St. Ann Child Care Center’s reunion had a beautiful day for students and graduates

Sunday, Nov. 2, was a beautiful fall day. Everyone seemed to find a reason to get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. Alloco Park was no exception.

The park was filled with children and adults alike.

Everyone appeared to be having a great time.

But a closer glance revealed that everyone also appeared to know one another.

And that they did. It was a reunion of students from the St. Ann Child Care Center — friends who have graduated and moved on to other schools, and friends who were left behind due to differences in age.

Sure, any one of them would tell you that they like their current school and have all made new friends.

But they will also tell you since the start of the new school year, there is just something missing. And that "something" is each other.

The realization of the need for a reunion stemmed from the sad faces on two little boys, namely Brian Jelinski and Brandon Jones.

When asked separately how they liked their new schools or when reminded of their old school, normally happy faces turned to just shy of tears, as they remembered their "buds."

It’s hard to imagine that children who have not even reached 6 years of age have already formed such lasting relationships with other kids.

But when you stop and think that they had been together practically every day for four of their almost six years, you begin to realize they, too, have needs beyond the basic ones we attend to regularly.

The first few times when they ask, you respond, "yes, we should get together sometime." But when it hit us just how bad they were hurting, it immediately turned into a phone call.

Word traveled fast, and suddenly there was a park full of happy faces at 1 p.m. Nov. 2.

The only regret was that we couldn’t get hold of all the families on such short notice.

Will there be other outings? Of course there will.

After all, everyone knows that good friends are hard to find.

I think we as parents have all learned a valuable lesson from our kids, and that is that we will not lose sight of those we’ve already met.

For those with little ones who are still looking for something special, St. Ann Child Care (SACC) is a great place to start.

For those of you who have never had the pleasure, please stop by the center at 121 Main St., Keansburg, and meet Sisters Faith and Emanuel.

You’ll be glad you did. It is so much more than just a child care center – it is the start of something wonderful.

Even situated in a district that provides for free preschool, what you gain from dealing with SACC and its staff is priceless.

This is a place that when the children graduate, parents cry.

You may think that’s anywhere. I’d say yes, but not five months after the pomp and circumstance.

Everyone of us knows what we left behind.

More importantly, every one of us would recommend them to someone else.

That is the difference.

I am not an employee of St. Ann, just a mother who is in favor of memories of a happy childhood.

My son graduated in June.

Susan M. Jones

(mother of

Brandon Jones)

Hazlet