October 18, 2016
Excellence is a Never Ending Journey
Brian Tracy, well known organizational consultant, stated that “Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends.” As a private, independent Catholic school, no truer words than these could ever be spoken.
My hope is you have already heard that Everest Collegiate High School and Academy has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2016 Blue Ribbon School. This honor recognizes Everest as an Exemplary High Performing School. Everest is one of 50 private schools in the United States and the only private school in Michigan to receive this award. The coveted honor is further enhanced by Everest being the only Pre-K through 12th grade educational institution in Michigan to receive the award across both the public and private sectors.
In addition, you may recall since 2012 Everest Collegiate High School has received the designation of School of Excellence by the Cardinal Newman Society. The Cardinal Newman Society honor is reserved for the top 5% of Catholic High Schools across the country for their Catholic school identity, academic achievement, and civic education.
Even though receiving both of these prestigious awards is very humbling, they also serve as affirmation that we are who we say we are, we are doing what we are supposed to do---and we are doing it at a high level. It is with God’s Grace as well as the dedication and hard work of our faculty and students that we are able to achieve these awards.
Now it is time for us to continue on our journey and look forward to our next milestone. During the Academy Back-to-School and the High School Meet the Faculty Nights, I had the opportunity to announce the kickoff of the Building on Excellence program (BOE). The objective of the BOE program is to review all our programs (categorized into five areas: academic, athletic, advancement, communication, and spiritual formation) with the intent to identify specific ways we can improve in each one. This type of evaluation process is invaluable to charting which path our journey will take. My goal is to receive as much candid input and feedback from as many alum, parents and friends as possible. I am pleased to announce that BOE focus groups have already been meeting. The entire Everest community is invited to a town hall meeting on Monday, December 5th, at 7:00 pm to listen to the results of those focus groups and provide their input into the process. I look forward to seeing you there!
I am grateful for all those who continue to be committed companions on our journey. May God bless you and may God bless Everest Collegiate High School and Academy!
In Gratitude,
Michael J. Nalepa
President
