The Cathy & Joe Mohan Legacy Campaign
Cathy and Joe Mohan have been committed to Japhet School for nearly 30 years. Cathy first began as Middle Class teacher, then was Director of Studies, and has been our Head of School for 13 years. Cathy recently shared news of her June 30, 2018, retirement along with her husband Joe. Joe has served Japhet in a variety of roles, notably as Technology Advisor, PE Teacher, and Facility Director.
Before they retire, Cathy and Joe have committed to provide a much-needed, lasting gift to secure Japhet School’s prosperity … but they can’t do it alone.
Joe Mohan and the Board of Trustees are cooperatively launching the Cathy & Joe Mohan Legacy Campaign. Its goals: first, to pay off the mortgage, second, to pay off the bridge loan, and lastly, to set up a scholarship fund. Joe and Cathy have already initiated the campaign with a pledge of $25,000.
You can join them. Give securely online by clicking the “Donate” button below.
To continue reading about the Cathy & Joe Mohan Legacy Campaign:
“Our love of Japhet encouraged us to start this campaign so Japhet can prosper and grow forever,” Joe writes. “The most significant and rewarding event in Japhet’s past was the purchase of our own building. As we depart we’d like to honor Japhet and invite the community to join us by donating enough funds to free Japhet of a mortgage.”
The impact of being debt-free, especially as a nonprofit, is significant to the whole Japhet community. Eliminating mortgage debt will enable us to:
- Direct funds to meet the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan.
- Keep tuition affordable and reduce amount of fundraising needed.
- Implement a building maintenance fund.
Joe and the Board of Trustees plan a broad engagement of this campaign. Trustees are hopeful that the whole community will donate at unprecedented levels not only to preserve Japhet’s future, but also to honor Cathy and Joe as they retire.
If the mortgage and bridge loan are paid off, Japhet trustees will create the Cathy & Joe Mohan Legacy Fund, which will provide additional scholarships. Cathy and Joe will provide a seed donation to the fund, in addition to their pledge to help pay off the mortgage.
“Japhet School is rooted in the support of a strong community of families, faculty, staff, trustees, and donors who embrace Japhet’s mission and philosophy,” Cathy writes. “I have been inspired by the commitment of this community … and I am confident that the school will continue to prosper. It is not easy to leave a place to which my husband Joe and I are so deeply devoted, both professionally and personally. Japhet is a treasure.”
Cathy and Joe have shared their future plans: son Jake (J’03) daughter-in-law Shé welcomed a baby in December — Cathy and Joe’s first grandchild. The opportunity to spend more time with their family and to explore life as farmers on their beautiful property in Avoca, Michigan, awaits them in July of 2018. Until then, important work is underway to fulfill their lasting legacy to sustain Japhet School for generations to come.
“It has been a wonderful journey, these 45 years,” Joe writes, speaking of Japhet’s whole history. “We have enjoyed being a part of this community for 30 of them, and we are committed to being a part of it for as long as we can.”
To learn about our relocation journey, keep reading. Thank you for supporting Japhet School!
Japhet’s Journey Home
A Great Opportunity at an Unexpected Time — Our Challenge
Japhet leased our former Madison Heights building for 35 years. It was a wonderful home to our school, and we taught more than a thousand children within its walls. In late 2012, we were notified that our landlord would be using the school for its own program. While Japhet School did have a long-term plan to purchase a building of our own one day, the timing of this move was not ours, and the need to find a new home was urgent. With the hard work and dedication of trustees and staff, we succeeded! Japhet School’s new home, about three miles from our former location, is:
839 S. Crooks in Clawson, Michigan 48017 at the corner of Crooks and Normandy roads
The building cost $935,000, and our renovations and moving costs were approximately $565,000. We approved this expense as an investment in the mission of Japhet School. The need for financial support is immediate. This is our challenge.
Nurturing and Preparing Children for Life — Our Strength
Japhet has always been so much more than the walls that surround us. We have taken the essence of Japhet on this journey. While having our own building is a wonderful change for Japhet, the most important things have not changed at all. We’re still focused on:
- Being a leading school of character in Michigan where character and academics are taught as equals — a philosophy that has earned us national recognition
- Providing a strong academic program with an emphasis in oral communication that prepares our young students to excel in high school and college
- Offering small classes and a safe learning environment where children are valued and known by their teachers as unlimited learners
- Creating a school that children look forward to attending every day, and creating a peaceful and inclusive community to which the entire family belongs
Families who come to Japhet School come from many different backgrounds and situations, but they are all seeking a nurturing and challenging educational experience for their children. This common ground creates a community that is the Japhet difference. This is our strength.
Japhet’s Journey Home — Our Vision
To fund the purchase and renovation of Japhet School’s new home, we launched a $1.5 million capital campaign titled Japhet’s Journey Home. As of today, we are more than one-third of the way toward our goal.
Renovations to the 13,700-square-foot building included work on six new classrooms, a large gym, specialists’ room, fenced playground, kitchen, office spaces, central courtyard, reading resource room, HVAC system, and a server room with technology infrastructure.
Building purchase price: $935,000
Renovation and moving costs: $565,000
Total to raise with Japhet’s Journey Home: $1,500,000
Please join us on our Journey Home by contributing to our capital campaign. Your donation is an investment in a community where children know they matter. It is an investment in the difference Japhet makes in the lives of families and children each day. In our new home, we will continue to nurture and prepare each child for life by integrating character education with a strong academic program.
Together we can make this happen — this is our vision!
To donate, click on the Paypal link at the top of this page, or send a check: Gifts by personal or business check should be payable to Japhet School and mailed to the Japhet School Development Office, 839 S. Crooks Rd., Clawson, MI 48017. Please include a note that your gift is for Japhet’s Journey Home Capital Campaign.
Thank you for supporting Japhet’s Journey Home
Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Japhet School is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Download the press release about our relocation:
Japhet School Celebrates 40 Years and Moves to Clawson!
