St. Ann students with the Birthday in a Box donations for HomeFront on Oct. 18, 2013. Pictured are (front) Tim O’Brien, Daulton Bennett, (middle) Chloe Maple, AnaMaria Laccetti, Francesca Iucolino, Alexis Tyger, (back) Kobi Acheampong, second grade teacher Teddy Meagher, Cailyn Fiori and Lydia Moody.
When many St. Ann’s School alumni and longtime teachers recall the elementary school, they tend to reflect on the people they met and the faith-filled education the school provided.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the 16-classroom Roman Catholic school was first built as a result of the fundraising and philanthropy efforts of parish families. The school opened under the leadership of principal Sister Mary Agnes, and was staffed by nuns who worked as teachers and in the administration.
Eighth grade teacher Carol Maroney began teaching at the school when the nuns still worked as faculty and administrators, and said the nuns, during their tenure, were beloved by the school.
“These were incredibly gentle, sweet, sweet sisters,” Maroney said. “We really missed them terribly when they left. They were not from that old school, that strict kind of discipline. They were really about love and just spreading that and making everyone feel very comfortable.”
The first lay principal, Paulette Bearer, led the school from 1989-94. The current principal, John McKenna, has been with the school for the last 17 years.
With a current enrollment of nearly 330 students, McKenna said the school is at a healthy capacity now, and has continued to expand its academic programs. The curriculum is based on both guidelines from the Diocese of Trenton and the state core curriculum standards. Studies include an accelerated math program, fine arts program, Latin for 6th-8th grades and a schoolwide sustainability program.
In 2010, the school was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the Department of Education, a designation given to only 314 schools nationwide, and only 50 from the private sector. To qualify, private schools must rank in the top 10 percent of the nation, while public schools must only rank in the top 10 percent of the state.
While the school building hasn’t changed much, it has been updated and had rooms repurposed to fit the changing needs of students and staff. Two classrooms were constructed in the cafeteria to create space for a three-year old program and four-year old program for preschoolers, and other classrooms have been transformed into a science lab and computer lab.
One of the biggest changes to the school was the introduction of technology, including the use of computers, laptops and tablets for students, and the installations of SMART boards for the classrooms.
Now in her 25th year of teaching at St. Ann’s, Debra Condrat recalled how it was a bit challenging when the school began introducing computers and SMART boards into the classrooms. But now, she said, it’s made a world of difference — cutting, pasting and drawing to make fliers and posters has given way to the much less time consuming process of putting them together on the computer.
Since the anniversary year began, Condrat has enjoyed looking back at some of the old photographs discovered, and recalling how things have changed.
“It is interesting to look back at the children and what they look like and the teachers and what we looked like 50 years ago or 25 years ago when I first came. That part’s nice,” Condrat said. “It’s nice to look back and see the friends that you made who aren’t teaching here any longer. Or friends that have retired and they’re not here.”
Though her Kindergarten class can only count to 25 so far, Condrat hoped to involve her students in the 50th anniversary celebration.
“They know we’re having a party. That’s what they’re interested in,” Condrat said. “Fifty is kind of a large number for them to rationalize what that is.”
The students kicked off the school’s half-century mark by organizing a service project, a “birthday” donation to local nonprofit HomeFront. Though the project was specifically a result of the anniversary year, McKenna said it’s a regular occurrence that students look for ways at the school to raise money for organizations or friends and family members.
“It speaks and says a lot, of what we’re doing is working,” McKenna said. “Because we really want them to know that it’s their responsibility to reach out and help others.”
The students and their success stories are what fascinates 8th grade teacher Maroney the most. A teacher at the school for 33 years, Maroney has seen families and even generations pass through the school, even if she didn’t teach all of them directly.
But what she often enjoys is catching up with alumni to see the progress they’ve made. A St. Ann’s parish member, Maroney often sees her former students at Sunday mass, and even just a few weeks ago had a former student visit her in the classroom.
Now in his late 20s, the student was working towards a master’s degree. He’d had physical disabilities that made it difficult for him to walk, and now was a motivational speaker, Maroney said. But she was thrilled to introduce him to her class for more than one reason.
“Interestingly enough, there’s a little girl in the class who also is handicapped, she has difficulty walking, so I asked him to say a few things,” Maroney said.
When former student Mary Smith looks back at her years as a grade school student, she remembers how close the school community of parents, teachers and students were. Smith was a student in the first Kindergarten class at the school in 1975, and attended the school until her eighth grade graduation in 1984.
After college, Smith returned as a teacher at St. Ann’s from 1994-98. Now, with two daughters in second and fifth grades at the school, she finds herself comparing their experience to hers.
“It’s very similar,” Smith said. “It’s still that very family-oriented feeling. The parents and teachers work very closely together, the students get to know everyone.”
Some of Smith’s closest friends now are from that 1975 kindergarten class, including one especially particular individual. Smith met her future husband, Jim, in that class. Though they didn’t start dating until they reconnected years later, Smith recalled how they had been friends throughout their time at St. Ann’s.
An alumni mass and reception Nov. 15 kicked off the school’s 50th anniversary yearlong celebration. The mass was officiated by Bishop David O’Connell, and at the following reception, former teachers and students got to enjoy a slideshow of photos from the past 50 years.
A committee, made up of teachers and parents, has been working since the summer to collect old photographs and alumni stories from their time at the school — some of those photographs were displayed on a slideshow at the reception.
Several other 50th anniversary events are also in the works, including plans for an alumni cocktail party Jan. 4 and an alumni tailgate in the spring.
St. Ann School is located at 34 Rossa Ave. in Lawrence. For more information, call (609) 882-8077 Ext. 220. On the Web: st-ann-school.org.
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