Dear Friends of CAW,
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the formation of Catholic Academy of Waterbury: A Heritage School of Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary! We began the school year by welcoming over fifty new families to our beloved STREAM academy. It is so clear that our roots are already planting deeply in the Brass City and beyond, with one of our most significant sources of new admissions being referrals from current families.
The integration of our two heritage schools was not an easy journey by any means. As with any change in our lives, there have been growing pains, bumps in the road, but beautiful successes and celebrations along the way. As we have grown together as a new school, we have embraced many other students and staff members from Catholic schools that have since closed. These include St. Francis-St. Hedwig of Naugatuck, Sts. Peter and Paul, and Sacred Heart Middle School. Additionally, we are home to many students from public schools whose families seek “something greater” by choosing a CAW education. Today, I can confidently tell you that we are a quintessentially Catholic school, forming our children in the deep traditions of our faith through daily prayer, acts of charity, and liturgical participation.
I am so proud to share some of the numerous initiatives that Catholic Academy has developed over our five year history. We are one of three Archdiocesan STREAM Academies. Making our STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) program readily available to our incredibly diverse student body is changing lives every single day. Our children are innovators, inventors, engineers, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers. Perhaps children in other schools are too, but we have the privilege of a fundamental difference: bringing our Catholic faith to the forefront of every single engineering design challenge, coding exercise, quiz, read-aloud, and robotics lesson. Our school, however, is far more than a STREAM Academy; it is a family where all members know they’re loved.
Ongoing programs for our children span the spectrum of athletics to the arts. We are proud of our robotics team which competes at the Archdiocesan level. Our children’s theater program is alive and well again, and our children performed “Willy Wonka Kids” in May! Stay tuned for next year’s production! We boast a beautiful instrumental and vocal music program for students as well as multiple clubs and enrichment opportunities. Our Blessed Michael J. McGivney Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society is entering its third year, with over a dozen new inductees. In addition to these robust student programs, our staff continues to engage in specialized STREAM and social-emotional training, ensuring we teach the whole child every single day. Please know that none of these great accomplishments over the past five years would have been possible without your support.
This year, I invite you to prayerfully consider making a gift to help us to build upon the five-year foundation we have established. You are an integral part of our story, our Mission, our fiber. Our school is truly a family of faith, and you are an integral member. I ask for your support in helping us to continue the story of love that makes the Brass City’s Catholic STREAM Academy a beacon of light among us.
With my love and gratitude,
Mrs. Christa Chodkowski, Principal (SMS ‘97)
