BETHLEHEM ACADEMYSeptember 2010

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Greetings and God’s Blessings!

As we begin our 146th year at Bethlehem Academy, we look back uponour rich history with great love and overwhelming pride! It is with this samelove and pride, together with hopeful optimism, that we look to the future ofBethlehem Academy. Truly, the miracle is here!

After years of prayerful consideration and detailed study by the leadershipat BA, four areas of primary need have been identified. Last fall the schoolentered into a feasibility study to gauge support for improvements andadditional space for band, choir and theatre, a field house to address ourathletic and additional fine arts needs, an elevator and ramps to meet theaccessibility concerns for students and all who visit, and an additionalendowed scholarship fund to address the growing financial needs of families.

Through meetings with BA stakeholders, we found that there istremendous support for these improvements and strong encouragement to “doit right the first time.” While we plan for continued growth in the number ofstudents attending Bethlehem Academy, it should be noted that currentacademic classroom space is plentiful for students now and into theforeseeable future, that BA has no long-term debt, and that BA will not raisetuition to pay for the cost of this project.

This plan not only fills the immediate needs for our current and futurefamilies, but will also provide the Faribault area community with anotherpositive resource to support young people.

In our time here, we have witnessed great loyalty and support forBethlehem Academy from the entire BA family. It is truly amazing and speaksto the very foundation of our Dominican values. Our mission at BethlehemAcademy remains certain…God calls us to empower our students and staff toachieve personal, spiritual, and academic excellence. He calls us to challengeourselves to love as Christ loved, to lead, to serve, to inspire and to seek thetruth: Veritas

We ask you for your prayerful and financial support as BA ventures forthto make this dream a reality. We are both humbled and privileged to beblessed with the opportunity to serve our Lord through our service atBethlehem Academy. We hope that you will join with us and embrace themiracle God is bringing about at BA.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Sherri LangfeldtPresident/Principal

Jack KolarsAdvancement/Alumni Director

Franz BoelterCampaign Chair

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Embrace the Miracle of Faith…• Weekly masses and prayer services• Daily religion classes and weekly visits to the Adoration Chapel• Prayer during morning announcements, lunch, and classes

throughout the day• Prayer before every home sporting event

Embrace the Miracle of Education…• Over 99% graduation rate and over 95% post-secondary

attendance• University of Minnesota College in the Schools (CIS) program• BA accepts students of all academic abilities and maximizes

their unique, God-given potential.• For the past four years, between 60% - 76% of all BA students

have earned High Honors (4.0 GPA), A Honor Roll (3.5 – 3.99GPA), or B Honor Roll (3.0 – 3.49 GPA).

• Smartboard technology in classrooms• Laptop provided for each student

Embrace the Miracle of Student Growth andDevelopment…• Co-curricular activities serve as “classrooms of faith.”• Coaches and activities leaders are BA teachers, staff, parents,

and alumni, all who instill BA’s mission and philosophy.• BA offers the opportunity for all students to participate in fine

arts, sports, and other activities.• Since the last capital campaign for BA in 1949, participation in

co-curricular activities has increased almost 400%!

Embrace the Miracle

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40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

180160140120100806040200

1950’s -1960’s 1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s

11881144

2299

3366 3366

Average Number of Co-curricular Teams and Programs by Decade

Average Student Participation in Co-curricular Teams and Programs by Activity

1950’s-1960’s 34 18 54 5 16 01970’s 58 27 65 17 22 01980’s 39 28 129 63 45 251990’s 22 36 132 80 51 1592000’s 37 61 117 87 61 138

Choir Band/Orchestra

Boys’Sports

Girls’Sports Activities

JuniorHighSports

1950’s-1960’s

1970’s

1980’s

1990’s

2000’s

Ave

rage

Stu

dent

Par

tici

pation

The chart above displays the average number of students who participate in co-curricular teams and programs offered at BA. In all activities, the number ofstudents who participate has grown since the 1950’s. The size of our band hasmore than tripled in the past fifty years, participation in boys’ sports has morethan doubled, participation in activities has more than tripled, participation ingirls’ sports has increased fifteen-fold, and the addition of BA’s junior highprogram in the late 80’s has allowed for an average of 140 additional students toparticipate in junior high sports each year.

In the chart above, the average number of teams and programs that BAoffers to students has doubled since the 1950’s. This means that twice thenumber of teams and programs are competing for the same practice andrehearsal spaces.

