Saint Benedict Academy

From all of us at Saint Benedict Academy, we wish our families, friends, alumni, and community a joyful and safe Independence Day as we celebrate 250 years of America! 🇺🇸🇺🇸💛💙

Thank you for your amazing support! Because of you, Saint Benedict Academy is once again the 2026 Union Leader Readers’ Choice GOLD Winner for Best Private Elementary School.

Here’s to another year of Faith, Love, and Excellence in Learning! ✝️💙💛

2026 Union Leader Reader’s Choice is out! https://share.google/2KAkHY1TxVqrCHcTg

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FIRE NH Spotlight: When Inclusion Becomes Possible

At Saint Benedict Academy, inclusion is no longer just an aspiration. It is becoming part of the school's culture.

Over the past two years, FIRE Foundation NH support has helped the school strengthen the ways it serves students with diverse learning needs through consultation, teacher support, individualized planning, and direct partnership with families.

One fifth grade student's experience illustrates the difference that support can make.

When he first arrived at Saint Benedict Academy several years ago, he was struggling academically, socially, and emotionally. Despite significant intervention efforts, his reading, writing, and math skills remained far below grade level, and his family was repeatedly encouraged to consider other educational options.

What his parents wanted most, however, was for their son to remain in Catholic education.

With support made possible through FIRE Foundation NH, Saint Benedict Academy was able to provide a more comprehensive support system for the student, including individualized planning, in-school tutoring, targeted intervention strategies, and closer collaboration among educators, specialists, and family members.

Today, he has found a sense of belonging among his peers and has grown in confidence and social awareness. While he continues to face academic challenges, he has made marked gains in reading and writing and has developed new strategies to advocate for himself and engage more successfully in his learning.

His experience reflects a broader shift taking place at Saint Benedict Academy.

"As a school community, every child brings unique gifts and qualities to our community," said Principal Tanya Paiva. "The ways in which we have seen all of our students grow in empathy, virtue, and friendship as a result of inclusion are astounding. Their compassionate interactions reflect the beauty and dignity within each person, recognizing that we all have differing gifts and challenges. This is most clearly seen in the care and compassion they extend to one another."

Principal Tanya Paiva's leadership in fostering a culture of inclusion was recently recognized by the Diocese of Manchester when she received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for Catholic Leadership. The honor reflects her dedicated and steadfast work to create a more inclusive school, support her staff, and ensure that all learners are welcomed. Through efforts like these, Saint Benedict Academy has become a valued partner school of FIRE Foundation NH.

Over the past year, FIRE-supported consultation has helped Saint Benedict Academy build systems that better support students with varying educational needs while giving teachers additional resources, strategies, professional development opportunities, and confidence.

The effects have extended beyond the classroom. In the coming year, Saint Benedict Academy expects to welcome several new students with special educational needs, in part because of referrals from current families.

As the school continues its inclusion journey, the addition of a special education teacher, along with expanded partnerships with community resources, will further strengthen support for students and families.

In a recent statement to FIRE Foundation NH, Tanya Paiva described the school's inclusion efforts as helping create "a culture that sees the possibilities for all students one small step at a time."

And that’s a wrap for Kindergarten!

Congratulations, to our beloved Kindergarten Class of 2026! Keep dreaming big, shining bright, and remembering that with God, all things are possible. 💙💛