AUBURN - For SS. Peter and Paul Catholic School and St. Joseph's School, Catholic Schools Week is as much about providing students fun-filled events as it is to boost school enrollment.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Parent volunteer Marnie Fessenden shows Eirne Keegan, 4, the kindergarten classroom at St. Joseph's while Keegan's mother, Lisa Homic, looks on. The school held an open house for prospective students and their families on Wednesday.
Parent volunteer Marnie Fessenden shows Eirne Keegan, 4, the kindergarten classroom at St. Joseph's while Keegan's mother, Lisa Homic, looks on. The school held an open house for prospective students and their families on Wednesday.
“It's a fun week for the students,” said Kathleen Coye, principal of St. Joseph's School. “We're between first and second semester, and this gives students a little break.”
During this week, Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, students will engage in a myriad of activities, from making Valentines for people in nursing homes and having a poetry recitation to writing thank you letters to priests and nuns and listening to a talk on William Seward given by guest speaker Jennifer Haines of the Seward House.
But beyond activities for students, St. Joseph's held an open house Wednesday for prospective families thinking about sending their child to the Catholic institution on Genesee Street in Auburn.
More than 10 families came for a tour of the facility.
St. Joseph's, currently at 186 students with an additional some-20 students in pre-kindergarten, is looking to increase enrollment for the next academic year, said Coye.
Coye would ideally like to see 18 to 22 students in each class; currently there are classes that are as small as eight students.
“I think the good news is that we have over 200 students and I believe we are going to increase our numbers a little bit for next year because of the interest I've seen today,” she said.
Catholic Schools Week, organized annually by the National Catholic Educational Association, is a way to showcase religious institutions and the values they pass on to students.
This year's theme is “Catholic Schools Light the Way,” focusing on the leadership that Catholic schools provide to the nation, according to the National Catholic Educational Association's Web site.
“Catholic Schools Week is basically a 'Come and see us,'” said Sr. Kathleen Hutsko, principal of SS. Peter and Paul School. “We are so proud of the achievement of our students and graduates that are getting out into the world to make a difference with Catholic values.”
The Ukrainian Catholic school on Washington Street is opening its doors to prospective families all week in the hopes that, come September, there will be a few more students in its classrooms.
Last year, the school engaged in an active publicity campaign to raise enrollment for the 2007-2008 academic year. The result was a 43 percent spike, raising the tally of students from 71 to 103, said Hutsko.
But the school relied more on word-of-mouth than on paid advertising this year, said Hutsko, as there is not enough room at the facility for a repeat of last year.
“If we can get to 120 I'd be very happy,” said Hutsko. “We can't really accommodate any more than that unless we expand.”
The two local institutions' initiative to raise enrollment coincides with an announcement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester on Jan. 18 that 13 Catholic elementary schools in Monroe County will close in June based upon a decrease in enrollment and financial solvency.
Both St. Joseph's and SS. Peter and Paul are affiliated with the Rochester diocese.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
During this week, Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, students will engage in a myriad of activities, from making Valentines for people in nursing homes and having a poetry recitation to writing thank you letters to priests and nuns and listening to a talk on William Seward given by guest speaker Jennifer Haines of the Seward House.
But beyond activities for students, St. Joseph's held an open house Wednesday for prospective families thinking about sending their child to the Catholic institution on Genesee Street in Auburn.
More than 10 families came for a tour of the facility.
St. Joseph's, currently at 186 students with an additional some-20 students in pre-kindergarten, is looking to increase enrollment for the next academic year, said Coye.
Coye would ideally like to see 18 to 22 students in each class; currently there are classes that are as small as eight students.
“I think the good news is that we have over 200 students and I believe we are going to increase our numbers a little bit for next year because of the interest I've seen today,” she said.
Catholic Schools Week, organized annually by the National Catholic Educational Association, is a way to showcase religious institutions and the values they pass on to students.
This year's theme is “Catholic Schools Light the Way,” focusing on the leadership that Catholic schools provide to the nation, according to the National Catholic Educational Association's Web site.
“Catholic Schools Week is basically a 'Come and see us,'” said Sr. Kathleen Hutsko, principal of SS. Peter and Paul School. “We are so proud of the achievement of our students and graduates that are getting out into the world to make a difference with Catholic values.”
The Ukrainian Catholic school on Washington Street is opening its doors to prospective families all week in the hopes that, come September, there will be a few more students in its classrooms.
Last year, the school engaged in an active publicity campaign to raise enrollment for the 2007-2008 academic year. The result was a 43 percent spike, raising the tally of students from 71 to 103, said Hutsko.
But the school relied more on word-of-mouth than on paid advertising this year, said Hutsko, as there is not enough room at the facility for a repeat of last year.
“If we can get to 120 I'd be very happy,” said Hutsko. “We can't really accommodate any more than that unless we expand.”
The two local institutions' initiative to raise enrollment coincides with an announcement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester on Jan. 18 that 13 Catholic elementary schools in Monroe County will close in June based upon a decrease in enrollment and financial solvency.
Both St. Joseph's and SS. Peter and Paul are affiliated with the Rochester diocese.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
The Citizens' Say
There are No comments posted.