Attendance Up at November Open House
AVON LAKE, Ohio, Nov. 19, 2010 – As St. Joseph School Avon Lake celebrates its 60th anniversary, the school looks ahead to its future – recently opening registration for its 2011-2012 academic year. If the Nov. 12 Open House for prospective kindergarten students was any indication, the future is full of opportunity for the K-8 Catholic day school.
November’s Open House – the first of the year - is usually slower in attendance as families are just starting to plan for the following year. However, with 14 families in attendance and more phone calls following the event, this year’s Open House was one of the best received compared to previous Early Open Houses.
The Open House was for prospective parents whose children will be entering half-day or full-day kindergarten in Fall 2011. PTO President Megan Scheatzle welcomed the families on Nov. 12 and introduced St. Joseph’s pastor, Father Timothy O’Connor, who spoke about his dream of one day offering families a tuition-free Catholic education at St. Joseph’s. In working towards this goal, Father O’Connor hopes to reduce current tuition rates for the 2011-2012 school year.
Parents and prospective kindergarteners were then given a tour of the school while the Eighth grade students babysat younger siblings. The tour included a visit to each classroom, the school’s state-of-the-art computer lab, and a special visit to the kindergarten classrooms where the prospective families could spend time shadowing.
“During the Open House and tours, I am frequently asked, ‘Why choose Catholic education? In an outstanding public school district, what is special about St. Joseph Parish School?’” said Principal Pat Vacarro. “As a mid-sized Catholic elementary school, we are large enough to provide the programs of a large school, yet small enough to know every child and family personally. We offer an outstanding education in a nurturing Catholic environment. Our graduates transition seamlessly into area public schools as well as Catholic high schools. Recently, two of our alumni who are seniors in high school were honored as a National Merit Commended Student and National Merit Semi-Finalist.”
The Open House marked the beginning of registration for the 2011-2012 school year with half- and full-day kindergarten currently available. Dedicated to nurturing the whole child, spiritually and academically, St. Joseph School offers:
“Since last week, we’ve had a number of phone calls from parents who are seeking out more information about a K-8 experience at St. Joseph School. One family at the Open House commented that they had heard wonderful things about education at St. Joseph’s and the morning’s tour had surpassed their expectations,” said Principal Vacarro.
Prospective families can schedule a tour, sit in on a class, or visit for an entire day to learn more about the St. Joseph School experience. Parents should contact the school office at 440-933-6233 for more information.
About St. Joseph Parish Avon Lake
St. Joseph Parish Avon Lake (www.stjosephavonlake.org) is a Catholic community committed to celebrating the Eucharist and encouraging stewardship as a way of life. A member of the Diocese of Cleveland, it was founded in 1949 and has grown to its current enrollment of 1,750 registered families. St. Joseph Parish’s dedication to Catholic education is demonstrated through St. Joseph School, which serves grades K-8 and has been identified as a benchmark school for the Cleveland Diocese. The Parish is the only Catholic Church in Lorain County that currently offers a Sunday evening Mass at 5:00 PM, providing parishioners and the community with more options for attending Sunday Mass.