Stella Niagara Education Park is a coeducational Catholic elementary school, convent, and hospitality center located in the hamlet of Stella Niagara within the town of

Lewiston, New York Lewiston is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 15,944 at the 2020 census. The town and its contained village are named after Morgan Lewis, a governor of New York. The Town of Lewiston is on the western bord ...

. It was founded in 1908 by members of the

Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women. A third order secular group, the sisters are not cloistered nuns but active in the world, having historically been primarily involve ...

History

The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity was founded in 1835 in the Netherlands. To assist the German parishes of St. Ann's and St. Michael's in Buffalo, New York, members of the order moved to the United States and opened the first convent in 1874. When more space was needed, in 1907 some of the Sisters moved into the former March home near the

Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...

. The following year, the cornerstone was laid for a new convent, dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The name "Stella Niagara" was suggested by a Jesuit friend inspired by the hymn "

Ave Maris Stella "Ave maris stella" (Latin for 'Hail, star of the sea') is a medieval Marian hymn, usually sung at Vespers. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages and has been used by many composers as the basis of other compositions. Background Authorship ...

"."A Closer Look: Stella Niagara, home to sisters, a school and serenity", ''The Buffalo News'', June 18, 2021
/ref> This building originally operated as co-education school and a boarding school for high school girls known as the Seminary of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The school operated from 1908 to 1970. In 1929 the Heidenkamp wing with a gymnasium, pool, and auditorium was built. The facilities are used by students and local groups. The elementary school for boys, Stella Niagara Cadet Program, opened in 1935. The Stella Niagara chapel was decorated by artist Joseph Slawinski in 1964 during post-Vatican II renovations. In 1971, Stella Niagara Education Park opened after obtaining a charter from the

New York State Board of Regents The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within New York State, presiding over University of the State of New York and the New York State Education Depa ...

.History
, ''Stella Niagara Education Park'', Stella Niagara, NY: Stella Niagara Education Park, 2009, Retrieved 10 March 2014. In September 1979, over 200

Love Canal Love Canal is a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, United States, infamous as the location of a landfill that became the site of an enormous environmental disaster in the 1970s. Decades of dumping toxic chemicals harmed the health of hund ...

residents were relocated to SNEP during environmental remediation work. The Post Office for the hamlet of Stella Niagara, New York is located on campus. In June 2015, the Western New York Land Conservancy purchased twenty-nine acres with a quarter-mile of shoreline from the sisters to form the Stella Niagara Preserve, the largest privately owned, undeveloped tract of land along the Niagara River. It is listed on the Greater Niagara Birding Trail.

School

The Stella Niagara Education Park school starts at the

Montessori The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

preschool level for children three to five years of age. Instruction extends through the eighth grade. As of 2022, the school's enrollment is approximately 170 students. It has a student/teacher ratio of 8:1. The school's curriculum includes core subjects as well as computer literacy, foreign languages, and art.Stella Niagara Education Park (SNEP)
, ''Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity: Holy Name Province'', Stella Niagara, NY: Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity: Holy Name Province, 2014, Retrieved 10 March 2014. SNEP is affiliated with the Western New York Library Resources Council through the Orleans-Niagara BOCES School Library System. it is accredited by the Middle States Association. The school requires children to take regular physical education and encourages students to participate in school athletics. The school has mandatory religion classes. Mass is held at the school on religious holidays.

Hospitality center

Stella Niagara Education Park hosts a hospitality facility named the Center of Renewal. The Center of Renewal offers religious and spiritual counseling, group retreats, and workshops.Center of Renewal Retreat and Conference Center, Stella Niagara/Lewiston, NY
/ref>Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Holy Name Province, Stella Niagara
/ref>

References

External links

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Center of Renewal Retreat and Conference Center
{{Authority control Parks in Niagara County, New York Schools in Niagara County, New York Geography of Niagara County, New York Private middle schools in New York (state) Private elementary schools in New York (state) Congregations of Franciscan sisters Christian organizations established in 1908 Catholic religious institutes established in the 20th century 1908 establishments in New York (state)

History

School

Hospitality center

See also

References

External links