New year, new faces at Holy Name

A new school year has begun at Holy Name of Mary School and there are some new faces to go along with high hopes.

Enrollment, at 310 students is down from last year. Principal Richard McMahon notes that is mostly because of the departure of a large eighth-grade class in June — 48 students. But, he said, the school is strong as many of the classes, especially in the lower grades, are at or near capacity.

The school continues to attract new students, and even some old students. Tristen Watt, a seventh-grader, is back after attending P.S. 231 in Springfield Gardens for the past four years.

Watt attended Holy Name of Mary for kindergarten through second grade, and said he did his best in school back then. That is why his mother decided to place him back in the Valley Stream Catholic school.

Fortunately, he said, many of his classmates remembered him so he didn’t start off the year without any friends. Watt hopes to continue making new friends throughout the year.

Chance Nerys comes to the school after attending P.S. 181 in Queens. He said his mother wanted him to have a Catholic education.

“There are a lot of nice people,” the sixth-grader said of Holy Name. “I feel I learn a lot easier and better here.”

Nerys said that his new classmates have been very welcoming, and that his teachers do a good job explaining the material. He also doesn’t mind wearing a uniform to school everyday.

Alyssa Goodleigh, a fifth-grader, comes from a nearby school. She attended Forest Road Elementary in South Valley Stream, but she and her parents decided that it was important for religion to be a part of her daily education.

“I like it so far,” she said of her new school, “and I’m looking forward to graduating from here.”

Goodleigh has already been busy with school work. She will spend the next few months studying California for a class project on states, then will make a presentation before Christmas.

The three students say they want to get involved in activities at the school and all hope to play basketball there.

Two teachers are new to the school, as well. Dr. Phil Katz, a retired public school teacher with 35 years of experience, will teach math, science and religion to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students.

Rose Stein will be the new English teacher for the upper grades. She holds a master’s degree in the subject. McMahon said he is pleased to have a veteran teaching staff at the middle school level.

The school will be eliminating its Spanish program to give students 75 minutes of English language arts instruction each day, more than the hour that is required under the new Common Core Learning Standards.

The school’s former middle school math teacher, Andrea Ciminelli, has been moved to fourth-grade in an effort to boost test scores. She is certified in both elementary education, as well as secondary math education.

McMahon said school officials were disappointed with test scores last year. Holy Name of Mary only gives the state assessments in ELA and math to fourth- and eighth-grade students, but McMahon and the teachers take the results seriously. Like in schools across the state, Holy Name saw a significant drop in its passing rates. It was the first set of tests based on Common Core, a set of standards to ensure that students are college and career ready. “Our teachers are looking forward to the challenge of meeting the Common Core curriculum,” he said.

At the end of October, the school will host a team of four visitors to decide if it school should receive a renewal of its Middle States Accreditation. It is an honor bestowed upon schools that meet certain expectations, including high standards for student learning.

McMahon said every aspect of the school will be reviewed from the test scores to its security plan. “It’s very positive,” he said, “and very difficult to get.”