About Us

Tradition - Religion - Heritage

With the ever-growing problems of classroom overcrowding and the closing of more and more local schools each year, parents face a serious question that stirs emotions and fills them with concern: "Where will our children go to school next year?" This issue deserves careful consideration because our children are such a vital part of our lives.

With over 70 years of history behind its brick facade, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School (SNUCS) is conveniently located near the border of Passaic and Clifton, within minutes of major New Jersey roads such as Interstate 80, Route 46, and the Garden State Parkway. Our school is staffed with highly educated, qualified teachers and sisters from the order of Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. Our facilities include spacious air-conditioned classrooms, a cafeteria with a daily lunch program, outdoor and indoor recreation areas, and a computer lab.

Offering more than just the conveniences of a modern facility, our school abides by a curriculum that stands on time-proven principles of Catholic education with the added benefits of Ukrainian heritage and culture. We firmly believe that children are the heritage of Our Lord Jesus Christ, given to us as gifts from God, requiring instruction from birth regarding the most important issues of life. With the help of a Catholic education that instills life-affirming values, we make a lasting impression on your child. When children are appropriately taught at an early age, statistics prove they will continue similarly throughout their adult lives. At SNUCS, your child will enjoy a safe, orderly, and respectful environment centered around Christian beliefs and Ukrainian tradition.

One of a select few Ukrainian Catholic schools remaining in the northeastern United States, SNUCS has a proven track record. The vast majority of its graduates pursue higher education and, equally important, remain active in Ukrainian Catholic communities. Class sizes are kept low, so the student-teacher ratio is often under 10:1 and rarely 15:1.

In addition to providing the core requirements of elementary education, SNUCS supplements its curriculum with religious studies, music, and computer classes (starting as early as kindergarten). We also provide a complete Ukrainian language, history, and culture program for Ukrainian-speaking students and teach Ukrainian as a second language to others. SNUCS also offers an extended care "after-school" program featuring extra-curricular activities at an additional fee for those students requiring extra care to accommodate transportation problems. The program runs from 2:45-5:30 PM every scheduled school day. If you would like more information, please contact us.

Statement of Goals

Our mission is to teach the Gospel of Jesus as fully proclaimed in the Catholic Church He founded. The result of such teaching should be a deepening of one’s faith in Jesus Christ and a more ardent love for His Church.

Our goals include:

• Creating an atmosphere of acceptance and respect for all of God’s creatures;

• Promoting spiritual, academic, emotional, moral, social, and physical development of the students so they can accept themselves and face adversity with courage and endurance;

• Offering religious experiences that enrich and deepen students’ faith, leading to good value choices.

The teachers also strive to develop educational skills necessary to make the students effective and responsible members of society, working in service of others. To enable students to attain these goals, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School strives to:

• Create a Christian atmosphere of acceptance;

• Promote the development of a positive self-image in the students;

• Guide the development of self-discipline and respect for others by providing opportunities for responsible actions;

• Provide for individual differences;

• Instill wholesome attitudes in the students;

• Promote religious development of the students;

• Develop an appreciation for one’s background and traditions;

• Develop positive home-school relations;

• Help all children reach their fullest educational potential;

• Implement a curriculum that promotes the Christian development of the whole child.

St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School is an integral part of the parish because it participates in parish life and provides students a sense of belonging to the parish. The Catholic school in America has nurtured the faith of Jesus Christ in millions of women and men who have lived vibrantly Christian lives and have given themselves generously in America today. Scarcely a man or woman of the Church in America today has not benefited directly or indirectly from the sacrifices of her or his fellow Christians in creating the Catholic school system. A full measure of gratitude is due to the dedicated teachers who have expressed their Christian vocation through the apostolate of Catholic education. All deserve the thanks of the Catholic community, especially the women religious whose resourceful leadership has been at the heart of the Catholic school effort in the United States throughout its history.