217 Years Of Christian Education
Editor’s note – Lifelong Vincennes resident Bernie Niehaus is an alumnus of St. Meinrad Seminary and Chairman of the Board of the Niehaus Companies. He has published a collection of columns he wrote for the Niehaus Companies newsletter over the years, and many of them relate to his Catholic faith and our Church in Southwest Indiana. From time to time, The Message will publish excerpts from the book. His original columns, the book and this column carry the same name – “Splinters.” Since we are celebrating National Catholic Schools Week, this seemed a perfect way to introduce “Splinters” to our readers. The following column was originally published in January 2009.
The last week of January, Rivet High School and Flaget Elementary School will celebrate Catholic Schools Week. They will also be celebrating 217 years of Christian Education. Catholic Education was established in Vincennes in 1792 by Father Benedict Joseph Flaget and was carried on by his successor Father Jean Francois Rivet. The Catholic schools in Vincennes proudly bear their names. Father Rivet was also the first headmaster of Jefferson Academy, the forerunner of Vincennes University, which was founded in 1806.
The Catholic school enrollment is now at about 450 students with 250 at Flaget in Pre-K thru fifth grade and 200 at Rivet in grades 6-12. At the heart of the educational system are Christian values. Discipline, morality and religion are the school's three cornerstones. A special effort is made to teach the students to live what they learn in school and to carry it home and into the community, when they volunteer for many activities such as, Loaves and Fishes and nursing home visits. Service hours are an integral part of the education at Rivet.
Both Flaget and Rivet are fully accredited schools with all teachers licensed. A great deal of personal attention is given to each student with a 16:1 student:teacher ratio. Many academic extracurricular activities are offered, Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, Hoosier Spell Bowl and many more. A strong student government provides a calendar of social events, community services and other activities throughout the year. A special SMART room links Rivet with Vincennes University and enables students to participate in VU classes and earn college credit.
More than 85 percent of Rivet students participate in their many athletic programs. These include: volleyball, basketball, track, baseball, swimming, cross country, golf, tennis, cheerleading and soccer. Last year for the first time in the school's history, they won three sectional championships, in girls basketball, boys tennis and boys baseball.
Flaget and Rivet are certainly tremendous assets to our community. Not only do they provide an excellent Christian education, but they also provide an alternative to public education. Many businesses and industries who are looking at our community ask about our school systems. Vincennes and Knox County are fortunate to have four great school systems-Vincennes Community, Vincennes Catholic, North Knox and South Knox.
Bernie Niehaus is a lifelong resident of Vincennes. “Splinters” features excerpts from his book of the same name.
