LETTER FROM DON RIDDER, PRINCIPAL  

Welcome to St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Elkhorn, NE. Our Pastor, Fr. Ron Wasikowski, along with our school board members, our parents, our staff, and I are all very excited about the continued successes our students have achieved at St. Patrick's Catholic School. We believe that our students are experiencing the very best education possible. Even though this is happening, we know that our educational program will only improve as we continue to live out our Mission which is “to teach as Jesus did” by challenging every student to be their best spiritually, academically, and behaviorally. 

We are now in our ninth year of schooling with a preschool through 8th grade. Our enrollment has increased from 80 students in the fall of 2000 to an enrollment of 680 students this year and our expectation is to be at capacity of 900 students by year 2011. We are fortunate to have been blessed with 65 passionate faculty and staff members who are in constantly working for the betterment of every child in our school.

The key to the success of our educational program is the cooperative and collaborative style we use in this school/parish. We graduated our third eighth grade class in May of 2008. All twenty-five of our graduates plan to attend a Catholic High School and four of them received scholarships. We expect each of our graduates to excel at the high school of his/her choice. It is a goal for St. Patrick’s to have all of our students choose a Catholic high school.  If they choose not to, they will be prepared for any school they attend. Most of our students are reading and writing far beyond their grade level. Many of our parents have switched parishes and schools so their children could attend and participate in the educational challenges offered at St. Patrick’s School.

Our two story building for the school is now complete with thirty-one classrooms, a computer lab, an Art lab, Science lab, a huge media center, and many other spacious rooms and offices needed to surpass all expectations and standards of the state, our community, the archdiocese and ourselves.  This added space will enable our staff and students to unlimited learning thus providing a learning environment that is optimal for every child.

Together, with support from the Home and School, working as one, we can help form well-rounded, dedicated and educated citizens of God’s Kingdom. May this school year be filled with the grace of our loving God?  Please give me a call at 289-5407 or email me at ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org if you have any questions or if you are interested in sending your child(ren) to our school. Also, I invite you to view our video tour which you will find on the left column of the school web page.

God Bless and thank you for your interest in St. Patrick’s School where God and children come first.

 Don Ridder, Principal

 St. Patrick's Catholic School