The following are questions that are frequently asked by prospective families:

What type of environment does St. Rita have? St. Rita School is rooted in the traditions of the church, faith is part of our everyday experience. We have a safe and caring environment where students learn to respect God and others. Religious experiences include weekly school masses, daily all-school prayer, Lenten Stations of the Cross, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, service projects, and peer programs including Mass buddies. Teachers and students demonstrate mutual respect and care for each other.

Is St. Rita School Accredited? Yes, St. Rita School is accredited by the WCEA.

What type of credentials do your teachers have? All St. Rita teachers are certified in the State of Illinois. Staff degrees range from Bachelor of Science or Arts in Education to Masters Degrees. Staff development is ongoing. Teachers work on continuing education coursework. All religion teachers must be certified catechists in the Rockford Diocese. Members of our faculty have been named Distinguished Educators in Kane County.

How is your curriculum developed? St. Rita School follows the standards set by the Rockford Diocese which are based on National Standards in reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, religion, computer, music, physical education, and art. In addition, St. Rita school provides advanced coursework in PreAlgebra and Algebra. St. Rita has a Title I Reading Resource program for primary-grade students who need additional support to strengthen their skills in reading. Our full-day Preschool and Kindergarten programs are a well-developed curriculum of academic enrichment.

How do students do on standardized tests? St. Rita students in grades K-8 take the ARK (Assessment of Religious Knowledge) test in the Spring. Additionally, ARK tests students are tested in Reading and Math (2-8). 

Do you have extra-curricular programs? St. Rita School aims to help students develop academically, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. St. Rita has a variety of activities including interscholastic sports in volleyball, soccer, basketball, track, and cross country. In addition, we offer Art Club, Chess Club, Crusader Choir, Altar Servers, Student Council, Kiwanis Builders Club, STEM Club, and Yearbook.

What are the hours of the school day? School begins at 8:30 A.M. and dismisses at 3:15 P.M.

Does St. Rita provide bus transportation? Bus service is provided to students in K-8 who reside in West Aurora District 129 and live more than one and a half miles from school or a designated hazardous route.

Do you have before and after-school child care? Yes, students in full-day Preschool through 8th grade may participate in our Extended Day program. Morning care starts at 6:30 AM. Aftercare ends at 5:30 PM. Students are supervised by faculty members. The fees for this program are in addition to tuition but are very reasonable compared to public daycare.

What co-curricular offerings do you have? St. Rita School has a state-of-the-art technology with Internet access. Our building-wide wireless network supports our interactive technology instruction in the classroom through the use of SMARTBoards, iPads, and Microsoft SurfacePros. In addition to weekly technology classes, students have classes in Music, Art, Library, and Physical Education.

Do you have a daily lunch program? St. Rita School will have a Hot Lunch Program in October. 

What is the facility like? St. Rita is a well-maintained facility in a beautiful park-like setting. Our church and school are connected which makes the worship space very accessible to the students. St. Rita School follows a safety program to keep all exterior doors including the church locked during the school day. Visitors must enter by the front door and report to the school office upon arrival. Our fully air-conditioned facility is well maintained.

Do you have Preschool? St. Rita School has a full-day Preschool program for three and four-year-olds. This is a child-centered program, which prepares the children for the readiness skills for Kindergarten. Activities are designed with the young child in mind. There are many opportunities for socialization. Students enrolled in our program have priority for enrollment the following year for Kindergarten.

Do you have a full-day program for Kindergarten? St. Rita School has a full-day Kindergarten. The school day is a well-balanced program of academics while keeping the importance of social skills and developmental stages in mind for the young child.  Opportunities for hands-on learning help to facilitate higher-order thinking skills for this age.  An important goal for the kindergarten educator is to keep the child’s needs as the central motivation for learning.

I want to send my child to St. Rita but I don’t know if I can afford it. We do know that parents must make a considerable sacrifice to pay for Catholic school education. Parish families receive discounted tuition when they actively support the parish through Stewardship. Discounts are given for each additional child in the family. Before you decide that it is too much, consider prayerfully the benefits that your child will receive to be in a Christ-centered environment.

Why St. Rita School? We strive to provide all that is needed to prepare students for a successful life, rich in academics and rooted in faith. Come visit our parish school and see for yourself what an exceptional opportunity is available to your child. 630-892-0200