SAINT ANNE

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     In 1952 when the second pastor of St. Anne Parish was appointed, one of his first projects was the construction of a Catholic grade school. Built by mostly volunteer workers, the brick and mortar brigade laid the cornerstone for St. Anne Catholic School, located at 1813 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89104, in the county of Clark. It was to be the second Catholic school in Las Vegas. The school opened in the fall of 1954 with grades one through four staffed by two Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana, and two lay teachers. The total number of students enrolled the first year was 184 (102 boys and 82 girls). In December 11, 1955, St. Anne Catholic School was dedicated by the most Reverend Robert J. Dwyer, D.D., Bishop of Reno.
    Each year after the 1954 school year, another grade was added until all eight grades were opened. The first eighth grade graduation was held in 1959. In 1983 a modular unit was added to the campus and a kindergarten offering morning and afternoon sessions was opened.
     In 1984 the last two Holy Cross Sisters left St. Anne Catholic School to return to California. At that time, St. Anne Catholic School hired Mr. Neil Harrington, its first lay principal. One Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration joined the staff as librarian and teacher of advanced math, grades six through eight, and an honors science class for eighth grade. Specialists in art, music, and physical education were added to the staff, as well.
     In the summer of 1988, an addition to the library/annex building created a larger space for the kindergarten which had changed to an all-day program under the direction of one teacher and one aide for the second semester of the 1987-1988 school year. In the fall of 1988 an all-day pre-kindergarten program was opened in the modular unit with one teacher and an aide.
    In September 1988 St. Anne Catholic School began an After School Program for the benefit of working parents. The program is overseen by a staff member as supervisor and two aides.
    The second lay principal, Mrs. Rosemary Ashton, a former St. Anne Catholic School assistant principal and 5th grade teacher, was promoted in the summer of 1989.  Father Robert Votta was appointed pastor in 1992.
    The third lay principal, Phyllis Joyce, was hired in 1994. During the same year the Diocese of Reno / Las Vegas split and St. Anne and all Catholic schools in Southern Nevada became known as the Diocese of Las Vegas.
    In 1995, Mrs. Ellen Ayoub was appointed superintendent of the Diocese of Las Vegas, In the fall of 1997 under Father Votta’s leadership, St. Anne Catholic School and Parish broke ground for the development of a multi-purpose center to be named the Fadwa Ghanem Center. In March of 1997 the school opened its gym and computer lab in the new building.
    At the end of March 1997 an administrator. Father John Andrew Sullivan, was assigned to St. Anne School and Parish. In the year 2000, Dr. Richard Facciolo took over as superintendent of the Diocese of Las Vegas.
    Beginning with the 2000-2001 school year, St. Anne Catholic School instituted a daily hot lunch program since there now was a full service kitchen in the multi-purpose center.
    In July of 2001 our parish administrator, Father John Sullivan, was replaced by a new pastor, Father John Ahearn, M.M.
    During the school year 2001-2002, the 1988 addition of library/annex was renovated to refurbish a large meeting room and expand the library and computer lab. This building was named Ryan Hall II.
    In August of 2002, Father Francis Timoney came to St. Anne Catholic Church as pastor . Upon his retirement, Father Dave Casaleggio became parish administrator, effective February 1, 2008. The fourth lay principal, Dr. Kathleen Dunne, was hired in May 2007. At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, Dr. James Machinski was appointed principal.

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