Anastasia Catholic School in Fort Pierce officially launched the Morning Star program Thursday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the first program of its kind in the Diocese of Palm Beach to provide a full Catholic education experience for children with special needs. The program began as a pilot in August with seven students.
Bishop Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez of the Diocese of Palm Beach attended the ceremony and interacted with students. "It's the first of its kind, offering full experience of Catholic education to children with special needs," Rodriguez said.
The Rev. Principal Kevin Hoeffner said the school previously struggled to accommodate students with special needs. "So, I've been here 20 years here at St. Anastasia, and unfortunately, we've had to either let students go when they can't make it past a certain grade, or they come in the front door, and they really want a Catholic education, and we unable to provide that for them," Hoeffner said.
He added that the program aims to support families raising children with special needs. "My gosh, right now, parents are having a hard time raising a special need. Sometimes they can feel alone and isolated. So, it's nice that we can open our doors to them and be able to offer the tools and resources for them, not only to assist them but also for them to understand the faith," he said.
The Morning Star program includes sensory-friendly classrooms, a modified curriculum, small class sizes and individualized learning plans tailored to each student. The school hopes to expand the program to help more students and families in the community. Thursday's launch also marks the school's 100 years of Catholic education in Fort Pierce.