Saint Ann School is partnering with Saint James School of Red Bank to raise funds for the Share Uganda Charity. One of our former teachers, Ms. Shields, often participates in volunteer work and this year she has the opportunity to travel to Uganda and help facilitate the Sanyu Project, a self-sustainable sanitary towel project for girls in Uganda's rural areas. Ms. Shields, along with Dr. Lisa Collins and Dr. Janina Moereke, will be traveling to Kaaso, in Southern Uganda to establish this project and find a solution for young women to be able to receive an education. In order to support this cause we will be having a dress-down day on Friday, March 24 for a $2 minimum, with all money raised being donated to Share Uganda. As we support Ms. Shields with our constant prayers, we are happy to put our faith into action with this service project. Thank you Miss Shields for this great opportunity to be citizens of the world! For more information about this project visit www.shareuganda.co.uk

Saint Ann School is excited to announce an important adjustment being made to the schedule options of our Prekindergarten Program, beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. After much discussion and research, it has been decided that next year (2023-2024 SY) the PreK 4 program will move to a full day for ALL enrollees and will have options of 4 or 5 days a week. We will also transition students away from nap time within the first two months of school. This change will allow the program to continue its preparation for kindergarten and also better integrate the students into the whole school. More information about this change will be available shortly. For any questions or concerns please contact Mr. Chiaravalloti at schiaravalloti@st-ann-school.org

Saint Ann School Families, Saint Ann School Christmas festivities have begun. Below are some important key dates for the next few days. We look forward to seeing many of you at the Christmas Pageant tomorrow. You will also notice we have some special “dress up” days the last week before break. As always, if you have any questions please reach out to us. Wednesday, December 14 – 12:30 pm: Pageant Dress Rehearsal – Families are welcome to attend but understand that this is a rehearsal and stoppages/corrections will take place as necessary. Wednesday, December 14 – Pageant 6:30 pm: the Evening performance is “dress-up”. NO tee shirts, jeans of any color, sneakers of any type, workbooks, or shorts. Students may dress in Christmas colors, or jewel-tone shades and prints. Some sections are reserved for students, please be cognizant of seating arrangements prior to taking a pew. December 15: Picture Retakes & 8th Grade Cap & Gown Pictures December 19-22: Christmas Spirit Dress. For more information about the dress code, visit our website. December 22: 12:00 PM Early Dismissal: NO ASP! December 23-January 2: Christmas Break! We wish all of our SAS families and students a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

What a day! Tuesday, Nov. 29, Saint Ann School and all Catholic grammar schools in the Diocese of Trenton joined with other organizations worldwide to participate in one global day of giving. To all those who made our Giving Tuesday campaign a success – thank you! If you didn’t get a chance to pledge your time, prayers, or financial contribution yesterday, our campaign is still open. Just click HERE to donate! Once again, thank you for your support! We cannot wait to see how your contribution to our Giving Tuesday campaign will help our school! #CatholicSchoolsHaveItAll

We are delighted to announce that the Saint Ann School Drama Club is returning for the 2022-2023 school year! The Drama Club is open to all Saint Ann School students in grades 2-8. Stage crew is open to students in grades 6-8. A parent/student information meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov 30, 7:00-8:00 pm in the SAS Cafeteria. The purpose of this meeting is to introduce the program to parents and students, discuss future plans, and answer questions. This is not a drop-off event, students should be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please e-mail SAS.drama@gmail.com with questions.

On November 29th more than 9,000 Catholic school students in the Diocese of Trenton will participate in Giving Tuesday, a global day celebrating philanthropic generosity and the act of giving back. Among them, Saint Ann students will receive a smartwatch-shaped paper wristband prompting them to complete random acts of kindness, such as donating coats to the needy, sharing prayers with the family, or volunteering to pick up trash in their community. Imagine if we have 9,000 Faith leaders (like You!) match the children’s generosity with a donation to support Catholic education. 100% of the money raised will go back to your school! With a gift of any size, YOU can help support Catholic schools now and in the future. Please show school spirit by showing our students that you support Catholic Education! Click HERE to pledge NOW or visit www.leadinfaith.org

On Friday, November 11th, Saint Ann School will be having a special prayer service for Veterans Day. The students will be honoring and mentioning by name all of those Saint Ann’s family members who have served our country and will also be praying for our troops, past, and present. Did you know that SAS has a bulletin board dedicated to military family members? For more information please see the Military Recognition Board flyer on our website or simply click HERE. Should you need any information about the prayer service or Military Board please get in touch with Mrs. Karen Meagher at kmeagher@st-ann-school.org to submit the name of your loved ones.

