Ave Maria Academy at Columbus-Powell St. Peter St. Joan of Arc parish opened its doors Wednesday amongst shouts and shrieks of laughter from preschool and kindergarten students who will be its first students.
The school, which offers two preschool classes and a kindergarten classroom, is the first parochial school to open in the diocese in 30 years. The last was Dublin St. Brigid of Kildare School, which opened in August 1996.
Ave Maria Academy is located at St. Peter Church. The school plans to add an additional grade level each year. Grades three through eight, eventually, will be housed in a new school building at the St. Joan of Arc campus.
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“Today was a remarkable moment for Catholic education in the Diocese of Columbus. The opening of Ave Maria Academy, the first new Catholic school in our diocese in 30 years, is a powerful sign of the growing desire of families for an education that is rooted in faith, excellence and the truth about the human person,” said Dr. Adam Dufault, superintendent for the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools.
“I am grateful to Father David Schalk and principal Dottie Flanagan and to the families, educators and benefactors who have made this possible. I’m looking forward with great hope to the many young disciples that will be formed at Ave Maria Academy.”
The school’s first families filled the pews at St. Peter for an opening prayer service and blessing led by Bishop Earl Fernandes Wednesday morning. Clergy included Father David Schalk, pastor, and parochial vicars Fathers Joseph Rolwing and Stanislaus John, SAC (Pallotine Fathers). Seminarian Christopher Dixon, who served at the parish this summer, assisted.
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“It’s truly a grace and a joy to be with you. The school is called Ave Maria, ‘Hail Mary,'” Bishop Fernandes said in his homily. “This was how the angel greeted the Blessed Virgin Mary in our gospel.
“In Greek, the word ‘grace’ is very closely related to the word ‘joy,’ and we certainly hope that God pours out His grace upon this school and upon its students and teachers, but we also hope that He fills their hearts with joy.
“This beautiful day, just like Mary’s, ‘Yes,’ is just the beginning—the beautiful beginning of the great things God has planned for those who love Him.”
The prayer service was followed by a reception held in the new school for families and students. Amidst children’s shouts, laughter, and a few tears, parents donned smiles.
“We’re really excited,” said Jimmy Hankenhof, whose daughter, Julia, will be in the 3-year-old classroom. The family belongs to St. Peter St. Joan of Arc parish.
“When they said they were opening up the school, we got really excited. For me, it’s the alignment – I went to Catholic schools all the way through, and so, to have a good Catholic school option is an exciting thing for the parish at large, and diocese as well.”
Marian Owusu Ansah and her husband, Raphael Dzitlie, who live in Dublin, have a son, Aseye, who will be in the 3-year-old classroom. The family is originally from Ghana in West Africa.
“I always wanted my kids to have a Catholic education (that) I didn’t have,” Owusu Ansah said. “I had a Methodist education. My husband had a Catholic education, and I like the fact that it is rooted in spirituality. I am pretty excited about this opportunity.”
School parent McKenna Dowdell has a daughter, Kerrigan, 5, who is starting kindergarten at Ave Maria Academy. The family belongs to St. Peter St. Joan of Arc parish.
The mom-of-three served on the parent advisory board, which was instrumental in the school’s founding. “We’ve been thinking about this day for a really long time,” she said.
“We were actually going to homeschool, and then, we got pregnant with my third baby, and we realized quickly that Kerrigan was really social and would do super well in a regular school environment, but we wanted something that … wasn’t … school the way that it’s done lately,” she explained.
“When we started learning about the vision of Ave Maria Academy, we really realized that this was the best of both worlds: we could still have a lot of hands-on experience and interaction with the school, but we’d also have incredible educators and Kerrigan would be able to have that social outlet.”
Ave Maria Academy partnered with the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE) to offer students a Catholic classical education. The partnership helped to select a curriculum, and craft a pedagogy – or teaching methods – and vision and framework for an authentically Catholic education.
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“We’re so grateful to those families who’ve entrusted us with their children – and this first year, this brand-new school – entrusted us with the education of their children, the formation of their children,” principal Dottie Flanagan said.
“I am humbled and grateful this morning for all of it, and the support of our parish leadership: certainly Father Schalk, whose vision and dream this was; Bishop Fernandes and everyone who has really come together to help – many parishioners, the ministries at St. Peter St. Joan of Arc, who donated their time, talents and treasure to this endeavor.”
The school partnered with the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who minister in early childhood education. Two consecrated religious in the order will teach at Ave Maria Academy.
Two lay teachers and an educational aide will also serve at the school.
