Sion’s facilities to meet the same standards as their academic excellence. Conclusion Notre Dame de Sion asks for the community’s blessing and support
for the "Building on Excellence—a Blueprint for the Future
Capital Campaign." The upgraded facilities will allow Sion to continue
the academic excellence that has been its hallmark and to succeed in
offering a competitive education and, at the same time, the most caring
human touch. Notre Dame de Sion Campaign Team Campaign Co-Chairs: Bob and Jeannette Reintjes, Jr. Notre Dame de Sion Facts and Demographics
School-wide Ethnicity Religious Preference Geographic Diversity Percentages represent entire pre-kindergarten and grade 12 school population. Notre Dame de Sion School of Kansas City Sion graduates have maintained 100 percent college acceptance throughout the school’s existence. American University For more information contact:
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