The Stark County Regional Catholic Elementary School System is now Stark Holy Cross Academy.
The academy, which will be introduced publicly during a news conference today at Walsh University, includes the 11 elementary schools in Stark County: St. Joan of Arc in Perry Township; St. Michael the Archangel, Plain Township; Our Lady of Peace, St. Joseph and St. Peter’s, Canton; St. Paul, North Canton; Regina Coeli/St. Joseph, Alliance; St. Louis, Louisville; St. Barbara and St. Mary, Massillon; and Sts. Philip & James, Canal Fulton.
Each school site will be referred to as a campus and take on the Holy Cross Academy name. For example, the Plain Township school for students in grades K-8 now will be called Holy Cross Academy at St. Michael the Archangel Campus.
The school system operates under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and is open to children of all faiths.
Monsignor Lewis F. Gaetano, president of Holy Cross Academy, said the new name ushers in a more cohesive branding strategy and a renewed focus that will foster unity and allow for a strengthened Catholic identity and commitment to education.
“Holy Cross Academy represents a unified commitment by the Stark County Catholic community to providing an exceptional educational experience where Catholic character can be nurtured and celebrated,” Gaetano said. “Guided by the legacies of our campuses, Holy Cross Academy embraces the rich tradition of Catholic education in Stark County, where gospel values and service learning are integrated throughout daily campus life and academic excellence is given.”
Holy Cross preschools also have been renamed as Family Preschool Centers. The name was chosen to reflect that parents are a child’s first teachers and that children learn when interacting with family, teachers, friends and environment.
The name Holy Cross was selected because the cross is a universal symbol students can identify.
The academy’s curriculum will be built using the STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics) methodology, which adds to the STEM approach many charter schools have adopted. Holy Cross also will expand its current technology program to include Catholic morals. As a school system, each school will benefit from consolidated purchasing, collaboration, shared resources and mutual support.
For more information about the academy, go to www.starkholycrossacademy.com.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at https://twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.