New name among changes
at Archbishop Walsh
By Chris Chapman
Olean Times Herald
JULY 28, 2009
OLEAN - Change is inevitable. For some, change is a scary thing. For others, it’s progress.The Archbishop Walsh Board is hoping what they have in mind falls into the latter category.
When the building on North 24th Street opens its doors for classes this fall, a few things will be different. Not only will the building be the home to students from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12, but other, more progressive, changes will have taken place.
As students walk through the main doors, they will notice the school has a new name. The 52-year-old school will still carry the name of Archbishop Walsh, but the words ‘High School’ will be gone.
“We have officially changed our name from Archbishop Walsh High School to Archbishop Walsh Academy,” Dresser-Rand Vice President of Public and Community Relations, Elizabeth Powers said. “The ‘Academy’ more accurately reflects the direction we are going with (our curriculum) and is not limited in grade, as ‘High School’ is.”
When the 2009-10 school year begins, elementary students will be walking the halls of the building. The students of Southern Tier Catholic School will be moving into the building.
“During the first year, the two schools (Archbishop Walsh and Southern Tier Catholic School) will coexist under the same roof,” Mrs. Powers said. “They will be two separate entities in the same building.
“This is simply a name change,” she continued. “The name is historic, and does carry a Catholic connotation. The new name will carry no limit in religion, geography, or span (of education).”
Despite being a Catholic-based school, students that attend do not have to come from that faith, Mrs. Powers said.
“In fact, nearly 20 percent of our students are not Catholic,” she said. “It is about the same in Southern Tier Catholic School as well. We try to be welcoming of all faiths.”
The change also reflects the attitude of the school in honoring the alumni, Mrs. Powers said.
“It is also a name that has tremendous affiliation and loyalty from the alumni, and is a name that is not limiting in geography,” she said.
