St. Vincent de Paul School

St Vincent de Paul

831 12th Street South
Wisconsin Rapids, WI
715-422-0960
e-mail: Principal
or Secretary

Located on the east side of Wisconsin Rapids and serving students in grades 3-5.

St. Vincent de Paul School

St. Vincent de Paul School is located on the east side of Wisconsin Rapids at the intersection of Chestnut Street and 12th Street South.  Since the unification of Catholic schools within the Wisconsin Rapids and surrounding areas in 1999, St. Vincent de Paul School has been the host site of grades four, five, and six as well as a site for early childhood. Due to reorganization within the Wisconsin Rapids Area Catholic Schools beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, St. Vincent de Paul School will host grades three through five only.  We are located at 831 12th St. South and attached to the newly reordered St. Vincent de Paul Church.

At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, this school will have a full time teaching staff of eight classroom teachers.  There will be three sections of third, two sections of fourth, and three sections of fifth with class sizes varying between fourteen and twenty.  We also boast of our shared staff, a very talented group of individuals teaching art, choral music, instrumental music, and physical education.  Our shared staff also includes a guidance counselor.  All of our teachers hold bachelors or masters degrees and current Wisconsin state teaching licensure.  

Other very important individuals in our school are the support staff.  We have a school secretary, school aide, librarian, childcare providers for both before and after school care for the third through fifth graders, two cooks, and a team of custodians.  All employees work together in partnership with each other so as to provide a clean, safe, nurturing, stimulating, and productive learning environment for all students.  In addition to support staff and faculty members, we are so fortunate to have the service of so many volunteers throughout the year.  Volunteers are needed for field trip chaperones, school photo day, vision-screening day, classroom helpers, school function helpers, the Home & School Association, and many other areas.

In addition to our very spacious classrooms for the eight homerooms, we also have separate classrooms for art, choral music, and band.  Physical education takes place in a very large gymnasium attached to locker rooms, bathrooms, and showers.  Computer education takes place in our computer lab containing nineteen work-stations all with Internet access. Each classroom also contains two or more computer work-stations.  Science classes are taught in a very well stocked science lab.  Lunch is enjoyed in the school cafeteria.  The guidance counselor occupies a separate office/workroom.  Students have a very spacious playground area for outdoor recess.

Our Catholic faith infiltrates every aspect of our school day.  Each day is begun with prayer as part of morning announcements.  Classroom teachers make sure to allow many opportunities for prayer throughout the day.  They teach the faith by modeling Christian behavior, maintaining high standards of respect for others, holding students accountable for their behavior, and conducting daily religion lessons.  Each week, a children’s liturgy is conducted involving Mass readings and prayers of petition performed by whichever homeroom is responsible that week.  The Mass is usually celebrated by the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish.  Each liturgy becomes another learning opportunity for the students during the homily and opportunity for the students to ask questions.  All students interested in being an altar server (for weekday Masses or funerals) have that opportunity.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available to students during Advent, Lent, and on weekends.  During Lent, students participate in Stations of the Cross services, practice almsgiving, and take special care to do good deeds for others.  Opportunities to pray the Rosary occur in October and May as part of daily prayer and participation in the Living Rosary.  Although we are a Catholic school, we welcome children of all faiths.

The needs of all children are met in several ways.  Our guidance counselor works diligently with classroom teachers as well as administration to identify, diagnose, and intervene so as to help where needed.  Our school librarian, also
a certified teacher, tutors students referred to her.  Classroom teachers, with the help of the student support team, are skilled at identifying students with special needs. Accommodations are made such as the altering of assignments, giving tests orally, giving extra time when applicable, pairing a student up with a buddy, or individualized tutorial. 

We pride ourselves on maintaining North Central Association accreditation.
With the help of a Catholic Schools Management team, we continue to utilize goals and objectives of our strategic plan.  We desire to ensure that our students will be well prepared to be lifelong learners and productive citizens of the future, citizens who will respond and reach out to the needs of others in our global society.

We welcome anyone interested in knowing more about our school.  We would be happy to show you our facility and answer any questions you might have about grades three through five.  Please call at (715) 422-0960 after investigating the rest of our website.

With blessings,

Brenda J. Walczak – Principal of St. Vincent de Paul School

Brena Walczak

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Old Testament, Proverbs 22:6

St. Vincent de Paul Mission

St. Vincent de Paul School is dedicated to an education that impacts a lifetime, serving the student's spiritual, physical, artistic, intellectual, emotional and social needs. A school environment is fostered which recognizes the special dignity of each child, and where religious faith is practiced daily.

St. Vincent Links

© 2007 Wisconsin Rapids Area Catholic Schoools
Peg Klinkhammer
Last updated: September 26, 2008
http://www.wracs.org