News

Happy Valentine’s Day from the third and fourth grade! Today both classes celebrated friendship and spent time together making chocolate covered pretzels and sharing some treats and cards. The teachers helped each student decorate their sweets and they all used their creative and artistic skills. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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ACS students are 100 days smarter! All students enjoyed singing a new song about this exciting milestone and worked in collaborative groups to complete 100 Days of School activities. Our third through fifth grade made t-shirts, Kindergarten and first grade counted 100 of their favorite items and displayed them and second grade made a craft. Our middle school used this time to finish their Mardi Gras projects which they will present on Tuesday. It was a very busy and productive day at ACS!

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Walking through the halls I have wondered why there was the distinct smell of deliciousness in the air after school hours. If you looked into the kitchen you would have seen the Eighth Grade Food Club once again learning new cooking afeteria recently, you might skills. This time under the direction of Mrs. Shumny they learned how to prepare her famous empanadas. She gave them step by step directions to prepare the filling for the shells. After all of the members has constructed their own empanadas, Mrs. Shumny fried them so were able to take them home to share with their family. The club members are now looking forward to spending time with Sister Yosaphata to learn how to make pierogis.

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A visit from Most. Rev. Andriy Rabiy, auxiliary bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, during Catholic Schools Week was a special treat for students at Assumption Catholic School in Perth Amboy, NJ. It’s not every day that a school gets a visit from a bishop on Catholic Schools Week, but Assumption Catholic School was fortunate to have him with our school community the entire day. Upon his arrival, His Excellency was greeted in the church vestibule by ACS students with traditional gifts of bread, salt and flowers.

His visit fell on the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, also known as Candlemas and the Feast of the Purification. During the morning Divine Liturgy that he celebrated for the ACS community, Bishop Andriy blessed candles and reminded all students that these candles symbolize that they are called to be light, just as Jesus is the Light of the World. He also presented five distinguished parishioner-students with generous Scholarships for their continuing education.

Following the Divine Liturgy service, the school presented a short concert and a festive breakfast in honor of His Excellency and his historic visit to ACS. During breakfast the students, faculty and staff also honored the hard work and sacrifices that police officers have to make every day in order to safeguard our country and our community. The bishop was warmly greeted by the principal, Mrs. Lissette Shumny who thanked him for taking the time to visit with the students and then Rev. Ivan Turyk, pastor and the school administrator, escorted him through the school. As he moved from classroom to classroom the Bishop answered a variety of questions from the enthusiastic students, ranging from when he decided to become a priest (17 years old), to what he would have been if he wasn’t a Bishop (a teacher), to what is his favorite Old Testament book (Exodus), to what sport does he like the most (soccer), if he has met the pope Francis (not yet) and if it is fun being a bishop (Yes).

In addition to visiting with the students and answering their questions, the bishop was presented with a handmade “heart” of thank-you and good wishes cards from the students. During the bishop’s visit from grade to grade, you could just see and feel the energy and love that he has for the students and that they feel for him. Bishop Andriy’s first visit to ACS demonstrated his great support of Catholic Education and of the parents who make the sacrifice to send their children to Assumption Catholic school. Prior to departing, Bishop Andriy had lunch with teachers and staff members. Everyone agreed it was a truly memorable day for our school and it was definitely a wonderful way to end Catholic Schools Week at ACS.

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The Assumption Catholic School Chimmetteers took their show on the road. On Saturday, February 3, 2018, Mrs. Lawrence and the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade chimes players performed at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cultural Center in Somerset. They and other groups participated in the program “Caroling for Christ.” A bell themed trio of songs were presented by them featuring their signature song “Carol of the Bells.” An unexpected treat for Mrs.Lawrence was seeing Fr. Taras Naumenko, a former ACS student. The Chimmetteers were given a certificate commemorating the event. It was a proud day for the ACS chimes!

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This class gave the children an opportunity to learn about the  Prosfora,  a special bread that is baked and offered to the Church. This special bread is used in the preparation of the Holy Communion, the Eucharist. the “bread of life”. Under the direction of Sister Yosaphata,  the children mixed, rolled, shaped, and stamped their prosphora breads. This coming Sunday Father Ivan will do the Proskomedia service using a prosphora they baked. The children enjoyed this experience immensely and eagerly anticipate future lessons from Sister Yosaphata.

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Catholic Schools Week was off to a great start on Monday with all ACS students participating in a science lab observing change in a substance. The students from grades five through eight were buddied up with students in grades Pre K though 4 to carry out the activity. After all steps were followed the younger students made their observations and realized that they had made ice cream.

The afternoon was filled with the sound of students moving quickly under the leadership of the Class of 2018. Students were led on a scavenger hunt to find answers to questions related to the teachers. If they thought they knew an answer to a particular question, they then went to the teacher they thought was holding the answer. If they got it correct, they earned a piece to a puzzle. When they got all of the puzzle pieces students were led back to their classroom where they put the pieces together to find out who loved them. It was a picture of all the teachers!

The day ended with everyone enjoying the results of their experimental ice cream that they had made in the morning. If Monday was any indication of what the rest of the week would bring Catholic Schools Week at ACS was shaping up to be a great week!

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The vocation and contributions of men and women of the  Assumption parish and school who are consecrated to God by vows of chastity, poverty and obedience was recognized at Assumption Catholic School on Friday, January 26, 2018 when the annual World Day for Consecrated Life was observed.

To commemorate the day,  the students  participated at the Divine Liturgy and after the service,  Fr. Ivan, Deacon Paul, Sister Yosaphata, Sister Thomas and Mother  Maria the Superior of the  (MSMG ) Missionary Sisters of the Mother of God were recognized for their service to God.  Mrs. Shumny the school’s Principle presented those in consecrated life with special gifts prepared by ACS students and in her beautiful remarks highlighted the gift of consecrated persons for the whole Church and Adssumption comunity. To conclude the celebration, the jubilarianswere treated to a breakfast served by the ACS 8th grade students.

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