Jan. 27 through Feb. 2 is the annual observance of Catholic
Schools Week. For three decades this time has been set aside each
year to highlight the work of Roman Catholic educational
institutions throughout the United States.
Jan. 27 through Feb. 2 is the annual observance of Catholic Schools Week. For three decades this time has been set aside each year to highlight the work of Roman Catholic educational institutions throughout the United States. This year’s theme is “Catholic Schools Light the Way,” focusing on “leadership that the schools provide to our nation, producing graduates who light the way to a brighter future for all humankind.”
Currently South Valley has three thriving Catholic elementary schools.
Gilroy’s St. Mary School was established in 1871 and enrolls 306 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Among the many activities scheduled for this week are:
– Tuesday: An open house for parents and prospective parents from 10:30 a.m. to noon
– Wednesday: A morning assembly with presentation of colors
– Thursday: Grandparent Pasta Feed at lunch
– Friday: Faculty, staff and volunteer rally at 10:45 a.m.
Vicki Campanella, assistant to principal for development and administration, calls St. Mary “A great place to learn: along with academics, we teach kindness and generosity to form good citizens who are aware of global concerns,” citing the school’s many outreach opportunities. For more information, call (408) 842-2827 or visit www.stmarygilroy.org.
Morgan Hill’s St. Catherine School enrolls 304 students in grades kindergarten through eight. Special activities for the week include:
– Sunday: Student-led liturgy at 10:30 a.m. followed by a pancake breakfast
– Tuesday: Classroom tours from 9 a.m. to noon
– Wednesday: Grandparents/ Special Person Day, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
– Friday: Student Appreciation Day with spaghetti dinner at 5:30 p.m.
Anna Quinones, stewardship and development director, praises the school’s ability to “educate the whole child, not just academically, but morally, as illustrated by the students’ many community service activities.” For more information, call (408) 779-9950 or visit www.stcatherinemh.org.
Hollister’s Sacred Heart Parish School enrolls 410 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Some of the week’s activities are:
– Wednesday and Thursday: A speech tournament with community judges
– Friday: Grandparents Day with a special breakfast, art fair and opportunity to hear the winning speeches.
Principal Jennifer Smith calls attention to the school’s “great teachers, small classes and family atmosphere, where everyone works together as a team to implement academics and Catholic values.” For more information, call (831) 637-4157 or visit www.sacredheart school.org.
The Roman Catholic Church has the country’s largest system of nonpublic schools. In reaction to a perception that U.S. public schools were dominated by Protestants, bishops met in Baltimore, Md., in 1884 and directed local churches to establish elementary schools for the education of parish children (hence the term “parochial” schools). Later, secondary schools were established by dioceses, religious orders or groups of parishes.
According to figures released by the National Catholic Educational Association, there are now some 2.3 million students enrolled in 6,288 elementary and 1,210 secondary schools. Approximately 14 percent of these students are non-Catholic.
These schools employ some 153,000 professional staff. Although earlier in the century, the overwhelming majority of staff consisted of religious brothers and sisters, today 95 percent are lay people due to the long decline in the number of religious brothers, nuns and priests.
The Diocese of San Jose, which encompasses all of Santa Clara County, includes 31 elementary and six secondary schools, with a total enrollment of approximately 16,000 students. There has been discussion of building a new elementary school in Gilroy’s northwest area and a new high school in the area between Morgan Hill and Coyote, but no definite construction dates have yet been set.
