Ascension School

School Mission Statement:

Ascension School has as its mission the teaching of the Christian faith in the Roman Catholic tradition, fostering academic excellence in all areas of study, encouraging discipline based on respect and responsibility, and developing a sense of service and social justice within our multi-cultural community.

When Dorwatha Woods Adderley joined Ascension School as Principal/Administrator fifteen years ago, there were 163 students, teachers were coming and going, the building was falling down around them, and most important, as she recalls, “I didn’t feel the spirit of God here.”

It is different today: over 260 students in kindergarten through grade eight, a dedicated and stable teaching staff, a renovated building, fantastic eighth grade Minnesota Basic Skills Test scores, and a sense of clear values. The students reflect the neighborhood: about 90% are children of color and 85% are non-Catholic.

“I found out very quickly why the Lord had moved me here,” says the soft-spoken principal. “There were a lot of things that needed to be done.” She placed particular emphasis on helping families understand the importance of a stable education. “We’ve instilled some values and fostered within families what it means to provide continuity, stability in their children’s education,” she says. “Our families are more stable than they used to be, less transient.”

Now it’s a school she’d recommend to everyone. Her own youngest child graduated just a few years ago after beginning in pre-school. She also notes that many teachers have children or relatives attending the school.

On the books, tuition is $3,000 per year, but the donated funds bring the cost to $2,000. There is generous financial aid available as needed. “Don’t let money stop you from registering.” Woods Adderley says. “We will find a way. We want all children.”

Volunteers from Holy Name of Jesus parish in Medina help staff the office, tutor students and help as needed. They give time in addition to Holy Name’s significant financial support which includes helping students go on to Catholic high schools. “We believe in Catholic education and our families believe in it too,” Woods Adderley says. “We want them to continue that in high school—the values education as well as the academic education.”

As for religion, “there’s a sense that the children must have a relationship with Jesus. Most of our students have a church home. If they don’t, we talk to them about the Catholic faith.”

Joseph Wierschem, a retired corporate executive who is deacon at Holy Name, got his church involved with Ascension School in 1990. “My job is to break the boundaries of our parish. How do I help the parish reach out? You have to get people to get their hands in things,” he says. “People from the suburbs think you can go in and fix the problems. But you have to go in and understand the problems from the people’s perspectives, then work with them.”

With retired Holy Name Pastor Fr. Arnold Weber, Wierschem looked for places the parish could be involved. “When we saw Ascension School, we were excited. We realized that the Ascension Parish couldn’t support the school—didn’t have the resources to support the school—and that education was the most important thing the neighborhood kids needed. Education, values and jobs are the important things and education is primary. That’s their way out, that’s their key to their future. We’re doing all we can. We really believe in this.”

More about the school:

83% of our 2001 eighth graders passed the reading Minnesota Basic Skills Test and 86% passed the math test! Ascension School is a neighborhood school—98% of students live in the 55411 or 55412 zip codes. Three of our regular classroom teachers are fluent in Spanish. Two teachers were missionary teachers in Guatemala and Kenya. Both Dorwatha Woods Adderley (Principal/Administrator) and LuEllen Richmond (Vice Principal) have Masters degrees in Education. 20 of 23 teachers and the administrators are practicing Catholics. The other three teachers are devout Christians of Protestant traditions.

Programs offered include:

Morning and evening Latchkey Program from 7:30 to 9:15 am and 3:45 to 5:30 pm Morning Computer Class from 7:30 to 9:15 am daily Athletic Program for grades 3-8 in after school and weekend hours Youth program for grades 6-12 every Tuesday-Friday after school (Includes Homework Helper and Tutoring hours, along with crafts, car mechanics, painting, charcoal drawing, cooking, & other classes!) Super Language and Math Summer Program from mid June to August