Seventy Years on Old Indian Trail
St. Rita of Cascia School has welcomed students in Aurora, Illinois, since the fall of 1956. The institution began humbly, with the parish's pastor, Msgr. Thomas Birmingham, renting a vacant four-classroom public school building on Indian Creek for one dollar a year. Two Sisters of St. Francis from Joliet, Sr. Lorraine and Sr. Dominic, were the first teachers. Four years later, in 1960, the parish moved to its permanent home at 770 W. Old Indian Trail, where the church and a twelve-classroom school were constructed under one roof. The visible bond between parish and school remains the defining mark of St. Rita.
Faith Woven into Each Day
Faith formation is built into the rhythm of the school week. Every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m., students in kindergarten through eighth grade gather for school Mass in the parish church, with a different grade level taking a turn leading the liturgy. After the older students receive communion, the PreK3 and PreK4 children file in for their own "Mini Mass," an age-appropriate introduction to the Mass and the church.
The parish priest visits the classrooms on the first day of school each year to bless the students and teachers and to wish the community a healthy new year. In October, the whole school comes together for a Living Rosary in the church. Each spring, the second graders celebrate a May Crowning following their First Communion.
Sacramental preparation is a structured part of the curriculum. Children prepare for First Communion in second grade. Confirmation preparation begins in seventh grade, with the students receiving the sacrament from the Bishop in eighth grade. Many fourth through eighth graders also serve as Altar Servers throughout the school year. Older and younger students are paired as "Prayer Buddies," sitting together at weekly Mass and joining in service activities across the year.
A School, an Extension of the Parish
The history of the school is the history of the parish. In the early years, children of the parish attended six different parochial schools and four public schools in the area, until the 1956 rental marked the beginning of a unified Catholic education on the parish campus. The 1960 building project brought church and school together in a single structure, an arrangement the school still describes as "a visible sign that the school is an extension of the parish."
The facility has grown carefully over the decades. Four additional classrooms and a gymnasium were added after the original twelve were built. In the summer of 2007, the entire building was remodeled with energy-efficient windows, and classrooms received upgraded heating and air conditioning. A remodeled kitchen now serves the daily hot lunch program, and the gymnasium retains its hardwood flooring. A visitor walking in today will notice the original slate foyer, a reminder of the school's mid-century architecture, alongside the modern computer lab, SMARTBoards, iPads, and school-wide broadband that connect the classrooms.
Academics, Art, and Beyond
The curriculum aims for breadth. In addition to the core subjects, students study art, music, band, physical education, library, and technology. Class sizes are kept small to allow individual attention, and teachers are encouraged to push students toward their highest potential. The school points to "commitment to technology" as one of its top ten reasons to enroll.
The school tracks academic progress through the ARK testing program for reading and math in grades 2 through 8. Students who excel are recognized on the Honor Roll, and graduates move on to strong Catholic high schools. The school notes that 90 percent of its graduates continue at Rosary, Marmion, or Aurora Central Catholic High School, three nearby Catholic secondary schools.
Faith is also integrated into classroom discussion. When a new Pope was elected, religion classes paused to mark the moment together and explore what it meant for the Church.
Athletics for Every Grade
Crusader teams compete in five sports: basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, and track and field. Practice schedules fill the late afternoons, with separate teams for fifth and sixth grade, and for seventh and eighth grade. Volleyball practice for the upper grades, for example, runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. several evenings a week. Soccer practice for seventh and eighth graders runs 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the younger groups overlapping on the same field. Games pair the Crusaders with other local Catholic schools, including non-conference matchups with schools like Naperville Christian.
Service to the Wider Community
Service is built into the school year. Each fall, students collect baby items for a Baby Shower supporting Mutual Ground, Catholic Charities, Hesed House, and Pregnancy Aid Illinois. In November, the whole school travels to Feed My Starving Children for a packing event. December brings a toy collection for Marie Wilkinson. During Catholic Schools Week, classrooms build donations of cereal for the Aurora Food Pantry. The Help-A-Student matching program rounds out the year, pairing donors with students who need support.
These projects "stress the importance of giving back to our community."
A Day at St. Rita
The school day begins with extended care from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Arrival starts at 8:20 a.m., with the tardy bell ringing at 8:30 a.m. Dismissal is at 3:15 p.m., followed by a second block of extended care from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. for families who need it. The school week includes the Tuesday Mass, plus clubs and choir practice before school and athletics after.
Before school starts each day, the Crusader Choir meets at 8:00 a.m. with the music teacher and choir director. The Musician Workshop, a parallel group, gathers in the same window for students interested in playing and performing. Chess Club meets weekly as well, and the school year includes a Book Club that gathers in the library in the evenings.
Special days punctuate the calendar. "Crusader Pride Out of Uniform" days let students trade their uniforms for free dress. A Grandparents Day celebrates the school's history. The Knights of Columbus host a pancake breakfast with the choir, and Bingo Nights fill the parish hall in the evening.
Faculty, Staff, and the Home and School
Heather Baer serves as principal, with Amy Petersen as assistant principal. The faculty includes teachers for every grade from PreK3 through eighth, plus specialists in art, music, physical education, library, technology, and speech and language. A Title I teacher and a Speech and Language Pathologist work with the school through the local public school district, extending the support available to students.
The Home and School Association is open to every parent and guardian in the school community. The organization sponsors book fairs, parties, receptions for First Communion, preschool, kindergarten, and eighth-grade graduation, and funds its programs through a Halloween Dance, Christmas, Spring, and Summer Vendor Events, and other gatherings. The group's reach extends to every student in the building.
Enrollment and Practical Details
St. Rita of Cascia School accepts applications for PreK3 through eighth grade, with a daily schedule running Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Extended care is available before and after the school day. Uniforms are required and may be ordered through Schoolbelles, and the school supply list is published each summer. Parents can check grades and pay fees through the Facts SIS parent portal.
The school is accredited through NSBECS (National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary Schools) and is recognized by WCEA (Western Catholic Educational Association). For information about enrollment, families may contact the school office to request a personal tour.
Tuition support is available through the Help-A-Student matching program and other giving channels. Donations to the school may be made online, and the school maintains Amazon Wishlists for teachers who welcome classroom supplies and books.
The Saint Behind the Name
The school is named for St. Rita of Cascia, known as the "Saint of the Impossible." For the people of St. Rita of Cascia Parish and School, the story is simple: "with God all things are possible." That conviction, expressed in the founding of the school in a rented public school classroom in 1956 and carried through the decades since, is at the heart of the school's mission to nurture students who live with faith, learn with purpose, and lead with heart.