Family Handbook

Catholic schools make a unique contribution to today’s Church and society by providing a God-centered education rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. The school in cooperation and partnership with parents/guardians and in the context of the Catholic community strives to assist the student to relate faith and Gospel teachings to all aspects of human knowledge and life.

Development of a Catholic Christian identity in the students is a basic aim of the Catholic school community. Religious instruction and formative experiences are a primary and essential part of the school’s program directed toward leading the student to deepening their faith commitment to Christ. Direct catechesis as well as involvement in liturgical and sacramental prayer and worship is both formative and instructional for the student.

The environment of the school is created primarily by the people of faith: students, parents/guardians, staff and pastor, who build the school community. It is within this setting that the fourfold dimensions of Catholic education: message, community, worship and service, become a reality. The focus of the Catholic school program is not merely the attainment of knowledge but the acquisition of values and the discovery of truth. This focus includes the higher level thinking processes, critical judgment and decision-making that enhance the student’s responsible use of freedom, based upon Gospel values. The school program must concern itself with the whole child in development that is fully human and thoroughly Catholic. The school’s curriculum focus is student-centered with a continuous progress emphasis that reverences the dignity of the student and serves the individual’s developmental growth needs. Moreover, the development of Christian values as well as the principles of Church teachings on morality, justice and life issues permeate and integrate all the subject areas and experiential dimensions of the curriculum.

(References: Church in the Modern World; Declaration of Christian Education; Visions and Values in the Catholic School; The Catholic School; Sharing the Light of Faith and To Teach As Jesus Did)

St. Ann School is a Catholic, parochial school, 4K through Grade 8. The staff of St. Ann School recognizes that each child, regardless of race, color or creed, is a unique individual created by God, loved and redeemed by Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The school as a cooperative agent shares with the parents the responsibility of the child’s education.

St. Ann School provides its students with a holistic education through a curriculum that encompasses the vision and values of a Christian community. The program focuses on the development of the whole person, helping students to become all that God has called them to be in their spiritual, psychological, academic, social, cultural, physical and emotional development. This experience includes an emphasis on experiences and methods of prayer and reflection, moral values, self-discipline, social responsibility, cooperation, good study habits and an awareness of and reverence for all creation.

The faculty and staff of St. Ann School seek to create a caring family atmosphere in which students can demonstrate knowledge and mastery of age appropriate content; think critically, constructively and creatively; solve problems, communicate effectively; work collaboratively, be proficient in research and retrieval skills, employ logical decision-making skills and be involved in community service. With such preparation, students will be equipped to address the challenges of the ever changing, complex society of the 21st century.