Kuemper Catholic School Systems has been proud to report stable enrollment for at least a decade, and President, John Steffes, says they are thrilled that this year looks like it will be the fifth one in a row in which enrollment is increasing. He believes this is happening because of high academic standards, a strong spiritual education and the way they approach the educational process.
Kuemper has some major projects in the works for this coming school year, the most noticeable is the construction of the new field house on Grant Road. Steffes said the concrete should be poured next week with steel going up in the next couple of weeks. They have created a time-lapse video on the website so people can follow the work on this multi-purpose facility.
The entrance to Kuemper High School has also undergone some major changes. New office space has been built near the front doors, but Steffes said the showcase will be the new shrine that is located right inside. There will be some small benches and religious artwork along with the pocket watch from Father Kuemper. The Assistant Elementary Principal and K-12 Curriculum Director, Kathi Milligan, said they are really excited about changes that will be made in the classroom with the Growth Mindset program.
Milligan said they are also continuing implementation of the Multi-Tier Systems of Support, which allows them to differentiate instruction and target skills at each student’s level for increased proficiency and helping all student’s kindergarten through 12th grade thrive. Thursday was the first day back for the Kuemper staff, and they will be holding their retreat in Mt. Carmel today (Friday). The kids will be getting back to classes with a full day on Wednesday, Aug. 24, but there is a fun kick-off to the school year planned for Monday, Aug. 22. Director of Marketing and Enrollment Management, Susie Hulst says they are looking forward to the open house at Holy Spirit for Kindergarten through eighth-grade students from 5 to 6:30 p.m. that coincides with their fourth annual Family Fun Night from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Though everyone is excited about the start of a new year, Steffes said he is most looking forward to an activity that started just one year ago.
He added there is no better way to start the first day of the school year than by seeing all of those fresh faces ready to learn.