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Total Average Student Participation in Co-curricularTeams and Programs by Decade

500

400

300

200

100

01950’s -1960’s 1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s

112288 119900

333300

448822 550044

Ave

rage

Stu

dent

Par

tici

pation

This chart displays BA’s pressing need for additional space to house co-curricularteams and activities most clearly. The chart above displays participation units bydecade. For example, if a student at BA wishes to participate in choir, band, andgirls’ volleyball, that would equal three participation units. From the chart above,one can see that in the same amount of space, BA must accommodate nearly fourtimes the amount of student participation! Without the desperately needed space,students currently practice and participate in activities at BA from 6:30 a.m. until10:00 p.m. almost every day, choir students have no designated space, bandstudents are in a room designed for a band half its size, and drama studentscannot practice on the stage in Van Orsow Auditorium until a few days beforetheir performance!

Percent of Student Participation in Co-curricular Teamsand Programs by Decade

250

200

150

100

50

01950’s -1960’s 1970’s-1980’s 1990’s-2000’s

3344%%

110088%%

223333%%

Ave

rage

Stu

dent

Par

tici

pation

This final chart displays student participation by decade compared to studentenrollment. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, 34% of the student body participated inteams and programs. In the 70’s and 80’s, this participation increased to about108%. In the past twenty years, participation continued to soar, to over 200%participation. This means that on average, only 1 in 3 BA students in the 50’s and60’s participated in a team or program. During the 70’s and 80’s, each BA studenton average has participated in more than one team or program each year, and sincethe 90’s, BA students have participated in over two teams or programs each year.

Preparations for the Feasibility Study2005 – 2009: The trustees, school board, and leadership

began examining the most pressing needsto enhance the school’s quality, faith-basededucational facility in the 21st century.

May - July 2009: BA conducted a development audit of itsadvancement program. The audit revealsthat BA is well positioned to conduct afeasibility study.

July - October 2009: BA conducted a feasibility study to test fora potential capital campaign.

Feasibility Study Results and RecommendationsOver 360 BA families in the greater Faribault area and alumnithroughout the United States participated in the Feasibility Studyin the fall of 2009. Overall, there was a very high level ofenthusiasm for the basic plan proposed, a deep pride expressedin the accomplishments of the school, and a hope for widesupport by national alumni and from the local community.Through the feedback and input gathered through the study,proposed plans were revised as follows:

1. Improve Van Orsow Auditorium for primary use by the finearts programs and secondary use for athletic facilities andother activities:• Retractable “theater-style” seating to bring audience

closer to stage.• Adding components to improve acoustical sound.• Including storage space without reducing size of current

stage.• Including sound shells for use on stage.

2. Design new field house as the location for the competitiongym with inclusion of retractable seating and awalking/exercise track on mezzanine level.

3. Establish appropriate band and choir room spaces beyond theoriginal proposal.

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FEASIBILITY STUDYRESULTS & RECOMMENDATIONS

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Dear Friends of Bethlehem Academy,

Several months ago we heard from the Board and Administration of BAabout their dream for an addition to the school building. During theintervening months as support has grown among alumni/alumnae and otherstakeholders, the dream is edging toward reality. Sherri Langfeldt,President/Principal, and Franz Boelter, Teacher/Coach/Capital CampaignChairman, have visited alums throughout the country to renew relationshipsand gauge support for this ambitious building project as well as a scholarshipendowment fund for present and future students with financial needs. Fromall reports, there is enthusiastic support!

When you have a moment, go to the Bethlehem Academy website,www.bacards.org and click on the tab that says “About Us.” Read the briefhistory that you find there. Notice the progression of buildings that housedthe school, from the Sisters’ home to the pastor’s home to a real schoolbuilding to the “new” school building in 1949. Notice, too, how the sacrificeof many people was required along the way. A new fine arts center and fieldhouse with handicapped accessibility throughout will be a wonderful entryin that proud history.

We are so grateful that BA continues to provide excellent Catholiceducation in the nurturing environment of a community of faith and service.What a great contribution to the world and to the Church! We are trulyindebted to the many people who have been and continue to be committedto BA since its founding in 1865—the families who entrust their children tothe school, the teachers, staff, administrators, and Board members, theparishes and their pastors, and the community of Faribault itself.

May our present and future care of BA be a fitting tribute to those whobrought it to this day and time. And may God bless this new endeavor.

With warm regards,Sister Erica Jordan, OPCorporation Chair, Bethlehem Academy, Inc.

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ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS

Did you know...BA enrollment has

increased by 70students in the past

4 years?

CHOIR ROOM

BAND ROOM

GYMNASIUM

VAN ORSOW AUDITORIUM

PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS

MAIN LEVEL

Did you know...Over 6,000 friendsand alumni are onBA’s mailing list?

PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS

LOWER LEVEL

Did you know...BA has no

long-term debt?

