56 The Queens Courier • catholic school • JANUARY 15, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com catholic school week Community rallies to stop closing of Astoria Catholic school BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 An Astoria community is speaking out after finding out that one of its Catholic schools, which has served the community since 1957, will be shutting its doors this June. Parents and students at Most Precious Blood School, located at 35-32 37th St., found out on Jan. 9, through a letter written by Reverend William Krlis, pastor at Most Precious Blood Church, that the 58-year-old school would be closing due to drops in enrollment and the need for costly structural repairs. Over the past five years enrollment has dropped “precipitously,” Krlis said in the letter, adding that enrollment from kindergarten through eighth grade this year is 191 students, compared to 303 students in September 2008 and 20 students less than last year. Krlis also said that an estimated $5.5 million in structural repairs are needed for both the school and church. The school building needs about $2.55 million in repairs and work cannot be done at the site while being used full time. “These essential building repairs, combined with declining enrollment, will not allow us to continue,” Krlis said. “This decision was not made easily. After much dialogue with all relevant parties, including officials from the Diocese of Brooklyn and local Catholic schools, as well as consulting with engineering firms regarding the state of these necessary repairs, I presented these facts to the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn. With his support, I made this painful decision in the best interest of the parish community.” However, for parents, who started an online petition Saturday against the closing, the reasons that led to the decision aren’t enough to close the doors at the school. “We do not want our children and beloved teachers and staff displaced! Quality Catholic Education is almost nonexistent and we cannot afford to close yet another school,” wrote Jennifer Masterson, who started the petition. “Schools in this area are already overcrowded, this will only add to the problem.” Parents signing the petition also said the timing of the announcement did not leave them enough time to find another school for their children or give them an opportunity to attempt to raise the money needed for repairs. As of press time, the petition, which has a goal of 2,500 signatures, has garnered THE COURIER/Photo by Angy Altamirano 2,465 supporters, including parents, residents and alumni. According to the Diocese of Brooklyn, help will be provided for parents, and the neighboring Catholic schools will have seats to accommodate Most Precious Blood students and provide information on upcoming open houses. Local politicians have also decided to speak out against the school closing. State Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, and Councilman Costa Constantinides have written a letter to the Diocese expressing their concern and asking to reconsider the decision and explore all possible options to keep the school open. “The outpouring of support from the community and the fear parents are now experiencing over the planned closure of the Most Precious Blood School demonstrate just how much this institution means to our neighbors,” Gianaris said. “I sincerely hope that the Diocese listens to the voices of our community and recommits itself to trying to find a way to keep this beloved school open.” A meeting with parents was scheduled for Jan. 14 in the school’s auditorium to review what led to the decision to close the school. Celebrating 75 years of Catholic Education. Come visit us during our Open Houses! Sunday, Jan. 25th from 11am-12pm Wednesday, Jan. 28th from 9am-11am and 3pm-5pm Resurrection Ascension School Located in Rego Park, Queens, one of the most diverse areas in New York City, as well as the United States, Resurrection Ascension School is home to a student body representing about 50 different countries. According to Principal Joann Heppt, this diversity furthers the school’s mission to educate well rounded, emotionally and academically mature students and to foster life-long learning. “Students learn to respect people of all different cultures,” she explains. Resurrection Ascension School teaches students from Nursery through Grade 8. Our Nursery and Pre-K children have a choice of half or full day programs. Every classroom is equipped with SMARTBoards, and all students have access to brand new desktops in our Computer Lab and two laptop carts. Wi- Fi is available throughout the building. All students receive Art, Music, Library/ Media Center and Physical Education weekly. Spanish is taught to students in grades 4 through 8. Working parents can take advantage of our Before School and After School Programs which provide children a safe and nurturing environment in which to complete homework, play and socialize with their classmates. This year we are offering mini courses to all students which will include chess, Mad Science, cooking, robotics and golf. Seventh and eighth graders, who are academically gifted, may create a project as part of the Aquinas Program, which is a year-long investigation that is then presented to other educators and students from the Diocese. This year our school continues its partnerships with various organizations to bring the arts to our classrooms. Midori and Friends provide violin to 3rd and 4th graders. Stages on the Sound provide students with lessons in film making, playwriting and Shakespeare. Ballroom dancing is provided to our 4th and 5th graders by Dancing Classrooms. Faith is the cornerstone of all learning, with a particular emphasis on service. Last year students made donations to Bridge to Life, collected food for our food pantry, and created bracelets to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Fund. For more information about Resurrection Ascension School, call (718) 426-4963 or visit www.raschool.org
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