Nativity BVM Prepares for 100th Year of Catholic Education

As launches into its 100th year of Catholic education they continue to have stable enrollment and have started a new full-day preschool for three year olds.

Teachers, faculty and parents at Nativity have been buzzing around the building, cleaning classrooms, some of which had received new tiles floors over the summer, filling bookselves with books and hanging decorations and signs in preparation of a new school year and the first day of school Wednesday.

Principal Mary Anne Johnston said the three year old, full day, preschool is new this year and there is already a waiting list.

The school previously had both full and half day preschool for four year olds and a half day preschool for three year olds but now they are offering full day as well for three year olds.

"There’s such a need for three year old preschool," Johnston said.

Each preschool class has about 17 students in it and a teacher and an aide in each as well.

Parent and advisor school board member Babara Bacchia said the preschool option can be an alternative to day care since the school also offers before and after care for the children and its much more affordable. Preschool tuition is based on a variety of combinations since students can do two or three days a week, full or half days and there is out-of-parish and in-parish differences.

"It’s well respected in the community,” Bacchia, who has had three children graduate from Nativity, said. "The four year olds have access to everything the elementary school has, computers, gym, library, Spanish. They have a real advantage that they are attached to an elementary school."

Johnston said parents really loved the half day, three year old program last year and were happy to now have a full day option.

Overall enrollment at the Catholic elementary school has also remained steady.

The school had a total of 60 new students enroll for the school year, 37 of which are transfer students and new kindergarten students and 23 preschool students.

Johnston, who has been principal at Nativity for seven years, said Nativity’s total school enrollment is 180 and that number has been stable for the last seven years.

Last year, the school also had a 180 total enrollment and prior to that had an enrollment of 188 for five years in a row.

"The trend is stability and not declining enrollment which is unfortunate at some schools," Johnston said.

Teacher stability is also a trend at Nativity with very low turnover rate.

"The teachers are so generous of spirit and time," Johnston said.

Bacchia said the teachers also have the opportunity to follow the students as they progress through the school from kindergarten to eighth grade.

"That equals a family setting. Everyone knows everyone and knows the siblings and the parents," Johnston said. "It’s not just one set of eyes it’s a whole community watching. It’s kind of like, 'it takes a village.'"