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Story by Debralee Santos and Karen Galán
Photos by Catherine Fonseca
This time last year, the talk was of its being the last Christmas show at Good Shepherd school. It had been announced in November 2010 that the school’s closure by the Archdiocese of New York was imminent.
Good Shepherd’s enrollment had steadily dwindled, and the subsidies it depended upon from the Archdiocese had continued to grow year to year.
The school, established in 1925, was deemed at-risk, along with 32 other Catholic schools across the city, and prospects seemed dim.
But there would be no going quietly.
Parents, students, and alumni rallied efforts in person, and online, creating Facebook pages and mounting petition drives all through last year’s winter.
One of the petition organizers, Dalba Castrillon, and a parent of two children in the school, was on the front lines of the fight to keep Good Shepherd open – and also joined in presenting a long-term plan that spoke to fundraising commitments and a formal alumni association, among other solutions.
It worked.
Good Shepherd was the only Manhattan parochial school on the list that was spared closure, and with a new administration under Principal Melissa Diaz-Kwan, and a new esprit de corps, it seems that some wishes do come true.
And so this past Fri., Dec. 16th, when it was time to put on this year’s Christmas show, there would be no flourish too small to express the joy of the season.
Including snow.
Indoors.
The unexpected snow machine gave on-lookers at the School’s annual Christmas show a 4-D “Christmas Spectacular” experience as it covered the seated audience in “snow “ while all sang along to favorite songs. The show’s premise also had an American Idol-like concept in which Santa’s elves were faced with the dilemma of deciding which class had the most talent, and would win the opportunity to sing for Santa.
The school’s eighth graders coordinated hot chocolate and cookie sales in efforts to raise money for their graduation trip at the end of the school year. Principal Diaz-Kwan was especially appreciative of the efforts of the school’s teachers and student body.
“I’m proud of my teachers and students and elated that the show was a great success and that the parents were so happy,” said Diaz-Kwan on the Monday after the show.
And for mom Dalba Castrillon, the relief – and the happiness – were unique, and welcome, gifts this year.
“As a parent in the school, I couldn’t be happier or more proud. The fight was well worth it,” she says. “And it was honestly the best show we have had in years!”
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