Mission Statement

We at St. Ann School are dedicated to helping our Preschool-8^th grade students reach their full academic, physical, social, and spiritual potential.  With Christ as our model and through a personalized learning approach, we encourage students to use their gifts to serve our school, the Pilsen community, and all of society.

Belief Statement

We remain committed to developing students who serve others because we believe that we were made for each other. At St. Ann, our students serve both their communities locally and the larger world around them.

We remain committed to developing students to be leaders of their learning because we believe people are innately curious. We encourage students to explore their interests and pursue their passions, as they realize their God given gifts and talents. 

We remain committed to developing students who love one another because we believe we are all made in the image and likeness of God. 

At St. Ann, we believe we are better together.

St. Ann is honored to be a Big Shoulders Fund Plus school, an initiative of 30 schools across Chicago. Big Shoulders Fund and its supporters made this commitment in recognition of the exceptional value that St. Ann provides to families and the important role we play in the community. We are partnering closely with Big Shoulders Fund to strengthen our school’s long-term sustainability and vitality.

Strategic Planning

Principals work directly with Big Shoulders to create and implement plans to improve in key areas such as academics, student recruiting, fundraising, etc.

Academic Programs

Principals work directly with Big Shoulders to monitor the success rates of academic programs, to ensure that professional development supports increasing success rates, and to identify and take action in areas needing improvement. Principals continue to lead their staffs and are responsible to maintain appropriate accreditations.

Financial Operations

Principals and Business Managers work with Big Shoulders to approve budgets and large expenditures, create forecasts, etc. Schools continue to manage their finances – e.g., collections, bookkeeping, etc. The Principal is responsible for the school’s financial results.

Student Recruitment

Principals work directly with Big Shoulders to establish marketing and development/fundraising plans. Big Shoulders assists local staff in implementing the marketing and development plans through social media, annual appeals, etc.

Personnel

Principals work directly with the Archdiocese on personnel matters; given that Principals and all other staff members are Archdiocesan employees and its personnel policies will be followed. All personnel-related policy questions are directed to Dr. Bridget de la Peña. Big Shoulders will be involved in Principal evaluations, and consulted as
appropriate in other personnel matters.

Facility

Principals work directly with the Archdiocese, using established Archdiocesan protocols; the Archdiocesan facilities department continues to assist with school projects. All projects must be presented to and approved by both the Archdiocese and Big Shoulders, and life-safety projects are funded by the parties on a 50/50 basis.

Student Outcomes

• Elementary Students Move On To High Performing High Schools
• High School Students Graduate, and Move On To College or Career Programs

Read more about Big Shoulders Fund, here!

Our Past

For more than a century, Saint Ann Catholic School has been enriching lives in the Pilsen community by providing high-quality Catholic education, cultural and community programs. Since opening in 1903, Saint Ann has truly been blessed with a supportive community of parents, teachers, family members, parishioners and most importantly, the strong presence of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth ended their direct ministry with Saint Ann in 2005. Although their departure is unfortunate and their presence certainly missed, the Sisters continue to support our mission through their prayers. While the Saint Ann Church closed in the summer of 2018, we are blessed to now be a part of the Saint Paul parish, just a few blocks south of Saint Ann School. Saint Ann School is led my Father Mike Enright, has been in the Pilsen community for over a decade, and Ms. McKenna Corrigan, our principal, has been a Catholic school leader within the Archdiocese of Chicago since she graduated from Saint May’s University, in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Today

St. Ann School is truly been blessed with a supportive community of parents, teachers, family members, and community partners. As we embark on this new journey of faith, education and community, we invite new and long-standing friends of Saint Ann to support our mission through prayer, goodwill, and action.

Our Future

The future of Saint Ann Catholic School is indeed promising. The passion and energy created when the school opened its doors in 1903 are still present today. With this strong foundation and a fresh approach, there is ample opportunity to provide a quality, Catholic education to the children of Pilsen, one of the most culturally rich areas in Chicago.

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Academics

Saint Ann implements a research-based curriculum across the content areas. In Language Arts, teachers utilize Accelerated Reader to meet each student’s needs. All students are assessed using the AIMSweb curriculum-based measurement and any students facing challenges will be supported through various in class interventions developed by our teachers. In Math, students work through the innovative  EnVision program culminating with Algebra I in 8th grade. For specials, all students participate in Gym, Spanish, and Music, and 1st-8th grade participate in Art each week. We offer inter-grade collaboration, between everyone from our oldest junior high students to our full-day preschool and kindergarten. All students have daily access to technology, which includes the computer lab, Chromebook laptops, class sets of iPads, and interactive whiteboards. For students who need the extra support, we offer a Title I program and speech therapy to all who apply. Upon graduation, our students attend some of the best high schools in the city, including St. Ignatius, De La Salle, St. Joseph, Whitney Young, Lane Tech, Jones Prep, Chicago Bulls College Prep, and many more.

Community

Saint Ann School values community. We celebrate community at our weekly student-led Mass. We see it in our small class sizes that interact with each other through our Guardian Angel program. Our students’ actions support community by meeting the expectations set forth by our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Reward System and celebrating them at our Saint Rallies. The junior high creates a community through the House System which allows students to work together to develop life skills outside of the classroom. Our parents contribute to the community through providing service, sponsoring events, and attending family nights throughout the year. Community does not just begin and end with our school. Each year, the entire school works together on a service project to help another community.