Catholic school set to open

By Bob Stuart

Published: July 25, 2008

A new Catholic school that will focus its teaching from a classical perspective, will open in September in Staunton.
Ama Deus Classical School will be located in a leased building at 1219 Stoneburner Road and will hold classes for students in grades 5-10.
There is also a possibility of kindergarten.
Francis Chester, the board chairman of Ama Deus, said the annual tuition will be $2,900 per student.
Mary Ann Heerschap, the head of the new school, said Ama Deus will be centered on helping “the students in their search for truth.”
“We will study the whole of history,” she said. The curricula for history, literature and religion will be tied together, Heerschap said. Art and music will also be offered.
The school will have two tracks of study — one for college preparation and the other for technical job skills.
The curriculum was modeled after that of Laura Berquist, a California resident who has been involved with distance learning and homeschooling for the past 26 years.
Students at the school will wear uniforms — girls will wear a white blouse and khaki skirt on dress days and a red polo shirt and khaki pants on nondress days; boys will wear a red shirt and khaki pants, and will add a red and blue striped tie on dress days.
While the school will not be strictly regulated by the Catholic Church, the curriculum has been submitted to the Richmond Diocese and will be reviewed by the diocesan school office.
Heerschap said there had been discussion about another Catholic school after Guardian Angel Academy in Staunton was closed a year ago by the Richmond Diocese because of an enrollment that was below expectations.
“People were just too overwhelmed emotionally to come to grips with that,” Heerschap said of the impetus behind staring a new school after Guardian Angel’s closing. “We sat down and plotted away over the past year.”
Founder of School Choice Virginia, Del. Chris Saxman is a proponent of providing different learning institutions.
Saxman said Ama Deus will complement the school offerings in the Staunton and Augusta County areas.
“Some kids need different environments to learn,” he said. “Some need public schools, while some need homeschooling and some private and parochial.”
Heerschap said the school will open on Sept. 2, and she anticipates 30 to 40 students will be enrolled.
A meeting discussing the school will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Staunton Public Library on Churchville Avenue.
All who are interested are invited to meet teachers, see the curriculum and ask questions.
Inquiries about the school or requests for applications can also be e-mailed to .