Sunday, November 22, 2009 12:15 AM CST
Thanksgiving comes early
at new St. Anthony school
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
Click here to check out some more photos from the school.
EFFINGHAM — St. Anthony Grade School fourth-grader Jaden Bracey recalled having butterflies in her stomach on the first day of school this year.
She and other St. Anthony students were starting classes in a brand new school next to the 135-year-old St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Built with $7 million in private donations from church parishioners, the school is a design and high-tech wonder, equipped with more than 200 computers and a SMART Board in each classroom, and opened on time for the 2009-10 school year.
But there were worries how things would go in the new digs for the kids.
“It went pretty smoothly,” Bracey said with a smile and a nod.
St. Anthony eighth-grader Lauren Schmidt was relieved when she first hit the halls that day in August.
“The air conditioning was very nice,” Schmidt said.
The old grade school, a mix of aged brick and concrete additions dating back about 10 decades, had window air conditioning units, so on warm, humid days the hallways could be uncomfortable.
A geothermal climate control system now provides heating and cooling throughout the year at a much lower cost.
Schmidt and Bracey both liked the new color schemes in the hallways and the bright lighting. It was quite a contrast to their former grade school.
“The old building was dark and all concrete. It was like a prison,” Schmidt said with teenage angst.
Frank Jansen, another eighth-grader, appreciated the wider hallways and the elevator that was convenient for him when he was hobbled by a basketball injury this fall.
Obviously, the new school between North Third and Second streets in Effingham is a hit with the students. Today in the afternoon, there will be a dedication Mass and ceremony, then the entire school will be open to the general public for tours.
“We are relieved at this point, when you consider the work we faced during the summer to get the school completed. But the weather cooperated and we’re in it now,” said Monsignor Leo Enlow.
The project came in two phases on the north and south sections, each starting on June 1 in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The effort was backed by some generous parishioners willing to help fund a new school, which ended the original plan for a renovation of the old school building. The old gymnasium and kitchen area still stand in the center, but with many changes.
“Parishioners came forward and said, ‘Do you want a brand new building?’” Enlow said. “This came out of nowhere. Just call it the grace of God.”
St. Anthony Grade School Principal Mary Lynn Byers, also a St. Anthony alumnus, said that kind of generosity is the norm for the parish.
“Whenever we have a need, people come forward to help,” she said.
Audra Schultz, also a St. Anthony alumnus and member of the school building committee, said there is a sense of commitment by parishioners.
“We believe we need to give back to our parish and school. After people have left the school system, they come back and acknowledge what a valuable thing it is for them,” Schultz said.
Pauline Zimmerman raised seven St. Anthony graduates and she said appreciates how the parochial school sticks to its roots.
“We watched how things evolved when the religious community was in the school and now. But it has still kept up the values and identity of the parish,” Zimmerman said. “Our children are now older and they still talk about what they learned from Sister so-and-so.
“We’ve seen the progress with the school and the values are still there.”
Tom Wegman, a member of the building committee and father of four St. Anthony graduates, took pride in showing different innovations in the new school, including the wide open entranceway by the work counters of school secretaries. He also noted how many companies have added to the donations on furniture, equipment and other fixtures in the new school.
The facility has technological additions that are rare for most schools in the area, including SMART Tables in the kindergarten classrooms. These allow the tiny students to interact with their hands on different learning programs.
Emily Hartke, a supporter of St. Anthony schools, emphasized that the children love the wonders of a new school, but they also need to understand it carries an important message for their generation, especially on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
“They need to understand this is an opportunity that doesn’t happen all the time. They need to understand how lucky we are to have this new school,” Hartke said. “It is more than just a gift, but something they need to cherish and not take for granted.”
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
|
|
|
