Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, is pleased to announce that a new independent Catholic elementary school will open in Ada in the fall of 2018.
The new elementary school, St. Robert Catholic School, will be located at St. Robert of Newminster Parish (6477 Ada Drive, Ada, MI 49301). The school will begin with 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old preschool and kindergarten, as well as with before- and after-school child care for these students. The school will add one grade per year added through eighth grade.
The school will provide a premier Catholic education that empowers every student to develop their God-given potential through a culture designed to nurture their relationship with Christ. An excellent academic curriculum, where the Catholic faith is foundational to every discipline, will prepare students for high school, with a particular focus in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). An array of cocurricular and extracurricular activities will also be available.
“While there are alternatives to Catholic schools, there are no substitutions,” said Bishop Walkowiak. “I am pleased to offer the families in the Ada and Cascade areas this opportunity to provide their children with a Catholic school education which nourishes a child’s mind, body, and soul.”
“It is exciting to see the growth and positive energy which has emerged due to the Bishop’s Catholic Schools Initiative and our new strategic plan – ‘Catholic Schools: Bridging Faith and Future’,” said David Faber, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “I am grateful for the collaboration of Catholic community leaders, the parish, and the diocese in making this new school possible, and I look forward to working with parents to give their children the best education possible.”
The new “Bridging Faith and Future” strategic plan for Catholic schools in the diocese (announced in August) calls for examining ways to bring Catholic education to areas where families do not currently have easy access to a Catholic school, including in the southeast and southwest suburban areas of Grand Rapids.
In our diocese, this will be the first Catholic school to open in more than 50 years where one did not exist previously. This independent Catholic school will be operated by an entity legally distinct from the diocese and it will ensure that the school gets off to a strong start. The school will meet the requirements for recognition and approval as an independent Catholic school within the diocese.
Plans are underway for the recruitment of a board of directors and the hiring of a new school principal. Enrollment at the new school will begin in the spring.
See video of the announcement at this link.
Information about St. Robert Catholic School will be available at this link. Sign up to receive updates using the form below.