ACROSS FAIRFIELD COUNTY - With the new academic year looming, Catholic schools around the Diocese of Bridgeport are gearing up for the return of students and a fresh start to the educational experience. September is always a time of change, and for several inner-city diocesan schools, that change is spelled with a capital "C" this year as a renewed faith in Catholic educational opportunity for every child is clearly in the works.

"Nationwide, inner-city Catholic schools are closing. It has become increasingly challenging to provide the financial means necessary to meet the needs of urban youth," explains Dr. Margaret Dames, superintendent of schools for the diocese. "Here, we're bucking the trend. We pride ourselves on accomplishing the impossible and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to attend one of our Catholic schools."

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Sacred Heart School, Stamford

At Sacred Heart School in downtown Stamford, that opportunity begins at a young age - preschool, in fact. Founded in 1961, the recently renovated school will reopen as a Catholic preschool for three and four-year-olds.

"The school was temporarily closed, but we never took the flag down," says head teacher Sister Elizabeth Reyes, M.P.F., who notes that the building on Schuyler Avenue was used throughout the work period for religious education classes.

Sacred Heart School in Stamford is reopening after a one-year absence, and will be a premier pre-school for three- and four-year-olds. During a recent open house, Teacher Susan Peck engaged prospective students with a mix of learning and fun. (PHOTOS BY JOHN GLOVER)

The curriculum will be based on model schools, including the renowned Bank Street School in New York City. Sacred Heart is expected to grow one grade level each year, eventually covering pre-K through fifth grade. Enrollment is projected to be 20-25 students in each of the two age levels, with a teacher and aides for each class. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and extended care is available until 5:30 p.m. for the convenience of working parents.

"We're open to everybody of every faith, race, and nationality," says Sister Elizabeth, who has been at Sacred Heart School for seven years. She notes that the location is within walking distance of the city center and the Stamford Transportation Center.

The reopening was made possible by grants from the NewAlliance Foundation and a generous donor. Tuition assistance totaling $100,000 will be available to applicants who qualify, meaning parents could pay as little as $500 per year.

Parents interested in Sacred Heart School should call 323-3524, or visit www.sacredheartofstamford.org.

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Saint Augustine Elementary School, Bridgeport

September will bring a homecoming for the students, faculty, and staff of Saint Augustine Elementary School in Bridgeport, who, since January 2005, have called home the former school building at Fairfield's Saint Emery Parish. The relocation was necessitated by the need for essential repairs at Saint Augustine, including replacing the roof.

A HOMECOMING IS IN STORE at Saint Augustine Cathedral School in Bridgeport, where renovations on the diocese's oldest Catholic school building are continuing. On the second floor, outside the music and art rooms, Mark Conroy (center), diocesan director of facilities, confers with Jeff Stone, cathedral maintenance director, and Jim Schneider, school custodian, on repair work to floors, ceilings, electrics, and walls.

"Our goal is to return the building to the condition it was in before the roof collapsed, which created a flooding situation in the corner classrooms," reports Martin Tristine, director of school finance. "Repairs needed to be done to the plumbing and electrical systems, and we're putting in new floors."

Saint Augustine School, built in 1895, is the oldest Catholic school in the diocese. It is located on Pequonnock Street, behind Saint Augustine Cathedral and adjacent to Kolbe Cathedral High School.

Although Saint Emery Parish is just two and a half miles from Saint Augustine, everyone at the school is happy to end the commute and settle into familiar surroundings.

"Students, parents, teachers, and the community are rejoicing at coming home to Saint Augustine," says Dr. Dames. "This is a new beginning to give our children opportunities through our premier, faith-based education."

Financial aid is available to all students who qualify. Parents interested in Saint Augustine School should call 366-6500, or visit www.cathedralcluster.org. Financial aid is available to all students who qualify.

Danbury Catholic Elementary Schools

Drawing inspiration from last year's promotional campaign for Catholic schools in Bridgeport, the four Catholic schools in Danbury have been generating their own buzz through billboards, flyers, bus placards, and print ads.

"Tell everybody we're alive and well and the best that we possibly can be!" exclaims Sister Mary John O'Rourke, O.S.U., principal at Saint Gregory the Great Elementary School on Great Plains Road. The other schools are Saint Peter Elementary, Sacred Heart Elementary School, and Saint Joseph Elementary School.

While all four schools are independent of each other, they can get more bang for the buck by advertising as a group. The the campaign has kept the concept of Catholic education out in front of the public.

SUMMER MEANS RENOVATION at Catholic schools in Fairfield County, including Saint Peter School in Danbury, where Father Al Audette has been overseeing a facelift for the cafeteria, new dining areas, and pre-school and day-care classrooms.

"Seeing our schools on buses, in the stores, and in all the parishes has increased awareness of the good work we do," Sister Mary John says.

All four schools are competing against a well-publicized new public magnet school for grades K through five that is opening in Danbury this fall. But Father Albert Audette, pastor of Saint Peter Parish, feels his school has much to offer, including an enticingly low student/ teacher ratio of 15-1.

"That's the biggest attraction in the world," Father Audette says. "Through the most difficult times in our economy, Catholic schools have always maintained their status and enrollment. Families who send their children to Catholic schools really want the faith, discipline and character building that comes with that kind of private education."

To read about Saint Joseph's new principal, Gerianne O'Rourke, and Saint Peter's new principal, Eugene Hewitt, click here.

Information for the Danbury Catholic schools can obtained by calling each school, or online at www.danburycatholicschools.org. Financial aid is available to all students who qualify.

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