UPDATE as of April 1st  2012

UPDATE as of February 20 2012

Once Upon a Time …
There was a community struggling to retain the control of their school. They got together, established a plan, talked to their lender, met the Ministère, sent a challenge to their parents and together raised over $120,000…WE DID IT!  Usually, this is where fairy tales ends. In our case, this is only the end of chapter 1 and the board is already working on chapter 2.  In the meantime, we invite you to come and join us February 25th to celebrate this accomplishment and discuss the next phase of our growth plan.

André Deslauriers, president of ERSM school board

Welcome to the Ecole Rudolf Steiner de Montreal “Growing Our Roots” Fund-raising campaign. Our goal is to raise $120,000 by February 1, 2012 (in three weeks!)

"Everywhere,

Creatures

Have shut off their voices.

They've all gone to bed

In the beds of their choices."

From Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book

In the next few days I will be catching some sleep. Before I do, let me thank you: 126,795 times thank you. This amazing amount comes from the community at a level of $66,795 and $60,000 from the board. However, what we are the most proud of is that 86% of our parent community gave a pledge  to this campaign. If you did not get a chance and want to add to this please feel free to leave a pledge form and a check at the front desk of the school. This will make this fund raising even better.

Please note that all checks dated before February 3rd 2012 will be deposited this Friday. In the next few weeks we will organized a special event to celebrate this great accomplishment.

To note  that there will be some small fund raising activities organized by parents. Perhaps I will learn to knit, Tai Chi or Self-defense. In all cases I need an eye exam. More to come on this subject soon.

I will be at the Open Door this Saturday.  Come and bring your friends to visit OUR school. A new era is starting.

Thank you

André Deslauriers

president of the school board

Our school, operating for over 30 years, is the only Waldorf school in Montreal - a French primary school from pre-school to Grade 8.  We are subsidized by the Minister of Education in Quebec and which allows us to offer a private Waldorf education at nearly half what most Waldorf schools charge in North America.  As a result, we welcome an economically, culturally, and ethnically diverse student base.

Here is a lovely video about our school made by a member of the School Board: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVu2KVkzyBw

Why are we fund-raising? One of our greatest past accomplishments was to buy a beautiful historic library building after having been forced to move three times in the previous three years - a result of renting space.  Unfortunately, this success has also created one of the greatest burdens our school has had to bear.  While the location stability has allowed us to grow each year, the tremendous cost of operations, maintenance, and the building itself has brought us to a critical point.

Our School Board has now developed an aggressive three-year financial plan to place the school on the path to a stable and successful future.  To launch this plan, we must raise $120,000 to:

* Create new classroom space to allow for growth and accommodate the current admissions requests.
* Purchase a more efficient and effective furnace to significantly reduce operations costs and increase comfort.
* Repair structural concerns in certain areas of the building.
* Demonstrate to our partners that we are united in our commitment to the long-term success of Ecole Rudolf Steiner de Montréal.

The Challenge:  This fund-raiser is unique in several ways.

1) The School Board has committed to raise $60,000 of matching funds for this campaign.  This means that for every dollar donated up to $60,000 there will be an equal donation given.

2) This is an all-or-nothing campaign.  The future of this school is decisively balanced on the success of this campaign.

3) Pledges must be made by February 1, 2012.  Payments can be made at one time or in monthly payments by May 1, 2012.

There are tax benefits to donating to our non-profit school!  You can receive a significant percent back in your tax refund.  Click here for the tax calculator:  http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/dnrs/svngs/clmng1b2-eng.html

How to donate:
For fast and easy on-line donation through Canada Helps:  
OR -Fill out this FORM and  Submit a donation pledge at the Office at the school:

École Rudolf Steiner de Montréal

4855, av. Kensington

Montreal, QC H3X 3S6

For our American donors, please click here.

Donations Levels:

We gratefully accept all pledges.  Every dollar counts!

Please find below different donation levels:
$1,000 - Family pass (2 adults and children) for our benefit concert with Soprano Désirée Till
$5,000 or more - acknowledged at your discretion with a publicly displayed name plate within the school.
$7,500 – five annual scholarships
$15,000 – ten annual scholarships
$50,000 – a classroom named in your honor. *
*A portion of this donation will not be included in the $120,000 campaign target as it will be held in a fund to be used in future years.