Dear Alumnus of Nativity,

      The heart-warming and best-selling book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a poignant reminder that the most important lessons in life are learned in childhood.  Among them: Share everything.  Play fair.  Hold hands and stick together.

     Those of us who have been privileged to be educated at Nativity School have always known what a crucial foundation our elementary school years provided us.   For 50 years, Nativity School in Menlo Park has not only offered an outstanding academic education to more than 1500 children, but its even more powerful legacy is educating those students in the context of a loving, Christian community that also teaches compassion, kindness, integrity, and responsibility.  In so doing, Nativity’s dedicated educators have prepared us to succeed in life as well as the classroom.

     As a fellow alumnus, we are asking you to join with us in what we are calling the “Thanks a Million” alumni campaign to help continue this tradition.  Nativity is sorely in need of a multi-purpose facility to serve as a gymnasium, theater, and activity center.  We have talked about this need for years (some of us for decades!).  However, the amazing news is that this dream has become a reality.   You will surely be as proud and excited as we are that we have already received gifts and pledges for more than half of the total funds necessary to build a multi-purpose activity center. Thanks to the leadership of Msgr. Steven Otellini, friends of Nativity School and parish who know us and who have faith in our goodness and purpose have committed $3.5 million to this project.  What’s more, the Archdiocese of San Francisco has approved our plan, and the City of Menlo Park has given us its permission to proceed. We will be breaking ground in the summer of 2007.

    With our goal in sight, we enter a critical phase of fund-raising to make sure we can finish the job.  We have been presented with a unique matching funds opportunity, which is where your help is sorely needed.  Thanks to the hard work and generosity of many existing families and alumni who have supported recent carnivals and auctions -- and made directed donations -- we have roughly $500,000 in our existing school building fund account.  A loyal and generous Nativity parish family has offered to match future alumni gifts, to the impressive sum of $250,000.  If Nativity alumni can contribute their own $250,000, we will qualify for the full value of those matching funds – and bring our total of internally raised funds to an impressive one million dollars.

   Your “Thanks a Million!” gift today will not only be matched dollar for dollar, it will help us prove to other foundations and philanthropists that we deserve their support, as well.  To put it bluntly, if we are to generate interest and donations from others in our project, we must demonstrate our own enthusiasm and devotion. Whatever you can afford, you will be helping us show the strong affection our alumni community has for Nativity School.  No gift is too small to send.  It is extremely important that we demonstrate a high percentage response to this appeal!

     It was thrilling to see almost 900 people attend our recent 50th Anniversary celebration.  That was living proof of the impact Nativity has had in our local community and in the world more broadly.  Doctors, scientists, successful business people, loving parents, thriving college students – what a testimony to our success!   Nobody understands better than we do the value of a Nativity education.  Will you join us in making a donation, perhaps to honor a former teacher or classmate, or in memory of a beloved friend or family member?  The attached envelope suggests several different giving options.

    Please visit our campaign webpage at www.nativityschool.com/buildingcampaign to read more about our plans, and updates on our progress as the campaign gets underway.  We will also offer a walk down memory lane, as past alums share their fond memories of Nativity  -- such as Father Ford and his legendary sense of humor, the heartwarming annual Christmas programs, Carnival fun, and more.

   So, let’s hold hands, stick together, and share our blessings so that a new generation of Nativity students will thrive in an environment that cherishes the whole child, that models Christ’s message of love and kindness every day, and that equips them with all they need to know.

Thanks a Million,

Karen Finney-Skogstrom

Nativity Class of 1966

(Mother of daughters Marguerite ‘98, Anne-Marie ‘00, and Emily ‘05)

Russ Castle

Nativity Class of 1975

(Parents of John ’07 and Patrick ’11)

Patrick O’Hare and Susan Gerkensmeyer-O’Hare

Nativity Class of 1975 & 1979

(Parents of Caitlin ’05 & Kristen ‘07)

Tom Neylan

Nativity Class of 1976

(Father of sons Brett ’02, James, ’04, and Alex ’05)

John McLenahan

Nativity Class of 1984