News

Yesterday, students at Assumption Catholic School witnessed a historic moment—the election of the first American Pope, Leo XIV. Today, they prayed for him during the morning liturgy. In this pivotal moment in the life of the Church, they found great hope in Pope Leo XIV’s first words to the world: “Peace be with you.”  They were inspired by his commitment to building bridges among all people and his powerful reminder that God loves everyone. In prayerful solidarity with our new pope, all eighth-grade students and ACS teachers wore their Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope shirts, made by the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

We are proud to celebrate our newest inductees into the National Junior Honor Society! These exceptional students have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, service, and character—values that reflect not only their hard work but also the heart of our school’s mission: to know, to love, and to serve God.

Being selected for NJHS is more than an academic honor—it is a call to lead with integrity, serve with compassion, and strive for greatness in all areas of life.

Our ceremony was held at the church today, where Father Ivan blessed the pins, and Mrs. Shumny presented students with their certificates. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Pickering for serving as the chapter mentor, and to the committee who worked diligently during the selection process.

After the Liturgy, NJHS members and their families gathered for a breakfast reception to celebrate this meaningful achievement.

 

This morning, Assumption Catholic School students, faculty, and parishioners of the Ukrainian Assumption Catholic Church gathered in deep reverence for one of the most solemn and moving services of the Church year—Good Friday Vespers with the burial procession of the Holy Shroud, or Plashchanitsa.

As the choir, clergy, Sisters, and students joined voices in prayer and reflection, the image of Christ’s lifeless body—portrayed on the winding sheet—was carried in solemn procession around the church. Three times we walked in silence and awe, remembering the weight of that holy moment when our Lord was laid in the tomb. The Plashchanitsa was then placed for veneration on a replica of the Holy Sepulchre.

To all who came—to pray, to sing, to weep, to witness—thank you.

The Church remains open for veneration of the Holy Shroud 12 pm today.

With Holy Week and Easter fast approaching, students at Assumption Catholic School in Perth Amboy, NJ are embracing the spirit of Lent through prayer, reflection, and acts of service.

As part of their Lenten journey, ACS welcomed students, teachers, principals, and pastors from St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Schools in Minersville, PA, and Passaic, NJ for a day-long retreat. The event was led by Fr. Jonathan Kalisch, OP, Director of Chaplains and Spiritual Development for the Knights of Columbus.

The retreat offered a meaningful blend of spiritual reflection, prayerful moments, and interactive activities. Fr. Jonathan, alongside the Sisters Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, guided the students in exploring how God calls each of us into a deeper relationship with Him during Lent—and how He remains our unwavering source of hope.

From heartfelt discussions to creative crafts, the day provided students with the chance to grow in faith, reflect on their spiritual lives, and form new friendships. The retreat left a lasting impression on all who attended. Many participants praised the warm hospitality of the ACS community, the beauty of the church, and the delicious meal that was shared—often remarking, “It exceeded our expectations.”

This Lenten retreat was a beautiful reminder of the power of coming together in faith and the grace that Lent brings to all who seek it.

Day 4: Student Appreciation Day

Today was Crazy Hat & Socks Day! Our students rocked their gym clothes, adding a fun twist with their wildest hats and socks!

Fitness Thursday! We had a special visit from Mr. Jason of Max Edison, Focus on Health & Fitness! He taught our students about making healthy choices while still enjoying treats in moderation.

Dance Party Fun! Our youngest students (PK-1st) had an absolute blast at a dance party with Mrs. Shumny!

Healthy Lunch & Nutrition Talk: The whole school enjoyed a delicious and nutritious lunch featuring oven-baked chicken, rice, steamed broccoli, and a beautiful spread of fresh fruit! A huge thank you to Mrs. Derevenska, along with her amazing helpers—Mr. Bielak, Father Mike, and our Sisters—for preparing such a wonderful meal!

What a fantastic day celebrating our students and healthy living!

PreK – Today the class began with making a card thanking the parents for sending them to such an amazing school. They colored the card and even wrote why they loved their school. After snack the students learned how to make paper snowflakes that they used as the body for a Snowflake Snowman. Each snowflake was as unique as the student who made it, which made each snowman so special. Finally, when they returned from having a special healthy lunch of chicken, rice and broccoli, they colored, cut and put together CSW windsocks. Some students colored them in blue and yellow (the school’s colors), some were rainbow but everyone showed their Catholic School Spirit!

