St. Mary’s Parish School Principal Juli Jensen-Derrig. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – St. Mary’s Advisory School Board and the ImpactED Strategic Enrollment Committee launched last week, paving the way for good things to come at the preschool and elementary school, said St. Mary’s Parish School Principal Juli Jensen-Derrig.
Recruitment and retention are big factors in St. Mary’s future. Jensen-Derrig said in March 2017, when the high school nearly closed, 39 students left the elementary school.
“We’re still recovering,” she said, adding she is aiming to bring in 40 new students. There are currently 190 students at the elementary level.
Jensen-Derrig said the school offers so much to students and families and she hopes the new School Board and Enrollment Committee will help spread word to the community.
St. Mary’s Parish School offers education from preschool through grade eight and operates in conjunction with St. Mary’s High School. Jensen-Derrig said classes are small – currently the smallest has 14 students and the largest has 22 – which allows teachers to really engage with students and know them and their families.
Jensen-Derrig dispelled the myth that you must be Catholic to attend the school.
“We welcome students of all faiths,” she said. And while religion is part of the curriculum, Jensen-Derrig said students are taught, through the Catholic faith, about respect, integrity and character.
“Here, students help each other and they feel safe,” she said.
St. Mary’s does not administer the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assesment System test, which Jensen-Derrig said gives teachers the opportunity to teach a variety of subjects and discuss current events. A well-rounded education is the focus, with a goal of preparing students for life after high school.
“We want to get students to college, but also be contributing members of society – and get to Heaven,” she said.
Mark Hanrahan from ImpactED out of Atlanta met with the Strategic Enrollment Committee, which includes Lindsey Casey, Elizabeth Labrie, Hannah Sarat, Adams-Rivera, Junior Delgado, Jen Delgado, Robert Walker and Julie Fregeau.
Jensen-Derrig said the mission of the committee members is multi-fold: First and foremost they act as school ambassadors and promote the school and the enrollment efforts, they help plan, manage, and staff events for recruitment and retention, they increase enrollment through effective communication and personally follow up with families that show interest in enrolling.
“I am thrilled with the passion and drive that this group demonstrated to help our school thrive,” Jensen-Derrig wrote to parents recently. “I have a strong passion for our school and I feel empowered knowing that I have such a dedicated group along with me.”
Hanrahan is committed to a three-year process, with enrollment as a priority. He is responsible for introducing growth strategies and marketing/enrollment best practices and will provide professional development and a fresh perspective and objective look at operations and internal processes.
Jensen-Derrig said Hanrahan has already analyzed data and presented the highs and lows in enrollment. The Strategic Enrollment Process will occur in three phases. Phase 1 is observation and introduction. Phase 2 is implementation and assessment. Phase 3 is improvement and optimization.
“There are a lot of exciting things happening at St. Mary’s,” Jensen-Derrig said.
Tuition is another area Jensen-Derrig said is a concern for many families.
“We don’t charge what it costs to educate each child,” she said. The cost to educate is $7,010 currently and tuition for grades kindergarten through eight is $5,375 per child. At the preschool level, tuition is $6,350.
Jensen-Derrig said there are numerous options for financial assistance. St. Mary’s gives a discount to parishioners and families from other parishes can apply for assistance at the home parish. Catholics can also apply for aid from FACTS and Jensen-Derrig said there are other ways to assist families who are not Catholic.
The new members of the School Board are:
Joshua J. Adams
I am a lifelong Westfield resident who attended Westfield Public Schools, graduating from Westfield High School in 2017. I obtained my Massachusetts professional license in Funeral Directing and Embalming in September 2019. I graduated from Goodwin College with a degree in Funeral Service in May 2019. I am a member of St. Mary’s Parish. I also volunteer for Westfield Youth Hockey and am a member of NIHOA as a high school and NCAA college ice hockey official in the Western Massachusetts area.
Gary Bacchiocchi
I am a retiree after having spent over 35 years in the financial services industry mainly in finance, actuarial and investment-related roles. My wife, Maryann, and I have been parishioners at St. Mary’s since we moved here about 30 years ago. We both currently volunteer on the Sunday meals ministry. I have served on a few boards over the years. Currently, I serve on the City of Westfield Zoning Board of Appeals and on the Springfield Chapter of UNICO National (an Italian-American service organization) Board of Directors. I was also previously a Board member for United Cerebral Palsy of Western Mass. and for the Westfield United Soccer Club. On the education front, I am a long-time school volunteer, primarily in Springfield (over 20 years), but also here in Westfield.
Andrea Bryla
I have been a member of St. Mary’s Parish since birth. I attended both St. Mary’s Elementary and High Schools, graduating in 1976. My children also attended St. Mary’s. I have a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in Psychology. I was a social worker for the state for 15 years and a licensed guidance counselor employed by the Holyoke Public School Department for 25 years. I spent four of those years in middle and the remaining 21 at the high school level. I was a CCD teacher and a cheerleading coach for St. Mary’s High School in the 80s. I currently deliver meals once a month for St. Mary’s Meal Ministry and am a eucharistic minister at St. Mary’s Church.
Ann Tucker Kousch
I am a lifelong parishioner of St. Mary’s, and attended the parish school from 1958-1970. My children attended St. Mary’s Elementary School in the 1980’s. I am an alumnus of Notre Dame College (BA Elementary Ed.) with graduate studies in Business Administration at Western New England University. My career was spent in the U.S. Postal Service, retiring from my postmaster position in 2012. I have been involved in many areas of volunteer work, including Jr. Achievement Project Business, Special Olympics, Volunteer in Public Schools, and, teaching high school students in the STM religious education program (8 years). At present, and for the past 25 years, I have been a volunteer and Board Member of the Westfield Soup Kitchen.
Christina Lovelace
I grew up in New Jersey and have lived in Westfield since 2015. I am an alumnus of Texas Tech University with a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus in healthcare. I have been a registered nurse for 14 years and am currently a clinical manager at Family Medicine Associates in Westfield. In addition to the STM School Board, I also serve on the YWCA board of Western Massachusetts, the Senior Center board in Westfield, and YMCA events’ committee. I am married and am the mother of two beautiful girls ages 7 and 9 who both attend St. Mary’s Parish School. I have been the past president and am the current treasurer of our PTO.
David Noonan
I am a lifelong parishioner of St. Mary’s and also an STM Alumnus. I retired as a public school teacher/administrator a few years back and I have served in a variety of capacities as a member of many parish boards and committees through the years. To name a few, I was the former chairman of the STM Parish Council, STM Finance Commission and STM Bingo. I was a member of the initial STM School board and volunteered at many events throughout the years. I am currently a church usher and member of the STM Elementary School Board.
