In 2008, the doors of the SFCS’s newest school, St. Katharine Drexel, were opened for the first time, welcoming families from the west side of Sioux Falls. Sixtyfive eager students from preschool to first grade were greeted by ten staff members ready to embark on a new journey together. In the years to follow, the school’s original theme of “Come Grow With Us” has taken on a whole new meaning and a stronghold within our families. “It has grown and so much has changed, but the caring family environment has stayed the same,” says Angela Harvill, St. Katharine Drexel’s Educational Assistant and parent. “St. Katharine Drexel and all the staff have provided a wonderful, caring environment for our kids to learn and grow in their faith. It has been amazing to watch our children grow and progress through the school and to see the school grow as well.” One of the families that has joined and embraced the St. Katharine Drexel School community is the Lisa and Andrew Kunz family after first enrolling their oldest son in a local public school. “He struggled his first year. He just wasn’t himself. His teacher wasn’t seeing how kindhearted and sweet he was,” says Lisa. “Sioux Falls has great public schools, but we realized something was missing.” As active Catholics, the Kunzs had been looking for signs as to whether their kids should be in the Catholic schools instead. Lisa ran into someone at a grocery store who asked her why their kids weren’t enrolled in one of the Catholic schools. They saw that brief encounter as a sign, and the next year made the move to St. Katharine Drexel School. From the first day, they knew they’d made the right move. “The day of the first school Mass, all of the parents stood outside of the school and prayed — together. And I started to cry. I remembered a year earlier — at the public school — I was praying alone in my car, just hoping that my kid would have a good day. This was just so different — it was HUGE.” Now with three children at St. Katharine Drexel, Lisa says her children know they are loved, safe, respected and known. “The teachers and staff live out their faith as amazing examples to the children. The school as a whole wants all the children to thrive, to do their best and to know God.” It’s experiences like these that have helped the school more than triple in size. One of the other really great things going on at St. Katharine Drexel School is it’s incredible sense of school spirit. With incentive programs like “Caught Being a Knight,” the school seeks to reward students for their exemplary behavior, for going above and beyond to show the virtues of a true Knight, and students at the school grow up wanting to “be like a Knight.” That has translated to an incredible 100% of their sixth grade students transitioning to O’Gorman Junior High for seventh grade. Principal Stacy Charron is very proud of her school, its students and staff, the strong sense of community they have developed, and the growth they have seen as a result. “We look forward to the future at St. Katharine Drexel School with all those who choose to ‘Come Grow With Us!’”
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