CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Celebrating National Catholic Schools Week

Posted

PROVIDENCE — With activities like dancing in class and spelling bees, Masses and open houses, as well as sport tournaments and fundraisers, students, educators and parishioners throughout the country are looking forward to National Catholic Schools Week.

This year, which marks the 40th anniversary of the annual event, focuses on the value of a Catholic education, with a theme of “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.” It will be observed Jan. 26 to Feb. 1.

“It’s a week to really showcase what a Catholic school stands for,” said Jack Corry, principal at St. Paul School in Cranston. “It’s all about respect, cooperation, service and morals. Not all of the students here are Catholic, so they get to see the things that we do. They learn the respect students have for their faith and our faith, and that’s what the bottom line is.”

Principal Joan Sickinger of St. Peter School in Warwick, as well as Principal Mary Tetzner of St. Cecilia School in Pawtucket, said National Catholic Schools Week reinforces the significance of keeping Jesus Christ at the center of each student’s life. Whether they are in a classroom, church or gymnasium, students are learning about their faith.

“Being able to freely talk about their faith and relate it to their daily lives is very important,” Sickinger said. “We open the week up on Sunday with an 11 o’clock Mass, which we’ve been doing the past five years because it opens it up to the parish. It’s very exciting. After that, we have our open house from 12 to 2.”

St. Cecilia School and St. Paul School will also begin the week with Sunday Mass. While Mass at St. Cecilia is at 10 a.m. — and will be followed by an open house from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with students in the robotics program instrumental and string program and to show off their skills — St. Paul is set to celebrate Mass at 9:30 a.m. An open house at the school from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. will take place afterwards.

The schools will also host other activities such as luncheons, book fairs, dress down days, or spirit days, as well as arts and crafts sessions, giving children the opportunity to make gifts for educators, parents and clergy members.

St. Paul and St. Peter are gathering food items for a local food pantry and toiletries for a shut-in, respectively, and St. Cecilia has dubbed Friday, “Keep the Heat On Day,” as they are collecting money to benefit Bishop Thomas J. Tobin’s initiative that donates fuel to people in need.

“If you look at our mission statement, it talks about helping people,” Tetzner said. “Our students are looking out for their neighbors, as well.”

Another way they look out for their neighbors is by praying for them.

“Every faculty member and student will have a prayer partner during the week,” Tetzner said. “Someone will be praying for you all week, but you won’t know who it is until Friday.”

Bishop Tobin expressed his prayerful appreciation to Catholic schools for the work they do in reinforcing the faith in their everyday mission, and for all they do to help the larger community.

“Catholic Schools Week is an excellent opportunity to proclaim and celebrate the great work of our Catholic Schools,” Bishop Tobin said. “It is also an opportunity to renew our commitment to the fundamental mission of our Catholic schools, which is to provide an outstanding education in the context of our Christian Faith. I extend my congratulations and gratitude to the administrators, teachers, staff, supporters, parents and students who work so well together to make our Catholic schools communities of learning and love.”

Not only are activities taking place during Catholic Schools Week spiritually beneficial, they are academically valuable. St. Paul is hosting “Invention Convention,” a science fair alternative that encourages students to use their imaginations.

“It makes them really start thinking outside the box,” Corry said. “It’s a fun week, but they are still learning academics at the same time.”

Corry is right, highlighting the fact that Catholic schools excel at preparing students for higher education. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, nearly 2.1 million students are enrolled in more than 6,600 Catholic schools throughout the country. Approximately 99 percent of students graduate from high school and 85 percent of Catholic school graduates attend college.

To further stimulate students’ minds, St. Cecilia, along with St. Mary School in Cranston, will host spelling bees next week. A majority of schools within the Diocese of Providence are participating.

And while St. Paul is hosting a volleyball tournament on Friday, as each grade will compete to play the faculty, St. Cecilia plans to randomly play music over the intercom, encouraging children to sing and dance together. St. Peter decided to do something in spirit of a well-known world event.

“My teachers wanted to do an Olympic theme this year with the slogan, ‘The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well,’” Sickinger said.

No matter the activity, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Daniel J. Ferris said Catholic Schools Week means more than a chance to educate children in Catholic doctrine during school hours. He said it also represents a freedom to educate students in an environment of faith where prayer is the norm, while every subject, discipline and activity is an occasion to know and love God.

“We celebrate the unrestricted opportunity we have for children to experience the transforming love of God in Jesus Christ,” he said. “We have been blessed: The Diocese of Providence now has over 165 years of Catholic education. The legacy of that history is immeasurable. With humbled hearts, we have much to celebrate and thank God during Catholic Schools Week.”