El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico between October 31st and November 2nd. It's a time to remember deceased loved ones and honor them. The Day of the Dead is a festive occasion, a time to celebrate, much like a family reunion. Making an altar (or ofrenda, in Spanish) for the occasion can be a way for you to honor the life of someone who was important to you or remembers your ancestors. Mrs. Laccetti will be making an Altar, or Ofrenda table, and displaying it at the entrance of our school for the students to see and we need your contributions! The Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico between October 31st and November 2nd. It's a time to remember deceased loved ones and honor them. The Day of the Dead is a festive occasion, a time to celebrate, much like a family reunion. Making an altar (or ofrenda as it's sometimes called in Spanish) for the occasion can be a way for you to honor the life of someone who was important to you or remembers your ancestors. We will be making an Altar or Ofrenda table, and displaying it at the entrance of our school for the students to see and we need your contributions! If you have a special someone your family would like to remember on our Altar please email Mrs. Laccetti a picture of your loved ones and a brief description of what you remember the most about them.

A few reminders to keep in mind as we enter flu and general sickness season. Three Questions to ask yourself about your sick child: 1) Does your child have a fever? Fevers of 99.9° F or higher generally indicate illness so children should stay home from school. Children need to be fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications (Tylenol, Motrin) for 24 hours before returning to school. - 2) Is your child well enough to engage in classroom activities? If ill children are too tired or run down to attend school, keep them home. - 3) Do you think your child has a contagious illness? If so, keep them home and take them to the doctor for confirmation and medication (if needed). Additionally, if your child is sent home from school for having a fever or vomiting, they cannot return to school the next day. If you are unsure whether to send your child to school, please contact your child’s doctor's office or the school nurse (Nurse@st-ann-school.org). Thank you for keeping SAS safe!

With the beginning of the 22/23 academic year, enrichment clubs are returning to Saint Ann School. There is much to choose from: CYO Athletics, Volleyball Club, Spanish Club, School Choir, and many more! Visit our Club Webpage at www.saintannschool.org/clubs-activities-1 (or click HERE) for more information and registration forms.

SAS Families, here are the most updated COVID guidelines from the NJ Department of Health: "Quarantine is no longer recommended for people who are exposed to COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status. Therefore, NJDOH is discontinuing its recommendation for a Test to Stay Program. However, asymptomatic students and staff who were exposed to COVID-19 should continue to test and wear a mask for 10 days. Those individuals who test positive, regardless of vaccination status, and individuals with COVID-19 symptoms who have not been tested and do not have an alternative diagnosis from their healthcare provider, should stay at home for at least 5 full days after symptom onset or after the positive test. Individuals who have no symptoms, or symptoms are resolving after 5 days and are fever-free for 24 hours, can return to school and wear a mask for an additional 5 days." So if you were exposed you need to wear a mask and self-monitor for 10 days - there is no longer a quarantine period. If you test positive, 5-day isolation and as long as you are symptom-free, you can return to school and wear a mask for 5 days. This guidance is for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. If you have any questions, please contact our nurse, Mrs. Krista Gladney

"Home is the first and primary school. Parents are the first and primary teachers. By the time children enter the doors of a school, substantial education and formation has already taken place. Children bring with them to school all that they have learned in the family home: language and basic vocabulary, behaviors and social skills, attitudes and values."... To read more from Bishop O'Connell's article click HERE

Attention SAS families and friends! We have extended our annual Fit-A-Thon to AUGUST 15! There is still time to pledge and support our school! Click HERE to pledge!

For the month of July, we will be running our Second Annual Fit-a-Thon! This year we plan to expand our "Backyard Experience" with new picnic tables and additional games and activities for the students to use during recess. Start tracking your minutes of activity for the month of July! We are hoping all students and staff will participate in getting sponsors for participating in 20 minutes of physical activity per day. Visit https://app.99pledges.com to pledge! Click HERE!

