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Last year, some seventh-graders at the former St. Catherine of Siena School in Albany were sad when they heard their school would change its name.

Then they realized they'd be the first graduating class of Mater Christi School. Now, the eighth-graders say, "Change is for the best."

Teachers and parents agree the change - spurred by the 2009 merger of St. Teresa of Avila and St. Catherine of Siena parishes to become Mater Christi parish in Albany - happened smoothly. The new name quickly replaced the old in signs, floor mats, nameplates, a website and uniforms.

"No one skipped a beat," said John Evers, a parent of a second-grader. "It's just a bigger parish family. With so many Catholic schools closing and so many parishes closing, everyone in Mater Christi really rallied, and the school has been at the forefront."

A new name is not the only change making a buzz at Mater Christi.

The preschool took over the old parish center and now offers a full-day, five-times-a-week program for four-year-olds with an after-school care option.

The parish added a large meeting room that can be divided into three classrooms. The school's math classes will use one of the rooms - equipped with wireless internet, a SMART Board and a projector. Five other existing classrooms also received the interactive boards.

Also new this year is a problem-solving math lab for fourth- through eighth-graders, an option for eighth-graders to take the earth science Regents exam and the revival of a teacher-student advisor-advisee program.

"It's really been a year of growth," said principal Theresa Ewell, who has served St. Catherine's and now Mater Christi for 22 years.

Mr. Evers said that his daughter, Lily, is excited about the SMART Boards, but mostly about the gym, which swapped its tile flooring for a shiny wood floor.

"It looks like glass; it's so brand-new," he said, adding that it's enough to make Lily and others eager to form a second-grade basketball team.

Mater Christi School enrolled 170 students in Kindergarten through eighth grade this year, and another 43 in pre-Kindergarten. The number of students has remained constant the past few years; most hail from Catholic households in the city of Albany. More than half of graduates attend Catholic high schools.

The school will continue to draw upon its tradition of weaving the Catholic faith into all aspects of teaching and growing, Mrs. Ewell said: "It permeates everything we do."

Classes take turns attending daily Mass at the church with about 100 Mater Christi parishioners. The student body participates in a weekly prayer service, as well as a monthly liturgy.

Sixth-graders pray the Rosary monthly with parishioners and weekly as a class; fifth-graders learn about parts of the Mass, vestments and sacraments from Rev. Kenneth Doyle, pastor of the parish. Each grade adopts individual prayers for the start and end of the school day.

"We love the fact that the children learn about their faith," Mr. Evers said.

Parents attest that, as a result, students know Scripture verses, their prayers and their roles during Mass, and teachers are inspired.

Those interviewed compare the school community to a family. Judy Zawisza, school librarian, grows close to students; one even returned during high school to ask for help with college essays and now attends Princeton University.

Mrs. Zawisza said it inspires her to see the eighth-graders and the Kindergartners pair up every year for a joint prayer service.

Daniel Farley said his three children benefit from the strong emphasis on faith formation, the tailor-made education and the connection with other families and teachers.

Though Mr. Farley and his wife sacrifice to pay the $4,350 per-student tuition, they said they don't mind: "It's worth it." (Click here for a look inside the classrooms of Mater Christi)

(10/07/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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