April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
TROY SCHOOL CLOSING
Snapshot of St. Augustine's
A day in the life of the school's final semester
Snapshot of St. Augustine's
The class was pretending to fly to Japan, a fun introduction to studying a new country in their social studies class.
"You have an aisle seat," said the teacher, assigning other students window seats.
When The Evangelist visited on a recent afternoon, the students were using their imaginations to travel to a foreign country. At the start of the next school year, they'll be in new territory for real: St. Augustine's School is closing in June.
The school has faced significant struggles in recent years. In May 2015, the Augustinian order that staffs both St. Augustine's parish and St. Mary's in Waterford announced that it would no longer have priests in residence at St. Augustine's; in June, the order said it could no longer financially support the school, either.
St. Augustine's School was given one more year by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger to boost enrollment and resolve a $170,000 deficit. Unfortunately, the deficit doubled and a loan from the Diocesan School Board was not enough to save the school.
Now, St. Augustine's is closing after 147 years. Its approximately 100 students will attend other area Catholic and public schools; about two dozen will go to St. Mary's School in Waterford.
"I'm incredibly excited to welcome in members of the St. Augustine's community," said Mary Rushkowski, principal of St. Mary's. "We hope that the transition will go well."
Today's lessons
At the moment, St. Augustine's faculty, staff and students are more focused on the present. The halls of the school are still decorated with art projects and colorful posters.
During The Evangelist's visit, Robin Dahl's pre-kindergarten class had just learned the fairy tale of the three pigs and the big bad wolf. The children were excited about blowing over the "houses" they had made of straw- and stick-covered cardboard boxes to illustrate the story.
"What did the first pig build his house out of?" the teacher asked, and students' hands shot up.
Nursery-schooler Bella Campbell said St. Augustine's School is fun. Her class had just painted flowers using the bottoms of soda bottles as stamps; she used several colors, but declared that pink was her favorite.
Three generations of Bella's family have attended St. Augustine's, including her grandfather and her mother, Meaghan Campbell, who teaches English at Catholic Central High School in Troy.
"It hasn't changed, not one bit," Mrs. Campbell said. "Everything is very familiar."
The teacher had come back to her alma mater for the day with some of her CCHS students, who have been serving as mentors for children at St. Augustine's.
"We're enjoying the last few months of school," said Mrs. Campbell, though she knows that, next year, Bella will attend St. Mary's School in Waterford.
Keeping her daughter in a Catholic school was an easy choice, the teacher said.
Luke Marcario, a junior from Catholic Central and another St. Augustine's alumnus, was back at his old school to play with the students during recess. "I graduated with a class of 12 or 13," he told The Evangelist. "I still talk to every one of them."
Mrs. Campbell said she enjoys seeing Bella "relate to the Catholic elements that the school provides." Bella understands the importance of prayer, knows the Our Father, says grace at meals and values the Rosary.
What's coming
Fun is important, too. For second-grader Maddie McFarlane, recess is her favorite aspect of St. Augustine's: "We get to play outside when it's really nice out."
Maddie isn't eager to change schools. "I like the teachers," she said. "This is the only school I've ever been to. I've never switched schools before. I'm worried I might get lost."
Classmate Liam Roe said he'll miss St. Augustine's. "I love it," he declared. "I especially love religion here. That's one of my favorites."
Liam is concerned about his teachers. He hopes they follow him to his new school, St. Jude the Apostle in Wynantskill.
"I'm also wondering how we're doing summer homework," he added.
Teachers at St. Augustine's are getting their resumes ready as they prepare to move on, as well.
"It's hard, at the end of the day, when you leave," said a teary-eyed Ms. LaRosa, who has only been at the school a year. She said that she doesn't know how many of the other teachers are managing their emotions around the closure, since many faculty and staff have worked at St. Augustine's for upwards of 20 years.
Teachers and students
That's true for Debbie Webster, the sixth-grade teacher. She's finishing her 17th year at the school. "It's bittersweet," she said. "I have a class that leaves every year. I always prepare students to leave. It's a family here."
Mrs. Webster's daughters graduated from St. Augustine's a number of years ago.
"For some of us, we're at a crossroads. It's hard," she said. The teachers are "worried about each other. Your job is your everything. We have faculty who are scrambling."
Often, she said, faculty and staff have to put on a strong face for their students. "Everybody is really trying to do the best we can."
Marty Opoka, a grandfather of four St. Augustine's students and a 1960s alumnus himself, isn't happy with the decision to close the school. Mr. Opoka remembers when religious sisters ruled the classrooms, and he's appreciated the opportunity to see his grandchildren more by volunteering at St. Augustine's.
"I'm sorry to see it closing," he said, adding: "Everybody is trying to have fun, though."
"All the teachers have been really positive," agreed sixth-grader Dominic Brefo.
A member of St. Augustine's final graduating class, he noted that Mrs. Webster has taught the sixth-graders about being empathetic with the younger students in the school who are changing schools long before they'd usually move on.
"The kids should not feel bad about this," Dominic said. "We have to make this our best last year."[[In-content Ad]]
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