Imagine beginning fifth grade by going to your first day of school where you know all the other students and most of the teachers. You are already familiar with the layout of the school and the routines associated with physical education classes and the lunchroom. What a relief not to have to deal with all of those issues at the same time your body and mind are maturing at such as fast rate that you are often unsure of yourself and others.
That is what a Pre-K through eighth-grade school offers students. At the Catholic Academy of the Holy Family, students don't need to change schools until they enter high school when they are much more physically and emotionally mature to do so.
Relieving the stress of switching schools offers more positives, as well. The smaller class sizes (an average of 1:11) allows for more individualized instruction which offers benefits to both the fast and slow learner. Students in eighth grade participate in an annual pilgrimage that incorporates learning, spirituality, fun and socialization.
At CAHF, our students benefit greatly from this type of middle school experience. Many of our students graduate at the top of their classes from schools all over the region - Jamestown, Southwestern, Chautauqua Lake, Frewsburg, Falconer and even Eisenhower in Pennsylvania.
Feeling welcomed and accepted because you are aware of the circumstances and routines of the school alleviates a great deal of stress from the first day, allowing the student to focus right from the beginning. The success of the students is documented in CAHF being named the second-best middle school in the region by Business First Magazine for the third year in a row. The success is measured by the number of students who complete the advanced/accelerated math, science and foreign language programs at the school. The success is measured by the number of students who excel at extra-curricular activities in high school such as Student Council, Honor Society and a variety of athletic teams.