St. Ann’s provides Catholic, classical education experience for children

From its beautiful campus featuring St. Ann Church to spacious classrooms, an extensive library and well-equipped science lab, to its position as the only classical school in the Diocese of Metuchen, St. Ann Classical Academy, Raritan, provides a special educational and faith experience for children.

“We provide an authentically Catholic, rigorously Classical, and simply joyful learning experience that prepares students for success,” said Courtney Ceponis, who teaches fourth and fifth grades and serves as the school’s marketing coordinator. “Students are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed while at St. Ann Classical Academy, during their future academic pursuits and beyond.”

Each day, students are greeted by head of school Marisa Day as they head to their classrooms for morning prayer. Twice each week, the school community comes together for Mass, during which students are Altar Servers and singers. Midday lunch and recess gives students from Pre-K through eighth grade a break from their studies – which include Latin and music once a week, and physical education and art twice weekly. Faith, Ceponis said, is integrated in each of the subjects.

“Our faith is infused throughout the curriculum. Students learn about the beauty of order in God’s creation through the study of order and beauty in mathematics, nature, music and art,” she said, “while lives of the saints and significant moments in Church history are embedded in the study of world history.”

One thing that sets St. Ann’s apart from other schools is its embrace of classical education and the seven liberal arts of antiquity, including the Quadrivium – arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy – and the Trivium – grammar, logic and rhetoric. According to the school, the educational approach matches what great minds of the past, like Plato, Aristotle, and Saint Thomas Aquinas, would have received.

Students in Pre-K and Kindergarten are introduced to academic foundations, with a focus on essential skills like reading, writing and mathematics. They also begin to learn about values like personal responsibility and governance. The focus for students in grades one through four includes leaning into natural curiosities to build a strong academic foundation across the disciplines. Once students reach grades five through eight, instruction evolves to include logical reasoning and analysis, with an eye towards preparing each child for further development in high school.

“The benefits of this approach are that it meets students where they are at developmentally and equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed,” said Ceponis. “It also provides students with a holistic learning experience, that not only nurtures and educates them as whole persons – emotionally, spiritually, physically, and socially – but provides an integrated curriculum that helps them make sense of the world.”

In addition to academics, students can participate in a range of extracurricular activities, like choirs, enrichment clubs – like chess, Italian, crochet, math, drama and more – an annual Spelling Bee and a guest lecture program.

“St. Ann Classical Academy is such a special place to learn because it feels like a safe place,” said sixth grader Maya, “a place where I can express my thoughts without being judged, a place where I can practice my religion, a place where I can learn using my brain – not just the school giving me information.”

Other current students noted highlights like small class sizes, regular Masses and Reconciliation, and favorite topics like the solar system – as well as an overall feeling that they are being challenged to think in each of their subjects.

“It really helps us learn, and it also really helps us grow in kindness and charity,” said Christopher, who is in the fifth grade. “It also helps us develop higher expectations for ourselves, so we can impress our parents and get the skills we need to succeed in our adult lives.”

Similarly, family members of students laud the school for how it prepares their young ones to take on high school, college and their careers – while nestling education in a faith-filled environment, complete with reinforcement of moral values taught in the household.

“I think that the classical approach has been life-changing,” said Frank Graziano, whose grandson is a current student. “They are making sure that there is a true foundation that makes the students not only learn but also apply what they have learned. I see how he has started to learn each skill not just for the moment, but as something he must truly master and build on every day.”

Christina Tuma said that her son’s preparation was evident to the high schools he was considering.

“Every school that we have interviewed with has complimented my son for his level of maturity,” she said, “and they have commented that it is obvious he is coming from an extensive background of private education.”

In a letter to current and prospective students, Oratorian Father Thomas Odorizzi, pastor of St. Ann Parish, noted that the classical liberal education model in use for centuries is being rediscovered more and more.

“I am convinced that the Catholic classical model is the way to revive Catholic education in general,” he said, encouraging prospective parents to learn more about the approach. “I feel like we, at St. Ann Classic Academy, are on the cutting edge of a positive movement into the future.”

Ceponis began teaching at St. Ann’s after seeing her son’s learning experience during his Kindergarten year, and noted how happy they are to have found the school for their son.

“I can honestly say that this school is the best place for parents looking for an incredible education for their children that nurtures them intellectually and spiritually,” she said. “We couldn’t be happier with the education he is receiving, the growth he is making, and the person he is becoming because of our partnership with the faculty at St. Ann Classical Academy.”

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 academic year kicks off with a Catholic Schools Week open house on Sunday, Jan. 26 with an annual pancake breakfast, Mass and tours. Call 908-725-7787 to register for open house. To learn more, visit https://stannclassical.org/