Our Spiritual Theme
Our Spiritual Theme: We Walk by Faith
November & December Focus: We Walk by Faith... in Counsel
Spiritual Reflection by Miss Sheila O'Callaghan
During the month of November we offer prayers to remember the dead. We also pray and thank God for the harvest and all the good things of the earth. It is also the time to ask God to provide for the poor of the world. Let us offer prayers of intercession for all those who suffer the most; the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the jobless, and the friendless.
Sunday, November 10, is the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
We have several saints to celebrate this week. November 11, we remember St. Martin of Tours. He was drafted into the Roman army at the age of 15. One day he saw a poor man shivering in the cold. He cut his military cape and gave the man half. In a dream, Martin saw Jesus wearing the cape he had given to the poor man. This changed his life. Martin left the army. He believed that it was not right for a Christian to fight a war. Martin is the patron of conscientious objectors. These are soldiers who work in hospitals or do other jobs where they will not have to fire weapons at anyone.
November 11, is also the anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty after World War I. It is now called Veteran’s Day. Please remember Fr. Mink in prayer. Fr. Mink served in the Air National Guard and spent 27 years protecting all of us. Thank you, Fr. Mink.
We remember Saint Josaphat, a Ukrainian bishop. Josaphat was unhappy about separated groups of Christians in his country. He was murdered in 1623 because he tried to unite them. Let us pray for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. Ukrainian Catholics in the United States have named one of their four dioceses for Saint Josaphat.
St. Frances Cabrini is remembered on November 13. Mother Cabrini came from Italy in 1899 to work among Italian immigrants. They were people who had come to America for a better life.
On November 15, we remember St. Albert the Great. He was an important thinker and writer. St. Thomas Aquinas was his student at the University of Paris. They became good friends. They were criticized for their new ideas about religion, but later their ideas became very popular.
St. Margaret, an English princess who married the KIng of Scotland is remembered on November 16. She was smart, prayerful and kind. She wrote new laws, brought teachers to Scotland and helped to reform the church. She was also generous to all who needed help. Margaret was such a good queen that the people of Scotland made her their patron saint.
Let us remind each other to Walk by Faith. Each and every day we have many opportunities to Walk by Faith. The Lord is always there for us so let us pray and ask God’s help.
Please pray for the sick, especially Fr. Mink, Mrs. Miriam Harris, Oliver Conaty, and all the sick of our parish. Please continue to pray for Maureen Engelbert. Pray also for our Armed Forces and First Responders.
Notes from the Admissions Office
How to secure enrollment for the 2025-2026 School Year:
To re-enroll children currently attending St. Ann School for next year (2025-2026 school year), please complete this form and submit a $100 family re-enrollment fee here no later than 3:30 p.m. on November 11, 2024.
To submit a sibling new student application for next year (2025-2026 school year), please complete the steps below by 3:30 p.m. on November 11, 2024:
- Complete this pre-registration form and be sure to select the 2025-2026 school year from the entry year drop down menu.
- Check your email inbox (and spam) for an instructional letter from the Diocese of Wilmington.
- Use the sign-on credentials in the instructional email from the Diocese to create a parent access account for your "sibling new student" in PowerSchool.
- Navigate to Student Forms, then Enrollment, then CDOW - New Student Application. Complete all seven tabs in the New Student Application and upload a birth certificate, baptismal certificate, proof of current physical and up to date immunizations, and a current progress report from daycare, preschool or school.
- Submit a $200 non-refundable new student application fee here.
Student Life Notes
The Pre-K 4 Ponies have been learning about all things Fall. They have studied the life cycles of pumpkins and sunflowers, learned why leaves change colors and then fall from trees, and they even got to pick a pumpkin from our very own Pre-K pumpkin patch.
Pre-K centers for the first two months of school helped us improve our pencil grips and prewriting skills and how to learn cooperatively with classmates. We also practiced our counting and number skills.
This past week Pony students started studying letters. They are starting with straight line letters first, so we began with the letter L. At our learning centers this week we learned to fold, iron and hang Laundry in our dramatic play center. Students made either a ladybug or lion letter craft, and used shape blocks to make capital and lowercase L letters then practiced writing Ll. They also practiced writing L in their handwriting books and made a Mini L Book. Next week we will learn the letter F!
Student Council Elections Results
We could not be prouder of the students who stepped forward to demonstrate an interest in leadership by running in our Student Council elections! All candidates presented thoughtful messages about leadership qualities and the value of community in our school. Middle school students gave the election careful consideration and showed appreciation for all candidates, and have pledged to support their newly elected peer officers in their work.
The students who have been elected to Student Council Office are:
President: Phoebe Kane
Vice President: Leo Aster
Treasurer: Audrey Burris
Secretary: Molly Klous
7th Grade Representatives: Luke Nowaczyk and Juliet VanZanten
6th Grade Representatives: Rory Kane and Lidia DeAscanis
All candidates who ran for office have been invited to serve on a Student Council committee to steer a time capsule project as we conclude the celebration of our 125th anniversary year!
Special thank you to Mrs. Kuha, Student Services Coordinator and moderator of this new student group!
STAR Testing This Week
SAS students will take their second round of a 4-test testing cycle this week.
- Tuesday 11/12: STAR Reading (Early Literacy for K & 1)
- Wednesday 11/13: STAR Math
- Make-up testing Thursday 11/14 & Friday 11/15 as needed
The first round of testing served as a way to collect data on student "starting points" in the new school year; this round of testing will show us how students have solidified early grade-level skills so far and which skills students are ready to learn next. Teachers will be able to assess the learning projections for individual students and their classes as a whole to inform if growth goals are on target. Teachers will have dedicated time to evaluate testing results and align instructional goals on the professional development day scheduled on Monday, December 2.
How can you help child prepare for testing week?
- Make sure students understand the importance of trying their best and taking their time! Quality data to inform teaching comes from best student efforts.
- Ensure students get plenty of sleep and a quality breakfast.
- Remind students to make good use of our STAR-connected learning applications such as Freckle Math and Freckle ELA, Lalilo, and Accelerated Reader. These programs are adjusted to individual student needs based on the STAR tests and can assist in filling gaps and strengthening skills.
- Remember that "cramming" will not work for tests such as these! Help keep test anxiety at bay by reminding students that their regular participation in class and completing assignments is all the training they need to perform well.
Parents will receive copies of testing results during the week of December 9, the same week in which T1 report cards will be sent home.