K- Today we had an exciting fun filled Thursday! This morning we started off with exercises and a dance party led by Mrs.Shumny and eighth grade friends. The class, got creative and made “ I ACS “ using our school colors, yellow and blue tissue paper. The students had so much crumbling up the paper into pieces. After the students put their writing skills to the test they wrote “ What makes ACS Special ?” Then, they made thank you letters to their parents and a special gift that they will take home tomorrow.

6th grade came to school all decked out in crazy hats & socks! They planked, jumped & hi-kneed their cares away in our morning fitness class and enjoyed a scrumptious healthy lunch! We also wrote the most heartfelt letters of thanks to our parents and finished up all of our week’s work. We are ready for Faith, Family & Fun Friday!

Stay tuned for Pasta Night pictures

#StudentAppreciationDay #CrazyHatAndSocks #FitnessThursday #CSW2025

Day 3: Pop Up Art Gallery and Earth Dome visit!

 

Catholic Schools Week at ACS – Praying for Our Nation and Our World! 

 

On our special day dedicated to praying for our nation, we extended our prayers to the entire world! We were blessed to have the Earth Dome visit ACS, giving our students a unique opportunity to explore God’s magnificent creation.

 

Our instructor—a former Catholic school student and retired engineer—led us on a journey through time, teaching about Pangaea and sharing fascinating facts about each continent. The students were in awe of the beauty and wonder of the world God has given us! And going inside the dome was EPIC! What a powerful reminder that as we grow in faith and knowledge, we are called to care for and appreciate the incredible planet we call home.  

 

Ms. Lawrence, amount Art Teacher:

Our students got to show off their artistic sides today at our annual pop art gallery all while dressed in their Country or Country Club outfits! Admission to the pop up was very exclusive – you had to know the artists personally to be allowed in! Students enjoyed showing off their own pieces and also loved getting to look at their friends’ art as well. Collaborative art was also on display, our Talavera Tiles and our Diversi-tree. To wrap up their art gallery visit, students, guests and even some of the teachers got to become the art themselves, adding their faces to famous pieces like The Scream, The Frame, Pez Dispenser and Mona Cat. Students enjoyed a fun morning experiencing art and sharing it with their friends and family. 

 

Here’s what each grade did:

Pre-Kindergarten: Today the class spent the day learning and creating crafts about the church and the cross. They began by making a standing paper bag church that had everything from stained glass windows, to a steeple with a cross. Next, they moved on to making a 3D CSW cross that both showed their love for our school as well as saying thank you. This was followed by the 8th graders coming in and teaching the students a Science lesson about the cycle of Snow. The older students helped each PreK student make 3D snowballs that showed the cycle. The lesson ended with a fun video and a Polar Bear Freeze dance. Finally after lunch, they worked in small groups to make a wristlet Rosary with a cross, which was made with colorful beads and pipe cleaners. The wristlet had enough beads that they could be used as a Rosary. It was truly a great day!

 

Kindergarten: Today after having parents visit and their Earth Dome, the students made a sticker cross that says “I love Jesus and Jesus loves me”. Later in the afternoon the students made lava mason jars. They chose our school colors for the lava and were very happy to see the results. They are super excited to take their lava mason jars home and show their families how to make it.  Thank you to our 8th grade friends for helping us.

 

1st & 2nd Grade: What a fun afternoon with our neighbors. We started with a fun game of All Saints Bingo. Congratulations to our winners: 1st Grade: Daniella & Vadym. 2nd Grade: Tristan and Melanie. We ended the day with a Groove for Jesus Dance Party. A special thank you to 8th grade for an exciting and fun math lesson. 

 

3rd and 4th grade: STEM Wars were so exciting!! They created 3D crosses and churches using Legos and small hash tag blocks. Great job 3rd and 4th grade!

 

5th grade: 5th graders had a fantastic time as we enjoyed a special middle school breakfast, where our middle school teachers treated them to muffins and bagels. They were amazed by the Earth Dome show, learning all about the globe and all the continents. A highlight of the day was the pop-up art gallery, where they admired their creative artwork with family members. They wrapped up the fun with a board game afternoon, filled with laughter and friendly competition!

 

6th grade: After having a great time at the Middle School Breakfast, Earth Dome & the Pop-Up Art Gallery in the morning, 6th grade enjoyed cookies & lollipops in the classroom during their Movie Afternoon  (Thank you to all of our parents who made this happen in every way!)

 

Grade 7 and 8: 7th and 8th grade had a wonderful time during their Middle School breakfast! After heading up to our class, they learned about the importance of historical artifacts while playing a game with our teacher! 

 

 #CatholicSchoolsWeek #ACSFamily #FaithAndScience #CSW2025

#perthamboynj #acsstrong