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No one has had a more loyal or longer tenured careerat Bethlehem Academy than the more than 40 yearsthat Ron Thibault served our school. Over the courseof that span, Ron’s titles included Teacher, Coach,Mentor, Athletic Director, Director of Maintenance,and Dean of Students. His intarsia courses, which heinitiated in the ‘90’s, have been considered thestandard for schools across the country. A master ofhis own craft, Ron’s work was recognized as being thebest of the best at the Minnesota State Fair. As a

coach, Ron led his teams to championships in both basketball and golf.Serving as Dean of Students, Ron was fond of saying, with conviction,“There are no bad kids, only kids who need a better chance.” Hewholeheartedly embraced this idea and had, over the course of his career,embodied the mission of our founding Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters. Ronwas responsible for saving many kids who others may well have given upon. His life was a testament to his faith, and to call him Mr. BA wouldcertainly be appropriate.

Mr. Thibault was an integral part of the group that initiated the discussionand continued planning of the current capital campaign. He was involvedin that process right up until his sudden and untimely death in the fall of2009. He was clearly excited about the plan that would give us our firstnew construction in over 61 years. His passion for the needs of all of ourstudents, to give them the best opportunity to be the best that they couldbe, was very apparent, and he was adamant about making sure that thisnew plan addressed the needs of all four components: fine arts facilities,athletic and physical education facilities, handicap accessibility, and anexpanded permanent scholarship endowment. On behalf of Mr. Thibault,we pray that all of us will unite together to Embrace the Miracle and bringthis dream to reality.

In Tribute

Estimated Costs and Financing

Practice Gymnasium $ 3,585,253

Fine Arts Programs 1,653,745Auditorium Thrust Stage, Movable Seating, Lights,

Sound, RiggingBand Room, Practice Rooms, Storage, OfficeTheater Program Green Room and Dressing RoomsChoir Room, Storage, Office

Physical Fitness/Athletics Spaces 1,653,718Flex Space for Batting Practice, Golf, Other ActivitiesLocker RoomsFitness/Weight RoomMezzanine Walking Track

Corridors, Stairs, Ramps, Elevator, Storage, Restrooms, Classrooms 686,480

Sitework (Drives and Sidewalks) 265,641

Construction Subtotal $ 7,844,837

Permanent Scholarship Endowment 500,000

Operational/Maintenance Fund for New Facilities 300,000

Special Funds Subtotal $ 800,000

Contingency (4% of Construction Subtotal) 313,793

Professional Fees, Permits, Testing, Misc., Land Acquisition 900,000

Fixtures, Furniture, Equipment 250,000

Campaign Fees and Expenses 170,000

Contingency, Other Fees, Expenses Subtotal $ 1,633,793

Interim Financing (5% loan for five-year period) 633,387

It is our desire to secure funding in addition to the estimated costs above in order toincrease the Permanent Scholarship Endowment and Operational/Maintenance Fundfor the new facilities.

Total Estimated Cost $ 10,912,017

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1,341 TOTAL GIFTS $ 11,000,000 (100%)

No. of Gifts In the Range of Total

1 $1,000,000 $ 1,000,000

2 500,000 1,000,000

2 250,000 500,000

6 100,000 600,000

20 50-75,000 1,200,000

40 25-40,000 1,200,000

71 Gifts of $25,000 or more $ 5,500,000 (50%)

80 15,000-18,000 1,350,000

90 9,000-12,000 900,000

250 6,000-7,500 1,600,000

350 3,000-5,000 1,150,000

500 Under $3,000 500,000

1,270 Gifts up to $18,000 $ 5,500,000 (50%)

SCALE OF GIVING REQUIRED TO SECURE $11,000,000

Did you know...BA hasn’t had amajor building

campaign in over60 years?

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Class Gift Opportunities

Each class of Bethlehem Academy that collectively contributes $50,000 or more to our campaign will have his/her class named on acommemorative plaque to be displayed in a prominent location in thenew facilities. Our goal is to have every class of BA participate in thishistoric time of our school!

A donor may participate in the Bethlehem Academy Alumni Class Giftopportunity by checking the corresponding box on the pledge card andwriting in the class year on the line.

The following designations will be added to any class that collectivelyreaches the following levels:

$ 200,000 Veritas Class Gift$ 100,000 Miracle Class Gift$ 50,000 Cardinal Class Gift

BA Leadership CommitteePresident/Principal – Sherri LangfeldtHead Trustee – Joe VarleyBoard President – Steve KohlOffice of Advancement – Jack Kolars & Sue ErpenbachCampaign Chair – Franz Boelter

Leadership Gifts Committee General Chairs CommitteeFranz Boelter Jake & Lola BrandJake Brand Joe BurgessChuck Budde Ed FriesenSue Erpenbach Donna HansonPete Johnson Jim LovrienSteve Kohl James & Michelle MahowaldJack Kolars John & Paula MathewsJ.J. Korman Shari MayerSherri Langfeldt Matt MuselJim Lovrien Brad & Michelle PalmerJoe Varley Shane Pemrick

Jay Reuvers

Campaign Leadership

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COMMEMORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

A commemorative gift allows a family to honor a loved one alive or whohas passed away by recognizing their name in conjunction with ourbuilding project. A commemorative gift does not “buy” or “pay for” theitem of the new or remodeled facilities. It does not imply that the family“owns” that portion of our project. Nor does requesting acommemorative opportunity limit how the funds you contribute can beused. Rather, when a family reaches a level specified below, they areafforded the opportunity to connect a family member’s name with thishistoric time for our BA community.

