More faces at Amsterdam school

St. Mary's Institute in Amsterdam experienced a notable jump in enrollment this academic year.

The pre-kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school enrolled 247 students - a 28-percent increase from the previous year, according to principal Giovanni Virgiglio.

He said the numbers had been consistent for years, but have been on the rise since he came to the school in 2008. He pioneered full-day early childhood and pre-kindergarten programs, as well as before- and after-school care. St. Mary's Institute also began offering after-school programs on staff development days to avoid early dismissals.

"It's not a school where the doors open at 8 and close at 3," Mr. Virgiglio explained.

Those services seem to attract working families; the principal also noted that students are coming from beyond the school's traditional 15-mile radius: "People are willing to commute for a quality education."

He cited several contributors to the school's success:

• In 2012, St. Mary's Institute won a $100,000 grant from the Jordan Family Foundation to acquire interactive SMART boards, laptops, iPads and touch-screen computers. The school was also able to install 12 solar panels on the roof and update the building's wiring and infrastructure to support new technology. The solar panels transmit data, which students review on a monitor in the school's lobby to study energy use.

• St. Mary's installed an electronic road sign designed by students, who update its messages regularly.

• The school overhauled its website (http://saintmarysinstitute.com) and recruitment materials last year. Mr. Virgiglio tweets information to parents throughout the day (@smik8).

• St. Mary's Institute offers unique after-school activities, from a knitting club that makes blankets for newborns at St. Mary's Healthcare in Amsterdam to the Future City Club, which competes in the annual Capital District Future City Competition, a program of the National Engineers Week Foundation. This year's group of students worked on their design for five months, creating a model for Atlantic City that would be more resilient to future storms. The school took home awards for "most innovative energy conservation solution" and "most creative use of recycled materials."

Mr. Virgiglio said St. Mary's Institute has always focused on values and faith with the intention of developing model citizens. It seems to work, he added: "A parent shared with me once that when they walk through the school doors, they feel like they're getting a hug."[[In-content Ad]]