Fwd: Letter Alumni June, 2017
Frankie Perez
From: Thompson, Tony <ttho...@fatherduenas.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 1, 2017 at 9:22 PM
Subject: Letter Alumni June, 2017
To: Tony Thompson <ttho...@fatherduenas.com>
To my Brotherhood Family,
I would like to take the time to thank you for attending our meeting in April. I was impressed and excited to see so many alumni attend, and I think it was amazing that we had 27 classes represented at that meeting. I was very happy with the attendance in such a number, as it shows you all are eager and willing to come together for our school. You all were very attentive and willing to share your ideas with me, and for this I am thankful, and you were ready to receive the information I had to share. I’m looking forward to meeting with you all every 3 months or so, and our next meeting will be in August with the beginning of the school year. I would also like to keep you all informed of what has been happening in our school and the successes we have to celebrate as this school year comes to an end.
We have a great deal to celebrate, and I’ll run down the list of what’s been happening in the last couple months.
I want to send a big Thank You to all those who came to support and celebrate Mr. Forbes’ birthday and the Forbes Educational Fund scholarship on May 3rd. This definitely was a worthwhile event and I hope that we can continue to raise funds for this worthy cause that aims to provide scholarships for those who would like to attend FDMS but are unable to due to financial reasons. We raised $3,500 after expenses, which will go to helping provide scholarships.
We received word that our accreditation has been reaffirmed through our six year term as we have made lots of progress at this mid-term visit. We continue to be dually accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA).
Our ACB team is on the road to the Nationals after winning their 3rd Island-Wide competition. The team left this week for Washington D.C. to compete, and we wish them success.
The FDMS Paddling team pulled off an unexpected championship for JV and Varsity in the 500m-championship race. The team really came together for the championship races and did an amazing job.
FDMS seniors won the Burger King incentive for their lip dub video, for which they received food provided by Burger King for the promotion of their products. This is a relatively new competition, sponsored by Sorensen Media and Power 98, which features senior classes from various participating schools around the island.
During the 39th Annual Island-Wide Science Fair at UOG, our junior, Jason Cruz won 1st place in his division, the Ecology, Earth Science, and Sustainability Category, and he received the NOAA Internship Award. In another category, Simeon Tomas Delos Santos received the Guam Business Award Potential Product Trophy for his project “Wood Polish from Nuts” in addition to other awards given to FD students at the Island wide Science Fair.
In the Track and field All-Island meet, De’Aundre Cruz took the Silver medal in Discus, and the Bronze medal in Men’s Shot Put. FDMS also won Bronze in 4x100m relay, and Silver in 4x400 men’s relay. The Track and Field team overall had a great season and they finished strong.
Each year our students have won top awards at the local Guam History Day competition held at UOG, and again this year we will be sending a team to compete in the National History Day, where our Friars will once again have the chance to compete nationally, and gain experience against students from across the Nation.
Many of our boys participated in the 5K Run for Colors as volunteers, assisting event organizers with the run and participating as runners. I would like to thank those who gave up their time to volunteer with this event.
We also had student volunteers help at the American Cancer Society Luncheon, where NHS members served survivors attending the luncheon, and assisted with cleanup and set up. Our NHS members and other students also volunteered at the Annual Relay for Life, dedicating their time to picking up and sorting trash and recyclables. Each year our students find meaningful ways of reaching out to the community and offering their time and service for these very worthy causes.
Congratulations to Lorenz Junio, who won the ROTC full-ride scholarship to attend UOG. This award is based on participation in the NJROTC program and overall performance and inspection here at FDMS, in which our students have always performed at their best. In addition, the FDMS Phoenix Company won the Distinguished Unit Award for 2017, again claiming the title for the regional competition. Great job to the ROTC program!
As we look to the future, my main focus is on completing the Renaissance Project, which includes a multi-purpose field and labs and classrooms on the second floor of the Quad building. I am currently moving forward with installation of the gate and fence to secure the school, which I am hoping will be started this summer.
Regarding our Alumni, I have heard all sides of disagreement within the FDMS family and brotherhood. I think we all know from experience that part of being a family means that there are bound to be disagreements and sometimes fights. Nevertheless, family means coming together to resolve our issues so that we can continue to support our main interest, which is upholding the excellence of Father Duenas Memorial School. I understand that there are differences among many of you, but as this is a family, I know that there is also a lot of love. I appreciate greatly all the sweat, blood, and tears everyone has put in, especially those who have served as alumni officers. I only wish we all could have stayed the course during this rough patch at least until the election.
Everybody looks up to FD and wants to be part of this Brotherhood which we celebrate and cherish, and I want to remind everyone that the younger generation absolutely looks up to the older classes as the leaders. We have to set aside our disagreements and let go of the drama, because it does no good to let these differences create rifts between our family, and I want nothing more than for us to come together in our common goals. The bottom line is this: we must be united in order to prosper. If we claim to take pride in this Brotherhood, then let’s work together and really show that we believe in what the school is doing, and work towards continuing this tradition of excellence. We have to let go of the idea of working for the individual wants and needs, and focus on how we can come together to continue to make FD the best school on island.
I know that several classes have established their 501(c)3 status and are fundraising for various reasons. My overall concern with this is the use of the school name and/or logos to raise funds that ultimately do not benefit the students, the school, or the alumni association directly. While the 501(c)3 structure may allow classes to operate more freely, the FDAA already provides a great way for classes not to have to go through the hassle. I invite all classes to take advantage of this relationship.
I do appreciate all of you who have contacted me personally stating that you will continue to support FD. I will be calling upon members of the various classes to work on our strategic plan for the school, and I will rely on your expertise and your experience to assist me in improving our vision and mission, so that we are all under the same umbrella and most importantly moving in the same direction. I want to use these meetings as a platform wherein we come together to formulate agreements about how things will be done regarding strategic planning in the future, so we can come to decisions about different aspects of the school. Since coming on board this past August, I have been putting some very big things into motion. If there was ever time that I needed the support of EVERY SINGLE FRIAR, it is now! Believe me, you want to be a part of this movement. Don’t miss this opportunity to help make great strides at FD!
I know that you all have FD’s best interests at heart, and sometimes we lose track of what is best for the overall family. We clearly have much to celebrate and be proud of as an FD family and I truly hope to continue to have your support as we move forward in preparing for another great school year. May God continue to bless you and your families, and may we always remain Strong in the Faith.
Sincerely,
Tony Thompson
Principal
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