Ear-splitting cheers filled the gym Friday at Munster’s St. Thomas More Catholic School as students challenged teachers in a raucous volleyball game, nearly culminating a week of service and fun activities.
The Diocese of Gary’s 20 Catholic schools held similar events as they marked Catholic Schools Week. This year’s theme was “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.”
Diocesan Superintendent Colleen Brewer said enrollment is continuing to climb. She said it’s up about 6%, at slightly under 6,000 students in the district that spans Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties.
St. Thomas More Catholic school kindergarten teacher Aimee Legg grants a point to teachers during a student vs teachers volleyball match as part of Catholic School Week celebrations at the Munster school on Feb. 2, 2023.
“We continue in both our reading and ILEARN scores to outperform our local public schools,” she said.
She said the Diocese’s three high schools — Andrean, Bishop Noll, and Marquette — have a graduation rate of 99% and 84% of graduates head off to college.
Like Indiana’s traditional and charter public schools, Brewer said Catholic schools in the region are now focusing on the state-recommended science of reading curriculum.
St. Thomas More students cheer during a student vs teachers volleyball match as part of Catholic School Week celebrations at the Munster school on Feb. 2, 2023.
“Our students come out prepared and they’re ready for high school,” she said.
Meanwhile, Brewer said talks are continuing about Andrean High School’s possible relocation from its 5959 Broadway site in Merrillville. “We have a committee that’s meeting and there’s still ongoing conversations for what’s best for the future,” she said.
Last year, Indiana lawmakers expanded eligibility for the state’s Choice Scholarship or voucher program that shifts state tax money to parents who send their children to private schools.
St. Thomas More teachers cheer after scoring a point against the students during a student vs teachers volleyball match as part of Catholic School Week celebrations at the Munster school on Feb. 2, 2023.
Districtwide, Brewer estimated about 80% of students rely on state vouchers.
That’s not the case at St. Thomas More, however.
Principal Samantha Francis, herself an alumna of the school, said about 150 of the school’s 550 students use vouchers.
St. Thomas More students hold up signs and cheer during a student vs teachers volleyball match as part of Catholic School Week celebrations at the Munster school on Feb. 2, 2023.
She said the parish also requires 85% of the school’s enrollment be Catholics. She said there’s a wait list to get into the school, which is the largest K-8 school in the Diocese. It has a wait list as the school restricts class size to 24 or under, she said.
Francis said the week’s activities included the delivery of homemade cookies to “hometown heroes” such as police and fire departments. There was also a dance party, bingo, and a day of service on Saturday where the kids made mats for the homeless and dog toys for the animal shelter.
Parent Tyrah Kohut, of Dyer, said she decided to send her eighth-grade son, Rush, to St. Thomas More about three years ago. She said friends with children at the school convinced her of its benefits.
Kohut said the school combines kindness, love and respect for others into every lesson and students are pushed academically to be better.
In Porter County, Portage’s Nativity of Our Savior School kicked off the week with an open house, inviting prospective families in for tours given by the school’s middle school students in their uniforms.
Principal Sally Skowranski said about 15 to 20 families toured the school and most of the interest was in its Pre-K program and kindergarten. She said the school’s enrollment is about 186 students.
Like other schools, Nativity had themes for each day including community service, in which students put together “blessing bags” for needy families.
A student appreciation homework-free day allowed students to watch a movie and eat popcorn.
On another day, students dressed up as Catholic heroes or in the garb of their future careers.
“It’s a fun week, and we always enjoy it,” said Skowranski. “And we didn’t have to worry about weather this year. It’s a fun way to focus on our Catholic identity.”
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
