Ascencion Elementary School - A Virtual U.N. Under One Roof

Armagh-Native, Father Sean McCaughley Welcomes Students From Many Countries And Religions

By John Mooney

Having grown up in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, one of the most polarized towns during "The Troubles," Father Sean McCaughley has made it a point to celebrate diversity at Ascension Elementary School on West 108th Street in Manhattan.

Father Sean has been principal of the school for three years. His student population includes children from the Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Korea, China, and Africa. As is the case with many inner-city schools today, the children are of Catholic, non-Catholic Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish backgrounds. Regardless of their religion, parents are looking for a values-based education program for their children.

"This area has become quite gentrified, but the majority of students are Latino and African American," said Father Sean. "Because of scholarships provided by the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, we can offer quality education to kids in the neighborhood."

About 50 Ascension School students receive scholarships. The Archdiocese of New York received a huge boost last week when philanthropist Robert Wilson, an atheist, made a record-setting $22.5 million gift to support Catholic school education in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Most of the students who receive scholarships would not be able to afford tuition otherwise.

"The scholarships are not full-rides; we are not giving handouts. They are available based on need and cover 25%, 50% or 75% of the tuition fee," Father Sean explained.

"The parents contribute of their time, talent and treasure. That's important in order to add dignity and respect. Parents feel proud of what they are doing for their child. They volunteer and contribute financially."

"The economic assistance enables them to have a quality Catholic, values-based education," said Father Sean, who was moved by one parent who told him she couldn't afford to send both of her children to Catholic School and asked whether she should send her son or her daughter. "How could you ask any parent to make that choice?"

"This neighborhood reminds me of Ireland, where the community really supports the child," Father Sean explained. "We encourage active partnerships with parents and involve them in fund raising and cultural events. The children see their own parents and guardians working together."

All the students in Ascension School -- whether they are Catholic or not -- follow the same curriculum. Students are invited to share of their own religions. They learn that there are many points of agreement and commonality.

"For instance, the Muslim children talk about the importance of having respect for others. We invite children to be respectful of all people. They look around and see they are not all the same," Father Sean said. "We are forming good world citizens, we are doing that right here."

Service is important. Children work in local parks, are involved in feeding the homeless, and work with seniors, on a yearly basis. The principal is looking at developing other service opportunities geared at preserving the environment.

"More and more they are aware of the world around them. We are engaging in a project to put a green roof on the building, so that children can have a hands-on experience stewarding the earth's resources."

Early Childhood Classes

Working with Manhattanville College, Father Sean has developed five early childhood classes, a curriculum called "Essential Learnings." Children as young as 2 years, 9 months begin learning math, science, social studies and religion.

"Our little ones eat it up. We see children who are not even three years old asking to go to the science center!"

Father Sean benefits from a dedicated staff that tries to make the school the best it can be.

"Many teachers come in at 7 a.m. and often stay to 5 or 6 p.m. and sometimes come in at the weekend. They see the sacrifices the parents make, and the parents and students appreciate their dedication," he explained. "Teachers run our after-school programs, help children who need support or are in our accelerated program. Our staff understands that teaching is a vocation, not just a job. None of this is contractual."

Compensation is not the same as it is for public school teachers. Father Sean looks for teachers are motivated and committed to go beyond the norm.

He leads by example. The Irishman became fluent in Spanish because he wanted to engage in meaningful conversations with parents of his students. He spent the summer in a cultural immersion program in the Dominican Republic to both learn the language and to see where the families come from. While it was not always a comfortable experience, it was an invaluable one.

"Mosquitoes love Irish skin," he joked.

Northern Ireland Roots

Sean McCaughley was the oldest of seven children in a Catholic family in Lurgan, a town of about 30,000 that long experienced sectarian battles. He believes his own background helps him today in understanding the feelings of the minority populations in the neighborhood around Ascension School.

Father Sean felt the calling to the priesthood at a young age and eventually attended the seminary at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. He was ordained in 1987 and came to the U.S. in the early 1990s to study religious education at Fordham University. Meanwhile, he helped build a Catholic church in Coop City for parishioners who previously worshipped in a store-front.

"Cardinal O'Connor promised a little piece of land to build St. Michael's. At the groundbreaking ceremony, some of the Hispanic women grabbed the spade from Cardinal and began digging. It was great," Father Sean recalled.

He finds many rewards in being a principal and absolutely loves the "Ah ha!" moment when a child begins to show understanding or mastery of a new subject. The students frequently come into his office and ask, "May I read to you?"

"One of my parents recently asked if her son could go to college. She's so excited that he's flourishing. He would be the first one to go to college," Father Sean said.

"We are lifting up families here. It shows what they can become. Education is the way forward, but I want it to be a holistic, spiritual development."

This summer, the Armagh native will run a 4-6 week summer enrichment program for young children. Because there are so many single parent families, Ascension School often fills the role of caring for the children while their parents earn a living. In some cases, the children are at the school from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

During his free time, Father Sean will host some of his own family who are planning to visit and plans to spend lots of time at Central Park, visiting museums, and hitting the theater.

He'll never be too far from his students. Many of them face "so many challenges in life that you and I wouldn't be able get out of bed." Some have lost parents to death, addiction, and abandonment. Others have lived in the shelter system. Yet they have resilience and are able to flourish.

"When they first enter the school, some of the children are so shy that cannot make eye contact," Father Sean explained. "It's so rewarding to see them several months later making a speech or getting involved in drama, musical theater, ballet, or gymnastics. You see them do all these things. It's tremendous."

"Dance is a really big thing -- broom dancing, Christian Hip Hop, and ballet, but we don't have Irish dancing," he added. "In September, we will start ballroom dancing. The kids are very excited."

With all the success, Father Sean is always trying to make his school better.

"We're either dead in the arms of Jesus or there are things we can still improve upon."