Archdiocesan Youth Day 6 • Surrogacy 9 • New cardinals 12 October 13, 2016 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Got growth After years of declining enrollment at Catholic schools, pre-K programs bring new wave of students By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit
T
eachers at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Brooklyn Park had plenty of moving to do before the new school year. All but one of its teachers moved classrooms to make way for a new preschool program, which began this fall. Thirty-eight preschool students spend their days learning through various activities at the school. “I think it’s added a real nice component to our school,” St. Vincent de Paul Principal Lisa Simon said. “The older kids are interacting with these younger kids and are naturally finding ways to reach out, be good role models to them.” Preschool programs popping up at Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have boosted enrollment. After years of decline, kindergarten through eighth-grade Catholic schools bounced back from an average loss of 800 students per year over the past three to four years, according to the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence. This year, schools increased
From left, preschoolers Brinlin Mitchell, Ruby Zehr-Short, Asher Rexine, Conor Flack and Grace Stueve sing a song during class at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Brooklyn Park, which started a preschool program this school year. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit total enrollment by 20-some students. “The reason there’s been a real change this year has been the help from the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence to help schools develop strategic plans around enrollment and to help develop high quality preschools and to support our principals around enrollment as well,” said Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the archdiocese’s vicar of education. CSCOE, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Catholic education, began working with the archdiocese’s Catholic grade schools in 2015 to address the enrollment decline. Bishop Cozzens and the archdiocesan Office for the Mission of Catholic Education soon partnered with it. “With twin focus on growing enrollment and excellence in Catholic schools, the Catholic Schools Center of
Excellence is instrumental in expanding preschool offerings in our elementary schools, upgrading school technology platforms and helping us tell the beautiful story of our Catholic faith,” said Jason Slattery, director of the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education. CSCOE assisted principals in forming teams at their respective parishes to help increase enrollment. Bishop Cozzens added that the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education also worked to help priests who have parish schools. “And we want to continue to help support the priests in their work in the schools, because we know how important it is for the success of the school,” Bishop Cozzens said. Success in enrollment starts at the preschool level, which grew by 11 percent, according to CSCOE. Some schools such as St. Vincent de Paul just
began work last November to start a preschool with CSCOE’s encouragement. It paid off for the Brooklyn Park school with an increase of 38 students this year. “We couldn’t have done it without CSCOE’s help,” Simon said. St. Vincent de Paul’s new program enticed preschool teacher Sara Kessler to leave her early childhood teaching position in the Columbia Heights school district. Having received a Catholic education, she wanted to help develop a Catholic pre-K program. Moreover, she recognizes what public schools can’t offer. “The power of prayer,” Kessler said. “We pray throughout the day. We pray as a school and as a class.” Kessler added that her students look Please turn to SCHOOLS on page 6
ALSO inside
50 years of unity
World Mission Sunday
All-school Mass
Catholics look back on decision to add Minneapolis to archdiocese’s name. — Page 8
Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, to benefit from this year’s collection. — Pages 10-11
Catholic grade school students gather for archdiocese’s first Mass of the Holy Spirit. — Page 19