Holy Spirit Catholic School has been educating students for 70 years

POCATELLO — Holy Spirit Catholic School has reached its 70 year milestone of providing education to children.

Margie Gabiola, principal at Holy Spirit, said the school is currently in the middle of its summer program. Students are having an “Around the World in 47 Days” program where they learn about other countries.

“We’re a year-round school because of that program,” Gabiola said. “They’re learning about China and Australia.”

Holy Spirit Catholic School offers classes for children from preschool to fifth grade. The preschool program holds classes five days a week from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“It’s a really good program,” Gabiola said. “Everything is faith-based.”

The school offers strong academic programs for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. They have a fine arts program that is taught by a member of the local symphony.

“For our bigger kids, we have Lego Robotics and cross country and basketball,” Gabiola said. “We do plays for the Nativity and Easter.”

Gabiola said students at Holy Spirit have the opportunity to go on field trips at least once a month. She said fourth grade students take a trip to Boise every year to see the Idaho Capitol, the aquarium and the cathedral. Fifth-graders get to go to Salt Lake City.

“Our field trips always go with whatever we’re learning,” Gabiola said. “Our mission is to inspire academic excellence.”

Holy Spirit Catholic School has a small teacher-to-student ratio. Most of their classes have 12 to 15 students in them.

“They have fantastic one on one and are able to get through the curriculum faster,” Gabiola said about the advantages of the small class sizes. “I’ve worked at the school for 28 years and I found myself going through much faster with a smaller class.”

Gabiola said her favorite part about Holy Spirit Catholic School is the community that exists between the staff, the students and their families both in and out of the classroom.

“It’s a community and it’s extended family,” she said. “We just talk to each other and build community resources.”

Gabiola also loves that they are able to tie everything into the Catholic faith and Christian values such as forgiveness and charity. The students go to Mass every Wednesday.

“We have three amazing priests,” Gabiola said. “We usually see Father Aleksander. He is a kid at heart and does great stories.”

Holy Spirit Catholic School is located at 540 N. Seventh St. in Pocatello. More information about the school can be found on its website at holyspiritcs.com.