"New Beginnings Founded... On Long Standing Tradition."

It is amazing what can happen in just a few years when a group of dedicated volunteers come together and find resources to grow a school like Bishop John J. Snyder High School.  Who would have thought that in six years time we would grow so quickly?

When BJS first opened, the only dedicated athletic complex was the Demetree Gymnasium; now, our athletic infrastructure is on track to being one of the finest in the city.  Softball and baseball fields were built with the dedication of their coaches and players’ families.  The football field had lights and bleachers installed in 2006 due to the hard work of the many volunteers who raised thousands of dollars. 

A practice football field was developed through grant funding sponsored by the National Football League and LISC (Local Initiative Support Council) and in the summer of 2007 we installed an eight lane track.  Dedicated giving opportunities are still available to commemorate a friend or loved one.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to Bishop John Snyder High School, please contact Shelley Gudzak at 904-771-1029 or by email shelleygudzak@bishopsnyder.org

Shelley Gudzak, Director of Development and Admissions

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES:

Building to Serve Campaign

It was hard to imagine when we welcomed our inaugural class of 78 students in 2002 that in three short years we would run out of classroom space.  To accommodate our unprecedented growth and to prepare for the 2006-07 school year we purchased six portable classroom buildings and began “Building to Serve”, our first capital campaign. “Building to Serve” was dedicated to the construction of a new classroom building which will house ten new classrooms providing us with the ability to increase our student population to 700 students.  Construction of the new buildings began in the fall of 2007 and the classrooms will be available for use in 2008-09.  With many generous donations and pledges “Building to Serve” succeeded in raising $1.1 million dollars and while that is exceptional it does not cover the cost of construction.  Donations and pledges are still being accepted to help us cover the cost of our new classroom building.  Please contact Shelley Gudzak at 904-771-1029 to request a Building to Serve pledge card.

Lifestyle Legacies

The Lifestyle Legacies program is a way for our families and friends of Bishop John J. Snyder High School to utilize loyalty reward programs offered by national companies. There are a variety of programs that generate cash for non-profit organizations such as our school. We are currently collecting used cell phones, inkjet cartridges and laserjet cartridges and recycling them through Funding Factory. Please drop off your used cell phones, inkjet and laserjet cartridges at the Main Office, M-F, 7:30am-3:45pm.

Your everyday lifestyle can help make a difference to the students at BJS.  Target credit card customers can link your Target Visa to account # 119800 so that we may earn 1% of your REDcard purchases.

Office supplies from Office Depot earn a healthy 5% rebate whenever you make a purchase.  Simply give them our school ID # 70124109.

Questions? Don't hesitate to call me at 771-1029.

Bishop John J. Snyder Scholarship Program

To honor the man for whom our school is named, we have established a scholarship fund in his honor.  The scholarship fund will be primarily used to assist students from lower income households to attend Bishop John J. Snyder High School.  Individual giving and foundation grants will be sought to begin this worthy fund.

The Vallencourt Scholarship

Frances and Barbara Vallencourt are pioneers of Northeast Florida and their living legacy has been established by their family with the Vallencourt Scholarship.  Each year, rising seniors are encouraged to apply for the scholarship.  A teacher led committee chooses one young man and one young woman who have followed the virtues of Mr. and Mrs. Vallencourt of hard work, integrity, honesty and character.  Each student is awarded $2500 to be used for tuition during their senior year at BJS.

Additional donations to make these scholarship funds even stronger are welcome.  Please call the Development Office to learn how your gift can help our students succeed and achieve. 

Should you wish to learn more about establishing a scholarship, we would be delighted to help you set a path that will truly make a difference in many lives.  Scholarships may be funded in one of two ways:  a funded scholarship requires an annual minimum contribution of $1,000.00 and an endowed scholarship requires a minimum gift of $100,000.  To discuss how your gift can help a BJS student, please call Shelley Gudzak in the Development Office.

Yes, there is FUN in Fundraising

Two of the biggest BJS fundraisers are also great social occasions.  Our annual Auction and Golf Tournament are each great success stories in bringing together diverse groups of people for a common cause and watching everyone have a great time making new friends while helping BJS grow.

Sponsorships and donations are an integral part of each event.  If you own a business or have a have a product or service that you can donate, please call us but most of all make plans to join us for a fun night with friends.

Mark your calendars now for the Spring Fling Auction and the Golf Tournament.  The Auction is Saturday, March 1, 2008 and the Golf Tournament is Thursday, May 1, 2008.  We’d love your help and you’ll have a great time.