---

SPOTLIGHT: ONEONTA

School reworks classes to fight enrollment drop

As St. Mary's School in Oneonta entered its 85th year, second-year principal Patricia Bliss sat in her office discussing the impact the school has had on the Oneonta community over the years - and vice versa.

"We've been part of the community for 85 years," she stated. "We think of the school as one of the six schools in Oneonta, not just one school. And the community thinks of us that way."

When the school opened in 1924, it was located on Walnut Street, directly across from St. Mary's Church. The church remains in the same spot, but in 2001, the school relocated to State Highway 7.

St. Mary's is the only Catholic school in Oneonta, so the majority of the students move on to a public school education - mostly in the Oneonta school district, but also in the Otego and Delhi school districts.

Enrollment woes
St. Mary's has been struggling with declining enrollment for several years. Originally offering three-year-old pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade, it dropped its junior-high grades in 2006. Still, for this academic year, only 106 students are enrolled at St. Mary's.

"It's been decreasing and will probably continue to," Miss Bliss admitted, citing tuition costs, public school sports programs and other extracurricular activities as contributing factors.

The biggest decrease has been in the higher grades. For the 2009 school year, the fifth grade was expected to have seven students and the sixth grade just two students.

The school decided to try something different: combining the fifth and sixth grades into one classroom. 

"We did some research, talked to some child psychologists and other experts, got some advice and feedback and decided to try it," said Miss Bliss. 

New format
While the lesson plans have not changed for either grade, the classroom atmosphere has.

"It's a little stressful, but it's a good kind of stress," noted Jim Buzon, the man responsible for teaching the fifth- and sixth-graders. "It's helped me to keep on my toes and make sure the lessons are planned out and I have what I need."

Mr. Buzon uses group work, dividing the fifth-graders into two groups, while the two sixth-graders are their own group. At times the two classes can learn together, but Mr. Buzon does his best to make sure he is not over-working the fifth-graders or under-working the sixth. 

All of this makes for a very busy day for the teacher. "It's pretty involved," Mr. Buzon said with a chuckle. "You stay very busy."

The idea does have its perks, though: "I think it's kind of cool," said Marin Shepard, a fifth-grader. "You can kind of hear what's coming up in sixth grade and learn about it in fifth grade."

Sixth-grader Devin Knapp sees it as an opportunity: "I get to help the fifth-graders with what I already learned if they get stuck," he boasted.

The positive feedback includes both the students and their teacher.

"I think it's working well," Mr. Buzon said. "While it might not be ideal, the kids can get some experience with this that they can't in any other class."

While the format of some St. Mary's programs have changed, Miss Bliss feels the quality of education and the mission of the school remains the same. 

"The biggest thing that we have to offer is an excellent education with the bonus to practice our faith," she said. The students "are eager to learn, eager to please - and the staff is willing to do anything to help the children."

(10/01/09) [[In-content Ad]]

---