The levels to qualify for different opportunities are not designed toreflect the actual costs to build but rather the prominence and/or thehistorical significance the component has in the overall project.Opportunities are granted on a first-request basis.

Commemorative opportunities will be provided to encourage multi-year pledges and sharing of gifts by family members. Commemorativegifts will be recognized in an appropriate location in the new facilities.Listed below are some commemorative opportunities and the totalamount needed to qualify for a commemorative opportunity.

Athletic Field House Complex $2,000,000New Competition Gymnasium 1,000,000Band Room 500,000Choir Room 500,000Green Room/Dressing Rooms 250,000Locker Rooms (three each) 250,000Fitness/Weight Room 100,000Stage 100,000 Mezzanine Track 100,000 Flex Space/Classrooms 100,000 Batting Practice Room 100,000Music Library Rooms (two each) 75,000New Entryway 75,000Elevator 75,000Lighting, Sound, Rigging (several each) 50,000Parking Lot/Drop-off Lane 50,000Display Cases (several each) 50,000Tickets/Concessions 50,000Corridors (many each) 25,000Offices (several each) 15,000Storage (many each) 12,000Furnishings (many each) 9,000

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EEXXPPLLAANNAATTIIOONN OOFF CCAAMMPPAAIIGGNN PPLLEEDDGGEESS

A pledge is a written indication of a donation made as a lump-sum or over a period of years. Bethlehem Academy will gratefullyaccept gifts to the Embrace the Miracle Campaign in the followingways:

Five-year Commitment

A five-year commitment is the most common method to maximizethis project and is made with monthly, quarterly, or annualpayments. For some, there may be a desire to make a significantone-time, lump-sum payment to best suit the family's abilities.

Securities

Gifts of appreciated stock, securities, or paid-up life insurancepolicies offer significant tax savings to the donor. They arecredited at the mean fair market value the day the appreciatedsecurity is gifted. By contributing appreciated stock, the capitalgains tax may be avoided.

Did you know...We have over 300students enrolledfor the 2010-2011

school year?

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Did you know...In 1986, BA

added Grades 7 and 8.

In-kind Gift

In-kind gifts can be separated into two basiccategories. The first is the providing of goods or services thatdirectly impact the building project itself. Some examples ofthis type of pledge would be the donation of bricks for theconstruction, providing landscaping, donations of appliances,electrical, or plumbing fixtures, or the donation of labornecessary to complete the project by a licensed, qualified,skilled individual or firm.

The second category is through the donation of some productthat can be sold with the proceeds benefiting the campaign inthe form of a gift. Examples include bushels of corn, livestock,new or used vehicles, or land. These items must have asaleable value that can be converted into a cash value.

Corporate Matching Gift

Matching gifts can substantially increase donor contributions.Many companies, their subsidiaries, or affiliates will match giftsto Bethlehem Academy, doubling or tripling the gift's impact.Frequently, match gifts are available to both current and retiredemployees. If you would like assistance, Bethlehem Academywill work with you in contacting your employer to obtain theforms to maximize your campaign contribution.

It is our hope that you and your family will be able to select thebest method that will allow you to maximize your pledge.Remember that all gifts toward this campaign will be fully taxdeductible to the extent permitted by law.

Bethlehem Academy105 Third Avenue S.W.Faribault, MN 55021

507-334-3948www.bacards.org

Capital Campaign Management and Direction by:Joseph Consulting • 6025 Shadowbrook Drive • Bettendorf, IA 52722 • www.josephconsulting.net

O Gracious God,

Loving God, we ask your blessings on all the

people of our Bethlehem Academy Community.

Be with us as we seek to discern and accomplish

your will. Help us to listen with open hearts and

open minds to one another.

Watch over and guide us and all who gift this

project to spread Your teachings to current and

future generations of young people at BA. Grant

us wisdom and understanding, patience and

perseverance so that we will attain our goal to

complete this important project.

Working together, help us to remember that

anything is possible with Your help and the power

of the Holy Spirit. May we all Embrace the

Miracle that is alive and active at BA.

Amen.

Embrace the Miracle