GRAND ISLAND CENTRAL CATHOLIC With the official completion of the construction on the newest space at Grand Island Central Catholic, the school is ready and waiting to welcome a whole new class of students — in new grade levels — to the Crusader tradition. The school opened the doors to celebrate and share its new elementary and preschool addition with the community on Aug. 12, ushering in new opportunities and growth to its educational system.
"We are so blessed by the people who have sacrificed and given and made all of (this) happen," GICC superintendent Dr. Jordan Engle during Monday's ribbon cutting of the new space. "But I want to leave you with this.
All of the sacrifices and blessings that have been made to date to make this school what it is will pale in comparison to the difference that we make in the life of one young child. That's what this is all about." This is for the families, the community and the future, he added.
According the Central Catholic's website, the new Central Catholic Elementary School addition will provide space for up to 280 students at the Pre-K through fifth grade level. It includes 27,000 square feet of space added to GICC's current building. This square footage will be shared in 14 general education classrooms and two additional resource classrooms, as well as a new atrium, office space and a conference room.
There is also playground space and a remodeled cafeteria/ kitchen space to accommodate additional students at lunchtime. Jolene Wojcik, executive director of the Central Catholic Development Foundation, took time to thank those involved with making the Grand Island Central Catholic Elementary School a reality. Aside from the work of the campaign chairs, the project also received a gift from the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Foundation.
According to The Ryan Foundation's website, Dr. Wayne and Eileen Ryan privately fund the entire foundation. They were "active philanthropists during their lives" whose "acts of kindness came in different forms, whether it was Eileen paying for a stranger's groceries who couldn't afford them, or Dr.
Ryan designing a device pro-bono to test astronauts' immune systems in space." "They are a family foundation that supports Catholic education and they found out what we were doing out here in Grand Island," Wojcik said. "They were so impressed, they wanted to be a part of it.
So we thank the Ryan family. Throughout the campaign I also had a lot of people come into my office and they would almost apologetically give their pledge or their gift, they just wanted to help us more. But then they would say, 'I've been praying for this for 50 years.
I've been praying for this school. I've been praying for you, praying for the campaign.' So I'm just so grateful for everybody that said yes and helped us along the way.
" Other thanks were given to Chief Construction and those that labored on the project over the past many months. “They worked so hard to build us this beautiful school and they did it months ahead of schedule,” she added. “I mean what a blessing it was for our teachers and our staff to get in here early and get ready for this school year.
” She then shared a personal story with those in attendance. “When we started this campaign my mother’s health was deteriorating quickly and many times after long days here at school I would go over to Lakeview Nursing Home and help her with supper and sit with her in a room and tuck her into bed each night,” she shared. “And looking back on that time I realized what a gift it was to just sit still and spend that time with her.
” Her mother passed last June and it was while working on her obituary that she learned something new about her. “My mom was a school teacher,” she said. “She taught for three years, grades one through eight, at a country school.
And I know she just has to be thrilled seeing what’s happening here today and thrilled knowing that her great-granddaughter, Charlotte, will be in that very first 3-year-old preschool classroom here at Central Catholic. And of course I’ll be thrilled to take my granddaughter to work each day.” In closing, Wojcik thanked Bishop James Golka, noting his support to everyone throughout the project.
The Foundation has named The Bishop Golka Legacy Fund in his honor. Donations to the fund will be used to help support the new Grand Island Central Catholic Elementary School. Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
