Former Holy Spirit students wrap up first year in new school | Local News

Sending their kids farther away may have brought some families closer together.

At least, that’s what Jean Pascale is seeing after 40 former Holy Spirit Academy students completed their first academic year at St. John Paul II Elementary School in Hermitage.

The youngsters’ families were forced to find a new venue for their children’s education after the 113-year-old Holy Spirit Academy (former St. Vitus School) closed last year after years of declining enrollment and funding challenges.

The academy’s students were free to choose another Diocese of Pittsburgh school to continue their Catholic education, but most opted to take advantage of an inter-diocese agreement that allowed them to attend St. John Paul II in the Diocese of Erie, with tuition support and transportation provided through donations and fundraisers in their home parish.

Pascale, Holy Spirit Parish facilitator and advisor to Friends of Catholic Education (the group that manages the cross-county academic process), credited parents, the four-member FOCE board and St. John Paul with working together seamlessly to make the arrangement happen.

“But what’s really a beauty of this,” she said, “is that parents are getting to know each other in a school setting again. In the old days of school and organizations, mothers didn’t work. The work was supporting their kids and their school activities, and that’s why it was more family oriented.”

As the number of two-income families went up and stay-at-home moms declined, that environment degraded.

“Now these families, but their own definition and by-laws, they have to help with the fundraisers for the money it takes to transport the kids,” Pascale said. “So I think they’re starting to unite back that way as families. I just think that’s so important.”

BLENDING IN

Still, while parents were blending behind the scenes, it was up to the Holy Spirit Academy students to turn the trick on center stage at St. John Paul II. Moreover, as if being the new kids on the block in Hermitage school wasn’t challenging enough, those who opted to ride a parish-arranged New Castle Transit Authority bus to get there had to wake up earlier and arrive home later than they ever had before.

Nicole and Chad Church of Shenango Township helped their children — 7-year-old Maddox and 5-year-old Marlowe — make the adjustment.

“Obviously, when we told them it would be a different school, they weren’t happy at all about it,” Chad Church said. “What do you tell them? I was a little bit concerned about it myself. But Kennedy (the Kennedy Catholic Family of Schools, of which St. John Paul II is a part) has a good reputation, so I wasn’t too concerned, other than the distance. It’s a half-hour trip.”

The Churches served as bus monitors, so the entire family had to adjust to an earlier-wake up call.

“That was probably one of our biggest challenges, getting up an hour-plus earlier than normal,” Church said. “But they adapted well, and they are really enjoying being at St. John Paul.’

Now, while no one is eager for summer vacation to run its course, the Church children have much different outlook about returning to school in the fall.

“They’re obviously glad to be off,” Church said, “but as far as going back, they both have much better attitude. I actually gave my son the option to jump through the ‘Dr. Pepper portal’ if he wanted to transfer to a different school – we live five minutes from Shenango Elementary – but he said he wanted to go back.

“That was a good thing.”

EXPANDED FAMILY

From her point of view, Nicole Perry, director of enrollment management at St. John Paul II, also watched the former Holy Spirit students settle in well at their new school.

“They quickly found friends and the St. John Paul students were so happy to have new friends in their class,” she said. “I would say their transition leveled out in about a month or two, as is typical with any new student.”

Assimilation took place not only in the classrooms, she said, but also in extracurricular activities, with the new arrivals joining cross country, cheerleading and basketball squads, and their parents signing up to be part of the Parent Teacher Organization.

“By the end of the year, there was a real ‘family’ feeling among parents and students alike,” Perry said, “and solid friendships were made,”

Principal Katie Tiefenthal agreed.

“The students didn’t miss a beat,” she said. “Within a few months, the students seemed to be comfortable and feeling like this school was their new home and this was their new school family.”

She also was impressed by the support of the new students’ families.

“The families have been very supportive of the school and helping whenever needed,” she said. “It has been wonderful to see how passionate they are about Catholic education.

“I have enjoyed building relationships with the students and families alike,”

MAINTAINING ROOTS

Elizabeth Yanelli-Schreckengost, a member of the FOCE board along with Melanie Widelko, Leanna Litrenta and Natalie Fee, also sees the difference a year has made.

“I think it’s easier now, having our first year behind us,” she said. “We now have a schedule of fundraisers and service projects and Masses that we didn’t have last year,” she said. “Last year, we kind of planned as we went, because we didn’t exist.”

With students having acclimated to their new school, the main goals now are raising the funds to keep them there, and planning the activities and projects that will help them to remain tethered to their home parish.

For example, a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrating the completion of the first year at St. John Paul II was followed by a luau-themed dance in Fabbri Hall, the activity room of the former academy.

There are also service projects, such as placing flags on veterans’ graves, that not only benefit the community, but also keep the bonds formed at Holy Spirit strong.

“They’re going to another school, but they still get together here in Lawrence County to do things and see each other socially,” Schreckengost said. “That’s important. They keep their identity, but they take what they’ve learned here and go out into the world and share it.”