First and foremost, Annunciation School prides itself on its Catholic heritage. Our most important responsibility is to educate our students in their faith, in cooperation with their parents. Our families choose Annunciation School primarily because of its Catholic identity. When you visit our school, you will see visible signs in the hallways, classrooms, and bulletin boards reflecting religious artwork, quotes or student assignments, such as my Lenten Promise. However, on a deeper level, our Catholic identity is evident by our school community’s actions. Here at Annunciation School our faith is lived daily and permeates everything we do.
Liturgies and Prayer Services
Our school community participates in monthly school masses. Each month a different grade level leads the mass as lectors, gift bearers, altar servers, and choir members. Students are active participants. We also celebrate seasonal prayer services at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and in the spring, the May Crowning. Families are always welcome to join the school community at liturgies and prayer services. During Advent we have a schoolwide weekly service where each homeroom “lights” a candle on their Advent wreath. During Lent the students participate in the Stations of the Cross. Students in Grades 3 through 8 also receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent.
Traditions
Annunciation School has many traditions that offer our students the opportunity to practice their faith. Each month our students donate items for our parish Midnight Run program which serves the homeless in New York City. These items are part of the offertory at our monthly school masses. In the fall all of our students spend the month of November reflecting on what they are grateful for. Their written reflections are placed on our Gratitude Tree Wall. November is also the time for our third grade students to research their favorite Catholic saint. They then dress in traditional clothing representing their saint and present interesting facts during a November mass or prayer service. During Advent and Lent we conduct a school wide collection to support local food pantries as well as the Little Sisters of the Poor. We proudly celebrate Catholic Schools Week each year and participate in the Archdiocesan-wide Feed Our Neighbors campaign. Also during Catholic Schools Week we plan a buddy event where our older students are paired with younger grade levels and work together on a project usually centering on the theme of Catholic Schools Week. These are just a few examples of how we put our faith into action at Annunciation.
Sacraments
Our second grade students prepare for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion with their dedicated teachers. Students in seventh grade receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Aside from learning the importance of these sacraments, the students participate in days of prayer, retreats, and service projects to help them prepare for these special moments in their faith lives.