Amid all the pain and disruption, a year of coronavirus has given Americans a new respect for those working to keep daily life as normal as possible, from the frontline nurse to the Amazon delivery man. Near the top of this honor roll is an especially unsung hero: the Catholic-school teacher. The National Catholic Education Association reports that its schools boast a total enrollment of 1,626,291. In ordinary times their teachers do an extraordinary job, especially for their poor and minority students. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor once said, “Catholic schools have been a pipeline to opportunity” for people like her—poor, Latina, raised by a single mom. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Catholic-school administrators have moved heaven and earth to keep their classrooms open to new generations of Sotomayors. “The science is clear that there is no substitute for in-person learning, especially for poor and minority children most at danger of falling behind,” says Tom Carroll, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Boston. “Across the nation, the Catholic school approach is to stay open wherever we are allowed.” It’s been a roller coaster. During the first days of the lockdowns, many Catholic schools closed forever because of a cash crunch. Kathy Mears, the NCEA’s interim president and CEO, reckons that Covid forced the closure of 107 Catholic schools, though an exact number is difficult because in many cases other factors were also involved. But a funny thing happened after the shutdowns. Once moms and dads realized that the Catholic schools left standing were staying open through the pandemic, they began moving children out of public school. It’s not been enough to stave off the 6.4% drop in national enrollment the Catholic schools have seen since Covid-19 hit, but it does highlight that these schools are among the few real alternatives parents have today. “I can date the change in Massachusetts,” says Mr. Carroll. “We were facing a drop of more than 5,000 students. But when the three teachers unions in the state announced they wanted a delayed opening and remote learning, our phones started ringing off the hook.” Alas, not everyone can afford the Catholic option even though the tuitions they charge are relatively modest. Just as significant, Catholic schools prove you can keep classrooms open while keeping Covid-19 at bay, which gave teachers unions another reason to resent them. The good news is that Covid-19 has heightened awareness that too many kids are held in education limbo by public-school systems that cannot put their students first because they are hostage to the unions. Take the three largest public-school systems. In New York, Catholic schools have been operating safely since the fall, while the teachers unions continue to fight returning to the classroom. Mayor Bill de Blasio’s latest is that he doesn’t plan to reopen public schools fully until September. Ditto for Chicago. Here again students are back in their Catholic schools. But public school parents are out of luck: The Chicago Teachers Union has defied orders to return to class. Los Angeles is home to the nation’s largest Catholic school system, with more than 70,000 students—78% of them children of color. Its situation is different because Gov. Gavin Newsom’s restrictions on school openings also apply to religious schools. But some Catholic schools have received waivers, and as soon as case rates fall below the state restrictions, almost all plan to reopen immediately. This happens to be National Catholic Schools Week, and it will be illuminating to see if America’s most prominent Catholic school alumnus—President Joe Biden —even acknowledges them. We know he’s grateful: While chatting with students during a 2013 visit to his alma mater, Archmere Academy in Wilmington, Del., he credited the school with making him the man he is today. With the help of Archmere’s priests and nuns, he said, he overcame a stutter that had left him with cruel nicknames such as “Joe Impedimenta.” “I owe Archmere so much,” he told the students. During the pandemic, America’s Catholic schools are providing a similar lifeline to hundreds of thousands of children who would otherwise be out of class and losing ground. The president has never fought for school choice, but in 1997 then-Sen. Biden did declare on the floor that the plight of children “presently caught in a failed public school” was leading him to rethink his opposition to vouchers. Perhaps now, with so many public-school systems leaving their students in the lurch, would be a good moment for another reconsideration. Don’t parents deserve the option of a school that will put their children first, just as Mr. Biden’s did? “It’s wonderful that President Biden appreciates what his Catholic alma mater did for him,” says Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform. “But the test will be whether the president will support efforts to ensure that poor and working-class kids just like him have the same life-defining opportunity he had.” Write to [email protected].
KENILWORTH, NJ - This school year has presented many schools with challenges it has never faced before. Some schools are still not open to their students or are offering only remote learning. St. Theresa School in Kenilworth has managed to open its doors for in-person learning since last September. The school, teachers, staff and parents, under the direction of its principal, Sr. Lou Ann Fantauzza, a Salesian Sister of St. John Bosco, worked throughout the summer to prepare the school for in-person learning. This preparation included installing various air filter equipment, plexiglass partitions for classrooms and upgrading its IT infrastructure to allow for remote learning for students who opt to learn from home. Along with following the strict protocols as defined by the NJ State Department of Health, the CDC and the Archdiocese of Newark, St. Theresa’s has been blessed with continuous learning throughout this school year. Every late January, the school opens its doors to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. This year will be no exception. Catholic Schools Week will be held from Sunday, January 31, through Friday, February 5. There are a number of activities that the school has planned to celebrate the student's work and demonstrate the enormous impact on a child of having academic excellence coupled with faith formation in a school such as St Theresa’s. St. Theresa’s and its Lil Stallions Day Care (for children ages 6-weeks – 3 years old) invites all families that have young children ages 3-15 and are contemplating a Catholic School education to take a virtual tour of the school by visiting its website at mysts.org. Afterward, families can make an appointment and schedule an in-person tour at the school by calling at 908-276-7220.
