CDH Embarks on Strategic Planning Process

February 13, 2019

Cretin-Derham Hall is a premier Catholic school in the Twin Cities with a proud heritage and an exciting future. We are widely respected for offering affordable excellence in academics, co-curricular options, faith development, service, and so much more. Our sense of community is second to none. Our founders, traditions, and alumni network fuel our commitment to our mission.

Cretin-Derham Hall is proud that our school spirit is high, enrollment is strong, and our dedicated and highly credentialed faculty continues to help each student reach his or her God-given potential.

Our course and co-curricular offerings continue to evolve, with new A.P. classes, a strong focus on STEM, and new student-driven clubs and activities being established this year. Our robotics lab and new virtual reality technology offer exciting learning opportunities. Our long-standing approach to service-learning impacts students throughout the year.

Additionally, we are making necessary improvements to our campus. The infrastructure updates to building systems, technology, and security began this year. A new entrance has been approved and will be completed in the fall of 2019. This welcoming space has been designed to provide a much-needed gathering space and enhanced accessibility to our campus. A capital campaign to fund these efforts is underway, with lead gifts already in place.

It’s an exciting time to be a Raider!

As we look to the future of Cretin-Derham Hall, we believe that our continued success and growth will require both short and long term strategic approaches to address challenges and leverage opportunities that support our commitment to providing an exceptional, faith-based education.

CDH begins the strategic planning process

CDH is working with Partners in Mission to develop our five-year strategic plan, Strong Foundation, Vibrant Future. Partners in Mission focuses specifically on supporting programs of excellence in Catholic schools across the country and will partner with our community to build this strategic plan for our future.

A steering committee has been identified which includes representation from current parents, past parents, alumni, board members, and advisers. The team will be supported by liaisons from the faculty and staff and facilitated by Partners in Mission over the next year.

A critical part of this process will be soliciting input from our community, including students, parents, faculty and staff, alumni, and friends of the school.

As part of the process, there will be focus groups, interviews, and surveys with a range of stakeholders in the CDH community, including parents and students. Additionally, CDH will analyze data regarding demographics and enrollment that will be critical in the planning process.

The ultimate goal of the plan is to strategically enhance CDH’s position as the premier Catholic school in the Twin Cities.

What are the next steps?

We ask for your prayerful support for a successful planning process that will impact the future of Cretin-Derham Hall. We also ask for your thoughtful and constructive input when asked for feedback as part of the assessment phase.

After the work is complete, our Strategic Plan, Strong Foundation, Vibrant Future, will be adopted by the CDH Board of Directors in the winter of 2019/2010. The plan, based on stakeholder input, will include goals, strategies, relevant benchmarks, and an implementation framework. The resulting plan will guide our work over the next five years. 

Building on the long tradition of excellence here at Cretin-Derham Hall, this new strategic plan, Strong Foundation, Vibrant Future, will ensure our community is prepared and responsive to the needs of our current and future students so they will lead inspired lives within our ever-changing world.