Saint Ann School Families, In light of various local public schools resuming their policy of required mask wearing for students and staff, and the possibility of Saint Ann School returning to a mandatory masking policy, please note that currently, we are not planning to reinstate mask-wearing at Saint Ann's. We continue reviewing data and revisiting our policy. Currently, the school is not undergoing a trend which would indicate a need to return to mandatory mask wearing for all students. We recognize that many of the COVID-19 symptoms are similar to allergies. Please be cognizant of the symptoms and keep your child home if they exhibit multiple symptoms. Have them tested, if necessary, prior to returning to school. As always the students do have the option of wearing a mask if that is preferred. If you have any policy questions please reach out to our principal, Mr. C, or our school Nurse (Krista Gladney).

Let the excitement begin! We are thrilled to announce a new program coming to Saint Ann School this spring. For the last few years, our principal, Mr. C has been looking into ways to fund the creation of a television studio-type atmosphere for middle school students and funding has been attained to begin the project. Students will be responsible for recording various activities, conducting interviews, editing and splicing together footage, adding effects and themes. This opportunity provides students responsibility as well as a chance to learn programming, editing, and technological skills as well as public speaking. Our goal is to begin creating weekly recaps prior to Easter. We are most appreciative to our 8th-grade parent Bonnie Milecki for sharing the grant opportunity, to The Fruscione Foundation for reviewing our grant, and for accepting and funding the proposal. Thank you as well to our PTA for supporting this initiative with additional materials for this program. So Saint Ann School families and friends… stay tuned!

We are kicking off our 5th Annual Saint Ann School Read-a-Thon! to raise money for the kids through their reading. During the Read-a-Thon, we'll be spending some DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time every day at school. Students are asked to read 20+ minutes per day for the duration of the Read-a-Thon. All reading counts! Books, magazines, ebooks, audiobooks! Any student who reads 1+ hours will earn a Free Dress Down Pass. Students, with the help of their families and friends, will have the chance to win prizes and raise money for our school by keeping track of the hours they read. Visit our school website for more information about the Read-A-Thon or click HERE for the link to pledge!

As we return from Christmas Break on Monday, Jan.3, Saint Ann School is planning on in-person learning with the option for virtual, knowing there is a potential for change as new information becomes available. Based on the current level of cases in NJ, especially in Mercer County, as well as being notified by various families of positive cases among students and families, we are offering the opportunity of virtual learning to any family interested. We want to provide this option for two main reasons: safety and comfort. Safety – This provides a way for us to educate children who may have attended functions over the last week with unknown potential contacts. It also allows any student with symptoms or living in a household with someone exhibiting symptoms, to be virtually present and not just return to school for fear of missing work. Comfort – several parents have expressed they would feel more comfortable having their child home for a week, based on current levels spread across the state, prior to returning to in-person learning based on CDC guidelines. As we continue to navigate the school year, we reevaluate the precautions we have in place. Based on school-wide and grade-specific cases all options from last year and new ideas are in play, including eating lunch in the classroom, middle school teachers moving and students staying in their homeroom, canceling club activities, etc. As always thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate this evolving health situation.

With the upcoming Christmas holidays, Saint Ann School is expecting many of our families to travel and visit family and friends. Based on the newest guidelines from the NJ Department of Health, these are the recommended minimum quarantine time frames and guidelines that our school will follow. *Travel: 1-An unvaccinated person who travels domestically or internationally is tested 3-5 days after they return to NJ and quarantine for a full 7 days even with a negative test result. ***If you choose not to get tested, you must quarantine for 10 days. 2-A vaccinated person, or someone who has had and recovered from COVID in the past 90 days, does not need to be quarantined but should be tested 3-5 days after they return to NJ and closely monitor for symptoms. *Close Contacts: Regardless of vaccination status, anyone who has been in contact with someone with COVID, is tested 5-7 days after exposure. *7-day quarantine: Unvaccinated persons can end quarantine after day 7 with a negative test done 5-7 days after exposure. The quarantine cannot end before day 7. *10-day quarantine: Unvaccinated persons can end quarantine after day 10 if they have not been tested for COVID and do not have symptoms. *Options for shortened quarantine only apply if no symptoms develop.

Faculty and students at Saint Ann School would like to thank all school families and friends for their support over the last few weeks during our #GivingTuesday campaign! We raised $825! Thank you for your generosity and your prayers! It's with your constant help that we continue to provide you and the community with the best education and service! Didn’t get a chance to pledge your time, prayers, or money yesterday? Our campaign link is still open if you want to contribute! Visit our page at justgiving.com or simply click HERE to donate. #CatholicSchoolsHaveItAll