KENILWORTH, NJ - The School of Saint Theresa will host their annual Tricky Tray event this coming March. The Tricky Tray is the biggest fundraiser at Saint Theresa's and normally brings in over 500 people to participate. Attendees will need to select a one-hour time slot to drop their tickets on either Friday, March 19, or Saturday, March, 20. Time slots are available (until filled to capacity) from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 19, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 20. Each attendee which must be at least 18 years of age and older, requires an admission ticket which is priced at $15. This comes with a Bid-level ticket sheet, three red tickets, and a door prize ticket. Discount bundles are also available. Tickets and bundles can be purchased online by going to www.mysts.org/tricky-tray-2021. Winning tickets will be drawn via Facebook Live on March 20, at 7:30 p.m. Details and updates about the event will be posted to the school website and the Facebook page called “St. Theresa's School Fundraising”. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Tricky Tray Chairperson Danielle Frost at [email protected].
KENILWORTH, NJ - The School of Saint Theresa celebrated Veterans Day honoring the veterans of family members of students by posting video clips that can be seen on the homepage of the school's website. The idea came from Principal Lou Ann Fantauzza who wanted to thank all the veterans for their service. To watch the videos please see this link https://www.mysts.org/.
KENILWORTH, NJ - September 23, 2020 - After a long delay due to COVID-19, the School of Saint Theresa will host the annual Tricky Tray event. The Tricky Tray is the biggest fundraiser at Saint Theresa's and normally brings in over 500 people to participate. Details about the event can be found on the school's website www.mysts.org by clicking the link under the Community tab. There is also a public Facebook page called St. Theresa's School Tricky Tray. Any and all updates to the event will be posted on both sites. Entry to the event is $15 and comes with a Bid-level ticket sheet which is worth $5. Previously purchased tickets will be honored and entrance tickets can be purchased at the door. All attendees must first register by going to the Sign-Up Genius website for a specified one-hour time slot. This is when you will drop your tickets. Time slots are available (until filled to capacity) on Friday, October 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Prize tickets will be drawn at 7:30 p.m. via Facebook Live and can be purchased upon arrival. This year, discounted ticket bundles will be sold in advance until October 19. Please see the website/FB page for details on how to purchase these bundles. Pre-purchases can be made by check, however, any purchases made the days of the event must be made in cash. Prizes can be picked up at the STS Gym 1 hour after calling ends on Saturday and then on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Tricky Tray Chairperson Alex Infante by cell at 908-337-2416 or email [email protected].
KENILWORTH, NJ - September 8, 2020 - The School of Saint Theresa has officially rescheduled the annual Tricky Tray. The new date will be October 24, 2020, with further details to follow soon. The Tricky Tray is the biggest fundraiser at Saint Theresa's and normally brings in over 500 people to participate. The event was supposed to be held on Saturday, March 21, 2020, on the school ground but due to COVID-19 it was put on hold.
KENILWORTH, NJ - June 12, 2020, marked the last official day of school for St. Theresa's students. All the families were invited to drive by the front of the school between 11 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to see their teachers from a safe distance. Teachers and staff gathered on the front lawn in chairs, waving, and greeting their students as families drove by and honked past the school. Principal Sister Louann Fantauzza, FMA, was incredibly grateful for the teachers and students who all rose to the challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic these past few months. She would like to wish all STS students, families, and staff, a safe, happy, and healthy summer.
We are almost there! Less than two weeks to go! And I pray that all of you, your children, families and loved ones are remaining safe and healthy. With the end in sight, there are a few things that we need to share with you: While our Kindergarten/PreK “Moving Up”/”Graduation” events (school-wide) have beencancelled, each of the teachers has found a way to make this a “special” time for thechildren in their classes. Our 8th Grade – Class of 2020 – will be having a “virtual” Graduation this Friday evening at 6 pm. Unfortunately, due to Google limitations on the number of invitations we are able to send out to viewers, we will not be able to make this available for your viewing until Monday. Nonetheless, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR GRADUATES!!!