Sal Longo
Principal
Leads the school, teaches the grade 8 religion class and stands at the front door most mornings to greet each family by name.
A parish school in Meadville, Pennsylvania
A neighborhood school where every day begins together
Matins Parish School teaches kindergarten through grade 8. Catholic families and neighbors of other faiths share the same classrooms, and some of their grandparents sat at these desks.
The school year
Winter open house week, answers by spring
Families visit in the fall and winter, apply in the new year and hear from us in March. The office confirms each year's dates.
This school year
Visit mornings
Wednesday mornings, October to March · Sit in on a morning class, then talk with the principal. Children are welcome.
Family Mass
A Sunday in October, February and May · Families, grandparents and neighbors are all invited, whether or not you are Catholic.
Applications open
November · For the fall that is a year away.
Open house week
Winter open house week · Classrooms are open all week, mornings and evenings. Bring the children, or come on your own.
Applications due
Late February · Every family's application is read at the same time.
Financial aid form
Early March · Ask for it when you apply. It is due in early March, and the answer comes with the admissions decision.
Admissions decisions
Late March · By letter and by phone.
Enrollment agreements
April · Signed to hold a place.
First day
Late August · The school year begins with a school Mass.
Sample dates.
Mass and the week
Mass is part of the week, and families are invited
Each class goes to Mass with the parish during the week, and several times a year families are invited to a Sunday family Mass. Students who are not Catholic take part as guests, and the principal will talk with you about what that looks like for your child.
A class Mass with the parish each week
A family Mass three times a year
Preparation for the sacraments, as the parish offers it
Neighbors of other faiths welcome
Classes
Classes by grade and by day
Each grade has its own classroom and teacher. The school day is the same for every grade, and Fridays end early so that families can plan the weekend.
| Ages | Class size | Monday to Thursday8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.4 days | Friday8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.1 day | Before and after care7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.5 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngest learnersKindergartenA full school day, with a quiet time after lunch. | 16 | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Primary gradesGrades 1 to 3Reading in small groups, math, music each week. | 18 | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Intermediate gradesGrades 4 and 5Science begins in the lab. | 20 | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Middle schoolGrades 6 to 8Teachers by subject, with a study hall. | 22 | Offered | Offered | OfferedHomework hour first |
Fees and what each is for
- Application
- Covers reading the application and meeting the child. Due when a family applies.
- Registration
- Holds a place after an offer is accepted.
- Books and supplies
- The texts and materials for the year, ordered by the school.
- Uniform
- The uniform pieces on the office's list, bought from any shop.
- Before and after care
- Billed by the month for the days a family uses.
- Field trips
- A few day trips in the year, billed when a family signs the permission slip.
Sample programs.
How tuition and aid work
The office gives the figures at a visit, so you never read an old one.
Tuition is set by the year and by the grade a child is in. Before and after care are billed apart, by the month, for the days a family uses. The office gives the figures at every visit, so you never read an old one, and it can tell you how the parish's support applies to your family.
Set by the grade a child is in
Care before and after school billed apart
Figures given at the visit
Registration
A family pays an application fee when it applies, which covers reading the application and meeting the child. After an offer, a registration fee holds the place. Both are listed, with their purpose, in the program matrix. A visit day is not part of the application.
Application: when a family applies
Registration: when an offer is accepted
Holding a place
After an offer, a family has about two weeks to answer and sign the enrollment agreement, and its first payment goes toward tuition. When a grade is full, the office keeps a wait pool and calls families in the order they applied as places open.
A signed agreement holds the place
The first payment goes toward tuition
A wait pool when a grade is full
Billing
Tuition is paid by the year, by the term or by the month, whichever suits the family. Payments are set up with the office, which will help a family choose a schedule at enrollment.
By the year, the term or the month
Autopay set up with the office
Financial aid is available; here is how to apply. Ask for the aid form when you apply. It is due in early March, a small committee reads every form, and families hear with the admissions decision in late March. Parish families can also ask the parish office about support, and the school office can tell you about state programs.
Ask for the form when you apply
The form is due in early March
Answers come with admissions decisions
Siblings
A second child, or a third, is handled differently, and the office will explain how when you apply. Brothers and sisters are read in the same admissions season, so a family hears about everyone at once.
Withdrawing
If a family must leave during the year, we ask for a month's notice in writing. The enrollment agreement explains what happens to a term in progress, and the office is glad to talk before anyone decides.
A month's notice in writing
Terms in progress explained in the agreement
The school
The people at the front door
The principal and the assistant principal greet families at the front door most mornings.
Serena Downing
Assistant principal
Teaches math and science to grades 6 to 8, keeps the calendar and answers families' questions about the aid form.
Questions
What families ask us first
How does admissions work?
Families visit, apply and hear from us in March. The admissions page lists each step, and the calendar above shows the months.
Do students have to be Catholic?
No. Families of any faith are welcome to apply. Every student takes part in religion class and school Masses, and the principal will talk through what that looks like for your family.
Can we visit before applying?
Yes. A visit day is how most families begin. You sit in on a morning class and talk with the principal, and children are welcome to come along.
How big are the classes?
Each grade has its own classroom. The program matrix lists the class size for each group of grades.
How does tuition work, and how do we ask about financial aid?
Tuition is set by the year and the grade, and the office gives the figures at a visit. Financial aid is available; here is how to apply: ask for the aid form when you apply, and it is due in early March.
Is there before or after care?
Yes. Before care opens at 7:00 a.m. and after care runs until 5:30 p.m. Families pay for the days they use.
Come and see the school
A visit day is a morning in a classroom and a talk with the principal. Bring the children, or come on your own.