Ss. Cyril & Methodius gets new temporary classrooms

Principal Lilly Samaniego, right, thank’s Bishop Mulvey and Msgr. Lawrence White at the Blessing and Dedication of the new temporary classrooms. Behind them are from left, Michael Dodson, Orlando Zepeda, Raymond Gignac and others in attendance who helped to make the new temporary classrooms a reality. 

Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic

Ss. Cyril & Methodius School ended National Catholic Schools Week with Mass and a Blessing of the school’s new temporary classrooms, computer room and library on Feb. 1. “God, today it is by your gracious favor that we inaugurate this work dedicated to education. Grant that those who will come here as teachers and as students may always pursue the truth and learn to know you, the source of all truth,” Bishop Michael Mulvey prayed.

Ss. Cyril & Methodius elementary school students delighted the bishop with words of gratitude and school spirit. Also present and just as delighted was their Pastor Msgr. Lawrence White, Parochial Vicar Father Sanish Mathew, HGN, Superintendent Dr. Rosemary Henry, Ss. Cyril and Methodius Plant Manager Deacon Fernando Perez, Contractor Michael Dodson with Marshall Co., Architect Raymond Gignac and Rudy Gonzalez with Gignac and Assoc., and Orlando Zepeda with the diocesan construction office who oversees the entire operation.

According to Zepeda the students, parents, faculty and staff have been very patient. “The concrete walkways still need to be done, the intercom and fire alarm system needs to be installed,” he added. “And an asphalt surface needs to be set on the grounds surrounding the temporary facility. We will be putting a security fence around the old building and demolition will begin on that. Work on the new permanent building will begin soon.” 

Gignac & Associates are currently working on the design of the new permanent building on the campus. Zepeda is hoping the work will begin congruently with the finishing touches on the temporary classrooms. “It’ll be better than before,” Zepeda said. “We have very qualified and dependable contractors and our design and construction teams are vetted out.” 

According to the school principal, Lily Samaniego, they have had to “make do” with the space they had before Hurricane Harvey. Where they once had two pre-K4 and two pre-K3 classrooms, they now only have one pre-K4 class. 

Samaniego said the school’s Accelerated Reading Program also took a big hit since all the books were damaged by the rains. They also lost their library and computer lab. They had to use one of the church’s portable buildings as a temporary library, so students could still have books to check out. 

The school received boxes of books and gift cards from friends of Father Mathew, Patricia Peet and family. Still – more books will be needed. 

“We are not even close to being at the capacity of what our books were before the hurricane. We need all books from pre-K3 through fifth grade. Some of our fifth graders are reading at a higher level. We need chapter books, fiction books, nonfiction books and series books. Our students read all the time – they love to read, so we need to make sure we have enough books.

“Msgr. White reminds us that all of this takes time – it is in God’s time not in our time, so we have to be patient,” she said. “Other people in the diocese were affected worse than we were.”

At the blessing and dedication, Samaniego thanked Dr. Rosemary Henry for her amazing support. “Dr. Henry was the go-between for us whenever we felt things were not going as quickly as it could. She would let us know what was going on and be the voice for our school.

“Our school is what it is today because we have a wonderful faculty and staff that works really well and has been very supportive of all the changes we’ve had to make in order to help our school run,” Samaniego said.

If you would like to make a book donation to Ss. Cyril & Methodius School call Lily Samaniego or Carol Sanchez at (361) 853-9392.  

David Mendez for South Texas Catholic