Published: June 13, 2009 12:33 am      

EDUCATION: Spreading the word in Lewiston

LEWISTON — A television screen is broadcasting recent birthdays and special events. Teachers are walking through the halls and greeted warmly by involved parents. Nearby, students excitedly prepare for a walk-a-thon to support their education.

It’s a typical day at St. Peter Roman Catholic School.

“Everyone works together here, our faculty, our parents and our students,” said Principal Kami Halgash.

Located on Sixth Street in the Village of Lewiston, St. Peter has an enrollment of 152 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Despite facing the same challenges and hardships as other area parochial schools, parents and faculty remain confident their children will continue to get a well-rounded education with a strong emphasis on Catholic faith for many years to come.

They’re putting a lot of faith in Halgash, a former third-grade teacher at the school who’s now in her second year as principal.

“Miss Halgash is constantly raising the bar academically for these kids,” said Colleen Low Larkin, whose daughter, Reilley and son, Jack, attend St. Peter.

According to Business First’s annual rankings of public and private schools, St. Peter’s performance is also on the rise. The publication grades schools and districts based on state assessment scores in English language arts and math.

St. Peter’s elementary classes ranked 29th out of 292 Western New York schools, a jump from last year’s rank of 35th. At the middle school level, the school’s rank went from 159th last year to 92nd this year. While they’re proud of the improvements, Halgash said the faculty doesn’t rely heavily on the rankings, instead they’re used as a learning tool and motivation to keep climbing the list.

The school offers a slate of accelerated classes in math, Spanish and science for its older students and have recently invested in SMART interactive classroom boards and equipment for its computer lab. Halgash said the school has the advantage of keeping class sizes smaller and providing students more one-on-one attention.

“Our kids aren’t a number like they are in a public school system,” she said.

Though she’s pleased with the school’s academics, parent Michelle Gabriele said there’s plenty of other reasons why she enrolled her daughter, Maria and son, Michael at St. Peter. The school offers a full slate of extra-curricular activities, including sports teams from kindergarten through eighth.

And then there’s the lifelong connections and relationships being formed.

“My kids are happy and they love coming here,” Gabriele said. “Along with getting a good education, that’s what’s most important.”

Still, St. Peter faces its fair share of challenges. Being a small parochial school in a village doesn’t help with promotions and attracting new recruits. This year’s enrollment is about 30 students lower than last year. To keep tuition costs reasonable, the Home and School Association, of which Gabriele is president, is charged with raising $75,000 to $100,000 a year.

“Our biggest challenge is the economy and keeping our heads afloat,” said Halgash, who added the school continues to offer programs and opportunities to help parents pay tuition costs. “This isn’t just a school for the rich.”

On Friday, students participated in a walk-a-thon around the school to raise money for classroom equipment and as a special thank you to their teachers. In addition, the second-grade class honored the entire faculty as their saints of the month, an honor that made Halgash gush.

“I love this school and what it’s all about,” she said. “It’s just a warm feeling to know you’re coming to work and being a part of a family.”

Contact reporter Rick Forgione

at 282-2311, ext. 2257.