Welcome to Saint Nicholas Academy.com

We are very happy that you decided to visit SaintNicholasAcademy.com. 

The purpose of this website is to serve two communities, both the families and students currently enrolled at St. Nicholas Academy as well as those in our community facing the difficult decision of where to enroll their children.  We hope to provide you with information that can assist you in finding the perfect Catholic Education.  For parents and students already enrolled in St. Nicholas Academy, most of the information pertinent to you will be on this homepage as well as the Current School Year link.  For prospective families please visit the Learn About Us link as you research our wonderfully exciting Inter-Parish Catholic Educational format.  If you need any additional information please feel free to Contact Us.

From the Desk of the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians of First through Fourth Graders,

As we move into the second semester of the school year, we’d like to share some of our findings and explain our expectations for one area of our curriculum. First, we are extremely pleased with how both the teaching methods and skill emphasis have blended; teachers are dedicated and have worked to make sure that what is presented in our new school is a strong continuation of the Archdiocesan Graded Course of Study. We have additionally made a school commitment to teaching Constructed Response techniques in grades K-8; this program teaches students tools that enable them to respond to written/oral questions with a plan that organizes their knowledge. Students use this sequential process on daily/weekly assessments and on standardized tests now. They will also use this process as they progress through high school and beyond.

After looking at Terra Nova results for all students, we looked specifically at language and math. Our scores are in line with other schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati; at this point, we could be proud of that and move on. After talking with teachers; however, it is our desire to give our kids an extra edge; simply put, we think our students can do better, and we’d like to propose a program that we think will accomplish that goal.

Our direction will be in math; we looked at specific skills that research shows to make a significant difference in a child’s developmental mastery of that subject. The skills we wish to focus on are those that prove to be stumbling blocks as children move from grade to grade; they are skills that need to be mastered along the way or they prove to be huge impediments that frustrate and create problems for teachers, families, and most importantly, the student. Without specific developmental skills at hand, progress is slow at best. We want to provide an environment where all children are eager and happy to move forward because they are confident. Obviously, we have many students who know their basic skills; we will support their learning with additional curriculum. In short, all students can move to the next step with enrichment.

We are asking for your help. Beginning Wednesday, February 13, students will be taking home a Math Enrichment Folder. Papers included will be specific to your child’s skill level; they are intended to help make your child a strong math student as he or she progresses through grade school. We’re asking you, as parents and guardians, to spend an extra ten minutes Monday through Thursday with your child as the work is completed. This is certainly above and beyond helping students learn the addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts, which are central to success. The completed papers need to be returned on Friday and will be checked. Students will receive a chart sticker for returning their folder.

Talking with your child about his or her work is always important; however, getting in the habit of using travel time to go over number facts will make a much needed impact; the repetition is essential. Enlist your student in measuring, estimating, counting or any critical thinking that uses numbers! Between your additional help and the enrichment provided, we think
we can give the students of St. Nicholas Academy a great chance at being their best.

We would appreciate it if you would sign the paper below so we are aware that you have seen this letter. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me or your child’s teacher.

Your support is indeed a huge factor in making our curriculum as strong as possible for our students’ success; we feel this program can help us reach that goal, and your help in this rather large undertaking will make a difference.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Carol Graler
Curriculum Coordinator

Mr. Gerry Myers
Principal

Learn About St. Nicholas Academy

We are very excited about the creation of the region's first Inter-Parish School and believe that this model has a lot to offer to our children and families.  Please take a moment to get to know us by reviewing our website and/or by contacting the School Office.  We are very excited to launch into the next wave of Catholic Education in our region and hope you are willing and able to join us as we Envision the Future.

For prospective families, the best place to research would be to start at the beginning... Our History.  While our history is very brief it explains why these parishes have converged to create and sustain what we believe is the future of Catholic Education.  We have reproduced the highlights of that content in the below text.

St. Nicholas Academy opens its doors to welcome students in August, 2007.  The formation of this first Inter-Parish Catholic elementary school in the Cincinnati area began with a desire to sustain Catholic Education in the area, improving the quality of the services provided, and by a collaboration to Envision The Future of Catholic Education.  This collaboration began when the pastors and a core of parish members from two parishes, St. John the Evangelist and Holy Trinity, met and determined that together, we could provide what we could not do separately.

What is different about our school model is that it is not a consolidation or a merger.  It is an interparish school, formed by a covenant relationship between the parishes and the school itself.  This model has met with great success in several other U.S. dioceses and was introduced to us through Rev. Joseph Atcher, Vicar for Education of the Archdiocese of Louisville.

We are located in the former St. John the Evangelist School, 7131 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236.  Our program includes a pre-school, before and after school care, a full day kindergarten, and grades one through eight.  We have a fine arts program, including art instruction, music, introduction to the Spanish language, and library program.  We have weekly liturgies with the children and a strong religious education program, including sacramental preparation.

 An important part of our history is the formation of a parent group called PLAN (Parents Looking Ahead Now).  This group formed independently and with encouragement of the pastors to act as a catalyst with other school parents and parishioners.  The met frequently with parent groups, principals, and pastors encouraging them to work together rather than separately to ensure a viable Catholic school for this area of the city.  Without their hard work and dedication St. Nicholas Academy would never have come to birth.

On the following pages you can find further information about us, including registration forms, our curriculum and staff directory.  We welcome all inquiries and the members of PLAN are happy to assist any parish seeking information about this model of Catholic education.