St. Mary and the nation’s 7,800 Catholic schools will celebrate
with a variety of events
Gilroy – St. Mary School will kick-off Catholic Schools Week Monday when more than 50 of the school’s unsung heroes, such as parents who help out in the office, classroom or playground, will be honored in an 8:15am assembly.
St. Mary’s has selected a different theme for each day of the week to highlight the role of Catholic schools and to reflect the theme of the annual nationwide celebration “Catholic Schools: Character. Compassion. Values.”
Tuesday’s focus is parents and prospective parents. Staff will pass out treats to parents in the parking lot as they drop off their children in the morning. Also, an open house for parents interested in enrolling their children will be held from 10:45am to noon.
On Wednesday, gears will be switched to highlight the nation, with members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars visiting at 8:15am to present the colors and lead the students in the Pledge of Allegiance. St. Mary’s has compiled a list of men and women serving overseas in the U.S. Military and is assembling care packages to send.
Thursday’s theme is teachers and staff. Teachers will switch places and lead one activity or lesson of the day in a different classroom. At 2pm students and staff will gather in the gym to participate in a game similar to the once-popular game show $10,000 Pyramid.
Friday has been penciled out solely for the youngest of the group. Students will wear their class shirt and attend a spirit rally led by student council at 10:45am. Tummies, of both students and faculty members, will be filled with platefuls of pasta prepared and served by grandparents. Grandparents will also bake cookies for the group.
Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration highlighting “the important role Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the country play in providing a values-added education for America’s young people,” according to the National Catholic Educational Association Web site.
The event, which was initiated in 1974, is a joint project of the NCEA and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Individual dioceses and local Catholic elementary and secondary schools develop and promote their own CSW activities each year.
For more information contact Vicki Brinkman at 842-8425.
