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CATHOLIC SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

HONEST ABE: School community loves St. Mary's Institute, Amsterdam

On a recent morning when the Kindergarten class was preparing for graduation, the sixth- through eighth-graders were taking final exams and the rest of the school was anxiously awaiting the start of summer vacation, Giovanni Virgiglio sat at his desk proudly. 

Finishing up his first year as principal at St. Mary's Institute in Amsterdam, Mr. Virgiglio spoke about what his school had to offer.

"Our academic excellence and our Catholic identity go hand-in-hand," he stated.
Having opened its doors in 1880, St. Mary's was home to 216 students this school year and expects around the same number for the next academic year. The school moved from East Main Street to Kopernick Boulevard in 1990, taking over the building that was formerly Bishop Scully High School. 

With the move, St. Mary's also carried over the tradition of the high school. 

Christine Stanavich and her husband are graduates of Bishop Scully High, and six of their seven children are now enrolled at St. Mary's.

Faith focus
Mrs. Stanavich couldn't be happier. "I love the school," she told The Evangelist. "The environment and the focus on prayer is excellent. Coming from a Catholic background, that's very important."

One of Mrs. Stanavich's daughters, Gabby, also seemed to enjoy her school. When asked her favorite part of the school day, she rattled off a few subjects and teachers to her mother before settling on one answer: "Gym. It's really fun to play outside."

Third-grader Justin Phemister agreed with Gabby that gym was the most fun, but he also had kind words to say about the rest of the school.

"Most of the teachers are really nice and they make learning real fun," he remarked.

Continuity
Mr. Virgiglio appreciates the atmosphere of a Catholic school. A graduate of St. Teresa of Avila School, Bishop Maginn High School and The College of Saint Rose College, all in Albany, he called himself a "product of Catholic education." 

However, he noted that his experience is one his students aren't likely to emulate: St. Mary's Institute is the only Catholic school in Amsterdam. After graduating from eighth grade, the majority of St. Mary's students attend Amsterdam High School. 

"It's too bad," said Christine Perez, the mother of a student, "because the education here, I think, supercedes that of a public school."

Larry Jordan, a member of the school board at St. Mary's, also thinks a continuous Catholic education is important, though not essential.

"They learn a tremendous amount [in Catholic schools] in terms of being responsible individuals," he explained. "I think that can sometimes carry over, even if you go to a public high school. I know I did it and my Catholic education helped me get through."

This is a topic that Mr. Virgiglio is very passionate about. Recently, he has been in contact with both Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady and Saratoga Central Catholic High School, trying to form what he called a "sister school" system.

ND-BG is approximately 20 miles from St. Mary's; Saratoga Central Catholic is about 25 miles away. Despite that, efforts are now underway to promote continuing a Catholic education through the high schools: ND-BG invited students at St. Mary's to take their entrance exam and even provided buses for the trip.

Still, the distance is an issue. "It's a huge struggle, getting on a bus at 6 a.m.," said Mrs. Perez.

But "I see its value," Mr. Virgiglio stated. "As a long-term vision, there's nothing more I'd like to see than a pre-K through grade 12 program in Amsterdam."

(06/25/09) [[In-content Ad]]

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