08 06 09 Letter To St Margarets

PETER COSTELLO 130 Exeter Avenue Liverpool, NY 13088 (315) 559-1358 (Cell) ∙ (315) 554-6177 (Office) [email protected]

August 6, 2009 Susanne M. Donze Principal, St. Margaret’s Elementary School 201 Roxboro Road Mattydale, NY 13211 Dear Miss Donze, I am writing to you today in order to reiterate concerns I have expressed to you in the past regarding my financial ability to continue my daughter Kathryn’s Catholic education. I have lovingly sacrificed financially seven years in order for my two daughters to attend Catholic schools, and as a single parent who is not only juggling the day-to-day demands that many modern parents manage, I have also for the last six years, had the financial responsibility of maintaining the separate/additional household of the girls’ mother, as well as the burden of the attorney’s fees associated with our divorce. Kathryn’s sister Sarah Rose has graduated from St. Margaret’s and is now moving on to Bishop Ludden, so I have her tuition bill to consider as well. On paper it may seem that my income would deem our household as not qualified for financial assistance, but I ask you to please look beyond what meets the eye. My financial commitment to my two daughters’ private, Catholic education may seen as voluntary compared to the other obligations I have been compelled by the court to meet, but in my heart it is the most essential commitment of all, which I will explain. I am sure you realize the extremely personal and emotional nature of our family’s situation due to the girls’ mother suffering from untreated, psychological disorders which render her behavior unpredictable at best, as witnessed by many members of the staff at St. Margaret’s in the past. Imagine the effects on Kathryn’s ability to focus on school work or even maintain her own composure, if she were not under the loving, watchful eye of the teachers and staff at St. Margaret’s. They realize the necessity of shielding Kathryn from the outbursts that have occurred during her mother’s unannounced visits to school. The environment of St. Margaret's for Kathryn is a home-away-from-home, which cannot be replicated in a public school. Why I share all of this with you is so you understand the importance of the sense of security that Kathryn feels while at St. Margaret's, which she otherwise only experiences with me literally by her side. As mentioned above, I am under unprecedented financial and emotional strain, and I hope that if additional school or diocesan funds become available, you will find my family's needs as worthy of assistance. It would make a world of difference in our lives. Thank you for your prayers and understanding. In Faith,

Peter Costello