Prince of Peace was recently honored with three Best of Hoover awards naming the church, its school, and Adventure Ark Playschool as winners in the church, school, and childcare categories. Each year, Hoover’s Magazine readers vote their community favorites and Prince of Peace’s church and school have won numerous times, but this is not only a first for the Adventure Ark Playschool but also a first for all three Prince of Peace entities at the same time.  The church was named best of in 2019, 2020, and 2022 and the school was named best of Hoover in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.

This year, Prince of Peace Catholic School also received its third consecutive Blue Ribbon School of Excellence based upon excellence in the success indicators of focus and support, school organization and culture, challenging standards and curriculum, active teaching and learning, technology integration, professional community, leadership, and educational vitality, plus school, family, and community partnerships.

School Principal Connie Angstadt continues to grow and nurture Father John Fallon’s dream, which has become a reality, of a world-class Catholic elementary school in Hoover. “Father Fallon’s vision always encouraged growth, reaching out to the community. He is always out there recruiting - our human social media,” said Angstadt. This year, the school will have a record number of students and the largest middle school enrollment ever. “Throughout the pandemic, we did not miss a beat. Parents partnered with us, and the community has taken notice of our amazing school,” said Angstadt.

It was just that positive public perception that brought a displaced student from Ukraine to Prince of Peace Catholic School this past year. She and her parents were visiting the US when Ukraine was invaded, and they could not return home. They moved in with a Ukrainian family living in Hoover who recommended Prince of Peace. The Hoover family had attended a baptism at Prince of Peace Church and was impressed by the welcome they received. The student and her family toured the school, loved it, and immediately enrolled their daughter for the last few months of the school year. She was thrilled to experience American education and quickly became involved in eighth-grade life, graduating this past May.

Principal Angstadt has many improvements rolling out for the 2022/2023 school year.

The fine arts and STEM programs are being expanded and moved into larger, more specifically designed spaces, student technology upgrades have been purchased, mental health and educational support will increase, and a nutrition education program will launch. A newly designed student center space will allow the school counselor and instructional support staff to collaborate, tutor, mentor, and create individualized learning plans for students. The new nutrition center will provide space for learning, growing food, and wholesome food prep - a growing interest among students and a great example of the school’s philosophy of whole child education.

Many of the school’s students begin their Prince of Peace education at the Adventure Ark Playschool. It’s a warm and welcoming place, often the first childcare outside of the family that a child experiences. Director Kara Woodard and her staff care for babies through two-year-old toddlers, offering them a place to play and grow in a loving Christian environment before they head off to Prince of Peace’s preschool. Woodard said, “Our Adventure Ark Playschool staff works diligently and faithfully to provide the best care and services to our families. We are thrilled and grateful for this honor. We are thankful for the vision of our pastor Father Fallon who saw a need to include our program when the preschool and school were founded over 20 years ago. We are blessed with the consistent support of our church, school, and Hoover community.”

Prince of Peace Church is honored that the community has chosen it as well as its two ministries – school and playschool - as the best. The church’s motto of “all are welcome” has been espoused by Father John Fallon during his pastoral leadership over the past 23 plus years.  It is hard baked into every program and ministry. As Prince of Peace continues to grow and flourish, the motto may well be the secret sauce to its success.