Big changes on the horizon at Assumption Academy

Edward Vittardi, head of school for the newly formed St. Albert the Great at Assumption Academy, delivered a town hall-style address on March 5 to update student families, parishioners, school staff, Broadview Heights Mayor Sam Alai and representatives from the Diocese of Cleveland on progress made in the past five months.

This is the second address he has given since the partnership between St. Albert the Great of North Royalton and Assumption Academy of Broadview Heights began last October.

Vittardi introduced new principal Richard Kaliszewski, who is currently serving as assistant principal at the Academy of St. Bartholomew in Middleburg Heights. Three new teachers were introduced for the 2019-2020 school year: kindergarten teacher Erica Yacobozzi, first grade teacher Tessa Rivera and third grade teacher Coletta Thellman, an Assumption alum.

Vittardi spoke about the school’s progress on fiscal goals. We Give Catholic, an online campaign that took place last November, generated $107,000 that will be applied to the 2019-2020 school year budget. During the diocese-wide campaign for parishes and schools, Assumption ranked No. 1 for funds raised.

The school’s annual Night at the Races in February raised $32,000 for next year’s operating budget. Vittardi said the school has secured additional funding from other sources, such as grants.

Nearly 20 new students have registered for next school year.

The school has developed a new master schedule that will create an eight-period day for all students to bring consistency across grade levels. This streamlining will result in savings of $130,000, Vittardi said.

To enhance the security of the building, the school acquired grant funding to build a secure glass entrance and school office. All visitors entering the school will be funneled to the school office.

The Raptor Visitor Management System will be installed, which ensures every visitor is instantly screened against the registered sex offender database across all 50 states, as well as custody alert or banned visitor lists. For the first time in the school’s history, all exit doors will be outfitted with an alarm system, effective 24/7. Staff will access the building via keycards, eliminating traditional keys.

Starting with the 2019-2020 school year, special classes, including Spanish, will be offered at all grade levels. Recess will also be offered to all grades.

With the school day beginning and ending a full hour ahead of St. Albert’s, seventh- and eighth-grade Assumption students will be given the option to attend elective classes at St. Albert’s campus. These include gardening, video editing, robotics, 3-D design, entrepreneurship, youth ministry, exercise dynamics and jujitsu.

Previously untapped federal funds will allow for the introduction of zSpace virtual reality equipment for students in grades four through eight and offer 600 lessons.

A television studio will be created, with the support of WJW Fox 8 and the DePiero family of St. Albert the Great parish. The studio will replicate a similar offering at St. Albert’s.

The library will be rebranded as the Learning Commons. It will house the new television studio, zSpace virtual reality, MakerSpace activities and STREAM programming, as well as a traditional library.