WHO WE ARE
Meet Our Leadership Team
We are proud to serve our students and families.
MISSION STATEMENT
St. Agnes Academy is a Catholic parish school united by God’s love, living and sharing our faith daily. We strive for academic success while promoting awareness and appreciation of community involvement as a lifestyle. Within this secure, welcoming environment, our experienced, dedicated faculty and staff celebrate the uniqueness of each child from pre-school through grade eight.
ACCREDITATION
St. Agnes Academy is fully accredited by the New England Associations of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). NEASC Accreditation is a globally recognized standard of excellence, providing an assurance of a high-quality learning experiences, and attests to a school’s integrity in effective time-tested methodologies for school improvement and growth.
Our Academic Excellence Standards:
- Our Catholic faith has an extensive history in the Berkshires. Since our inception in 1957, St. Agnes Academy provides curricular and co-curricular experiences which are academically rigorous, relevant, research-based, and infused with Catholic faith and traditions.
- Our dedicated Faculty and Staff provide the highest quality pre-school, elementary and middle school education, based on the principles and practices of excellence essential to ensuring Catholic identity and academic excellence.
NEASC is an independent, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization which connects and serves over 1500 public, independent, and international schools in the US and worldwide. Founded in 1885, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) has been working to establish and maintain high standards for all levels of education longer than any other accreditation agency in the United States. NEASC is made up of three Commissions which work in close partnership to ensure quality education for all students.
For additional Information contact St. Agnes Academy at (413) 684-3143.
OUR HISTORY
Soon after the Sunday and Holy Day Masses began in the Town Hall, the building of St. Agnes School had advanced to such a state that daily Masses were celebrated, confessions were heard, funerals and weddings were held there. The church and school were dedicated by Bishop Christopher J. Weldon on April 26th, 1958. The church is of simple Gothic design in brick with limestone trim. Morris W. Maloney of Springfield was the architect and the Larkin Construction Company of the same city was the contractor. It was on Sunday, October 17, 1954, Father Shaughnessy announced plans for a St. Agnes Building Program, which in seven years produced a new church, convent and school.
The first classes in the new school started in September 1957 under the guidance of the Sisters of St. Joseph with three grades and 100 pupils, under the supervision of Sister Margaret Edward assisted by Sisters Agnita and Maria Edward. The building is in keeping with the church and consists of eight classrooms, assembly hall, kitchen and library.
1962 saw the completion of the convent. The exterior is in keeping with the other buildings. During the construction the sisters were housed in the rectory while the two priests took up residence at the Crane Inn. 1964 saw the demolition of the wooden garage which was replaced by a brick structure. On October 23, 1969, the new library at St. Agnes School was dedicated. It was the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop M. Crane, Jr. The library served Grades 1 through 8 as a visual aid center. New equipment includes overhead projectors, 16mm projectors, tape recorders, cassettes, audio tonic individual units, filmstrip projectors and an opaque projector.
In the Fall of 1982, our 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Year, St. Agnes School Board studied options for an additional classroom. When the school was first built, it was designed for eight grades. When Kindergarten was added some time later, the Parish Hall was used for this class. Whenever a parish function was held in our Parish Hall, the Kindergarten equipment, etc. had to be moved out and then back again. A portable classroom was ruled out and a permanent addition was recommended.
A Future Needs Study for the entire parish concluded an addition on the school with a ninth classroom, a multipurpose room, storage and computer center would better serve the entire parish community. Long range plans called for making better use of building space for expanding the Parish Hall kitchen, adding office space for testing, the nurse and a secretary and a faculty lounge. A “Facilities Renewal” Fund Drive to cover the cost of all of these long range projects was launched in the Fall of 1983.
Parish members’ contribution of time and their particular talent has gone a long way to make St. Agnes a vibrant and active parish community. A major component of that life and vigor is the topnotch parish school which provides a complete spiritual and educational foundation for more than 250 local students in grades kindergarten through eighth. Led by a devoted faculty, the school typically has a waiting list for children entering kindergarten in the fall each year. Numerous improvements in terms of physical plant, and equipment and supplies have strengthened the school. To serve the community, a pre-school program for three and four year olds was instituted in 1988.