By Lisa Gilbert – Principal
On September 4th, St. Peter Academy in South Boston opened its doors for its fourteenth year. As the newly hired principal, I had been anticipating that day for weeks. The excitement of the children on the first day of school was matched only by my own excitement as I began the school year in earnest, meeting many of the children for the first time. Yes, I had spent a considerable amount of time on school grounds before school started. Yes, the teachers and I spent three energizing days together planning for the year to come. But that was all before the children arrived.
The children: the sole recipients of all our combined efforts, our purpose and our reason for existence as a school. Being new to the school, I’m loaded with enthusiasm and full of ideas. But the one idea I hold above all others is that school is about the kids. While this concept may seem obvious, I can assure the reader that at St. Peter Academy we live and breathe this mantra. We are an independent, private school on the West Side of South Boston which educates children from as young as fifteen months all the way through to the sixth grade. Since we are a private school, we are not constrained by state mandated tests. We teach children, not standardized tests. Our Mission Statement says it all: “St. Peter Academy is a family oriented, forward thinking learning community providing academic excellence while educating the whole child.” By whole child we mean that we attend to the entire aspect of development. We know that children, like adults, are multifaceted individuals. For that reason, we offer a multitude of programs in addition to our rigorous academic curriculum to address the physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and artistic needs of children. We have specialized teachers of music, art, and physical education. Additionally, we offer Spanish classes starting in the Toddler classroom.
Embedded on a residential street in the heart of South Boston, we are a true community school. We call ourselves a diverse community of learners. Yet, our community extends beyond the four walls of our school building. The vibrant city of Boston, with all its resources and offerings is an extension of the classroom. Next week, our youngest students will be going on an apple picking field trip, while our fourth and fifth graders will be going to the Commonwealth Museum. If you’re out and about the city, you may spot our students in their green polo shirts and khaki bottoms. On any given day you may see our students walking to the park for recreation or to Marion Manor to spread cheer to its residents. If you attended the South Boston Street Fair last Saturday, you may have seen our booth across from the library on Broadway. Our teachers were there representing our school and sharing in this community event.
St. Peter Academy has been educating students since 2004 and we are here for the long run. Our highly qualified faculty members are as diverse as the students we teach. Our teachers hail from all over and they bring with them a global perspective on best practices in education. Small class sizes allow teachers to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of every student. All bias aside, I believe we have something truly special here at St. Peter Academy. But don’t take my word for it. Come by our campus and see for yourself. Schedule a tour today. We are always accepting new students. If you are seeking an academically rigorous, student-centered learning environment, look no further than St. Peter Academy; where it’s about the kids.
St. Peter Academy, 371 W. Fourth St. South Boston, MA 02127, (617) 268-0750. spa@stpeteracademy.com Like us on Facebook & Follow us on Instagram. W. Fourth St, South Boston, MA 02127 |
