SIDNEY — Holy Angels School has experienced many positive changes and considerable growth in the 2018-19 school year.
“At 210 students, Holy Angels enrollment has remained steady,” said Principal Beth Spicer. “Most class sizes are between 15 to 28 students. We employ 15 full time teachers, one intervention specialist, one general tutor, one school nurse, and one school psychologist. Our maintenance crew consists of one full-time custodian and a number of part time Lehman students who round out the ‘cleaning crew’ in the after school hours.”
Her report continues:
Some of the positive changes this year were both structural and cosmetic for this 161-year-old school. First, a new roof was installed on the school. HA’s gymnasium was refurbished and repaired. Damaged ceiling lights were replaced and fresh coats of paint were applied to the ceiling, walls, and to the stage. A new speaker system was installed and greatly improves the sound in that room, not only for PE classes and school assemblies, but for emergency communications from the office to the gym, as well. Acoustic tiles are scheduled to be installed also, in order to improve the overall efficiency of the school sound system.
Cargill has also supplied HA with a grant to purchase floor mounted security locks for every classroom in our school. Vinyl appliques displaying encouraging messages were installed this fall on the school’s outside doors. Similar appliques were installed in all restrooms. Toilets were replaced in several of the restrooms, as well.
The Ohio Attorney General awarded Holy Angels School with a grant to fund safety/mental health education for students and teachers in 2018-19. HA plans to implement a program entitled “Red Flag,” which addresses mental health issues, such as childhood depression and anxiety. Two representatives from our school will be attending a workshop in February to learn more about presenting this program here in the spring.
The state of the economy has positively impacted our school with respect to tuition collection, donations and other student issues. It is important to note, that HAS offers a number of scholarship programs that families may apply for and may receive to help with tuition payments – The Catholic Education Foundation, John Peterson Scholarship, and ED Choice Scholarship are three of these financial aid programs. Currently, approximately 35 percent of our student body receives financial aid to help make their Catholic education possible.
Academically, students at Holy Angels School are receiving an exemplary education in grades K-8. Students are taught the core subjects, in a Christian –based atmosphere that promotes love of God and others. HA students typically score well on standardized tests consistently scoring much higher than national averages. Also worthy of mention, HAS received the Governor’s Thomas Edison Awards for Excellence in STEM Education and Student Research for their accomplishments during the 2017-18 school year. Only 61 schools in the state of Ohio received this honor, with Holy Angels and Lehman being the only two schools honored from Shelby County. Holy Angels’ teachers, Carrie O’Leary, Tony Wagner and Gwen Stiver were also honored for their work to promote STEM education in their classrooms.
Future goals include purchasing an outdoor marquee to facilitate communication between HAS and the Sidney Community, and two additional chrome book carts for our classrooms. I am very optimistic about the future of Holy Angels School. We are a vibrant school, both spiritually and academically, and look forward to serving our community for many years.
