By Cindy Kranz
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WHITE OAK - As large public schools embrace the trend of creating smaller learning communities, St. James the Greater Catholic School prides itself on what it can offer because of its size.

Carley Powell sings "Song of the Body of Christ" in Amy Grome's fifth grade music class. (Glenn Hartong photo)

With 1,059 students, the grades 1-8 school is the largest non-public elementary in Ohio.

As Catholic Schools Week begins today, educators, parents and students reflected on the benefits of attending St. James. For one, because of its size, the school is able to group grades 4-8 by ability in reading and math.

"It is so much easier to teach kids who have similar strengths and similar weaknesses," said Randy Moning, assistant principal and technology coordinator who was a classroom teacher at St. James for 26 years."We've been able to take kids where they are and move them forward."

The school is a three-time winner of the U.S. Department of Education's prestigious Blue Ribbon Excellence in Education Award.

The school's academic reputation helped draw Kevan Hartman to the principal's job this year. He is returning to Catholic schools after a year as a public middle school assistant principal.

"I really missed the atmosphere in the Catholic schools," Hartman said. "One factor is the religion and the things you can teach kids. You can incorporate it into the curriculum all day long."

The school has a gifted and talented program for grades 4-6 in reading/language arts. About 15 students per grade level work with a gifted teacher, paid by state auxiliary funds, during their regular reading/language arts class.

St. James also has a special-needs classroom, funded by donations outside the normal operating budget. Mary Jo Wiehaus has taught that class for 13 years. She has eight developmentally handicapped students in grades 6-8.

Wiehaus teaches them herself or places them in classrooms for certain core subjects. When they return to the special needs room, she helps them with coursework. Students also take their core class tests with her.

"I don't put them in classrooms if they're not going to be successful," said Wiehaus, voted the school's current teacher of the year. "I place them where they can be successful." "

St. James is a feeder school for La Salle and McAuley high schools, but many students also go on to St. Ursula Academy and St. Xavier. Parents say St. James students are well prepared. They often test out of algebra I in high school and take algebra II or geometry instead.

Wiehaus' oldest son went to St. James and a younger son is enrolled now.

"It's excellent," she said. "I'm not just saying that because I work here. My older son was well prepared for high school. My younger son is in the sixth grade. I can't do that work ... The kids are challenged here. They are ready for high school.''

How does the school reach out to students so they don't fall through the cracks?

"Mostly through our teachers," Moning said. "All of them develop relationships with the kids and keep things on a caring and personal basis."

Hartman and other school personnel were out greeting children in frigid 12-degree weather Friday morning as they arrived for school.

Teachers meet often, sometimes daily, to make sure they're on the same page. They compare notes on how to help a struggling child.

Last school year, the school added the Heartwood Ethics Curriculum, a character-building program spearheaded by Chris Merritt, eighth-grade religion and civics teacher. Students write reflection papers and do role playing focused on seven attributes: hope, justice, loyalty, respect, honesty, courage and love.

Although it's early to track results, Merritt sees anecdotal evidence that students understand the importance of practicing the seven attributes.

Merritt attended St. James and is the daughter of John Merritt, who was principal for 25 years.

"I will not teach anywhere but a Catholic school because I get to talk about God and my experiences with that. That can be in civics. That can be in anything. When Sept. 11 happened, kids asked, 'Why does God let that happen?' I don't think you could discuss that in public schools. We really got at the root of that."

Pam Vollman has taught at St. James for 26 years. She knows she can make more money at a public school but she isn't budging.

"I like the structure," the eighth-grade math teacher said. "I like the faith-filled environment. I think the discipline in parochial schools is probably better. As an educator, that makes my job easier. Parents are very involved. That makes my job easier, too."

Many families have second and third generations attending the school. Two of Sandy Weiskittel's children were taught by Mary Ann Tenhundfeld, the same fourth-grade teacher she had in the late 1960s.

Weiskittel is undaunted by the school's size, which was even larger - about 1,400 students - when she attended St. James. It was so large, she said, there wasn't a first grade, because there wasn't room.

"Despite its size, there is a strong sense of community," said Weiskittel, whose children are in grades 2, 6 and 8. "The more you get involved, the more you see it. St. James is blessed to have a lot of parents involved and who want to be there.''

Students are quick to offer their own testimonials.

Joe Kenkel, 13, a seventh-grader said he likes attending a Catholic school because, "I hear the same things here I hear from my parents, like honesty and responsibility.''

Eighth-grader Marie Koenig is bound for St. Ursula Academy in the fall, but will miss St. James.

"Teachers are always very willing to help you if you need any help, but they also make it fun," the 14-year-old said. "They apply things to real life through labs and things that make it a lot easier to learn."

She isn't at all fazed by the size of the school, and even sees advantages.

"There are so many people to know and become friends with," Marie said. "I never feel lost."

St. James the Greater

Enrollment: 1,059.

Principal: Kevan Hartman.

Catholic: 98.3 percent.

Non-Catholic: 1.7 percent

Full-time classroom teachers: 38

Special needs classroom: 1

Tuition: $1,690.

U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Excellence in Education Award: 1988, 1992, 1999.First brick schoolhouse replaces original one-room log cabin: 1874.Current main school building built: 1912.

Additions: 1963, 1968, 1995.

Origin of name: St. James, brother of St. John the Evangelist, was called the Greater to distinguish him from the other apostle James, who was called the Less because he was younger.

Catholic Schools Week

Catholic school communities in the 19-county Archdiocese of Cincinnati celebrate "Catholic Schools: A Faith-filled Future" during the 31st annual Catholic Schools Week, today through Saturday.

More than 1,000 representatives from Greater Cincinnati Catholic schools will attend Mass at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains downtown. Cincinnati Auxiliary Bishop Carl K. Moeddel will preside.Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk will preside at a 10 a.m. Mass that day at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Dayton for Catholic schools of the Miami Valley.

Many of the 133 Catholic elementary and high schools in the archdiocese will mark the week with open houses for parents and grandparents, out-of-uniform days, service projects, Masses, and entertainment.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has the 10th largest Catholic school system in the United States, with more than 53,000 students.

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E-mail ckranz@enquirer.com