Past

Present

    St. Agnes School is a small, private, Catholic school educating students of all denominations, ranging in age from 3 to 8th grade.  Sponsored by St. Agnes Catholic Church, the school has been instructing children in Christian principles since 1924.  St. Agnes is located on 10 acres in a residential area on a no-through-traffic street.  St. Agnes has spacious classrooms, a well-stocked library and a playground safe for young students.

        Although bricks, mortar and a picturesque setting are important, the efforts of the administration, teachers, students and parents create a nurturing, learning environment

OUR HISTORY

        The history of the school dates back to 1924 when a combined church and school building was erected on the corner of 50th Street and MacCorkle Avenue with Reverend William Lee as Pastor.  The school was staffed by two Sisters of St. Joseph.  The enrollment that first year was 65 students.

        In 1939, an addition enlarged the school with one additional Sister of St. Joseph joining the staff.  In 1955, the first lay teacher, Mary Hacala, was hired.  A new parish was built on 49th Street by Reverend Lawrence Gallager.  In 1958, the staff increased to eight consisting of both Sisters and lay teachers, and in 1959 the school reached its highest peak of enrollment with 237 students.

        The Seventh and Eight Grades were closed in 1970 following a study of the Catholic School System in Kanawha Valley by West Virginia University.  Reverend Edward Sadie was pastor at this time.

        In 1981 the kindergarten was opened for half-day sessions.  All day kindergarten began in 1994.  A child care program was begun in 1986 to accommodate working parents; a Preschool 4 year old program was begun in September, 1989.  The school has a First Class Certification by Kanawha County Board of Education and the State of West Virginia since 1974.

        A new addition to the school was built in 1994-1995 consisting of  library, gym/parish hall, administrative offices and daycare.  The dedication ceremony was held September 17, 1995.

        In 1995 the Preschool Program expanded to three year olds for 3 days.  In 1996 a 2 day program was added.  Due to changes in enrollment, the 2 day program was discontinued.

   The Middle School Program was opened with Grades 6 and 7 in 1996 with Grade 8 added in 1997..

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

        St. Agnes School is a small Catholic school educating students of all denominations ages three through eighth grade.  The faith-centered community of the school emphasizes the internalization of Christian values into a student's life.  The core of the academic program is language arts and mathematics integrated with science, social studies, religion and the arts.  The large field, on which the school is situated , is a unique space for physical education classes, for outdoor study and for daily physical and imaginative play.  Teachers and staff view each child as a distinctive person with individual talents to be developed and enriched.  Parental involvement is a vital part of this school community.

        Our mission is to give a child a sense of worth through a strong ability in the basic academic skills through a sense of being a child of God and a part of a faith centered community, through a development of their physical and creative skills so they can successfully continue in other academic communities.