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Catholic Schools Week

St. Joseph's School kicks off Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29th

By Billie Owens

St. Joseph Catholic School in Batavia will kick off Catholic Schools Week with a family mass at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29, followed by a family luncheon, followed at 2 p.m. with an open house for prospective students and families. The school is located at 2 Summit St.

The theme for this year's Catholic Schools Week, which is celebrated nationally Jan. 29 through Feb. 5, is "Faith, Academics, Service." These three priorities of Catholic schools stand out from other educational institutions.

Children are taught faith – not just the basics of Christianity, but how to have a relationship with God. Academics, which in Catholic schools are held to very high standards, help each child reach his or her potential. Service, the giving of one’s time and effort to help others, is taught both as an expression of faith and good citizenship.

St. Joseph Catholic School of Batavia has a long history with its roots dating back to 1873 when Rev. Thomas Cunningham settled on Jackson Street in Batavia, bringing with him six Sisters of Mercy. The school later moved to Ross Street before opening on Summit Street in 1882, operating there until 1959. At that time, the original building was torn down due to safety concerns and a new building was constructed.

Open house festivities on Sunday will be followed by a week's worth of activities. On Monday, parents will join students for lunch, followed by a game of bingo. On Tuesday, students will participate in group activities at the YMCA and the Faletti Ice Rink. Wednesday will be Pajama Day with students making fleece-tie blankets for the VA Nursing Home. On Thursday, students will attend a special movie day at the Dipson Theatre.

The celebration wraps up on Friday with a basketball game and Jump Rope for Heart event. That evening, the school will hold a Family Dance from 7 to 10 p.m.

Current school enrollment totals nearly 200 including pre-K through eigthth grade, with the average class size being 16. Nearly 60 percent of families receive some type of financial assistance. Nationally, 99 percent of Catholic school students graduate from high school, and 98 percent of those students go on to college.

To find out more about St Joseph Catholic School or the open house, please call 343-6154.

Pictures: Holy Family and St. Joe's kids

By Daniel Crofts

As promised last week (see Friday's article, "Mancuso's hosts Holy Family School, of Le Roy, for Catholic Schools Week"), here are some photos of staff and students from Holy Family and St. Joseph schools celebrating Catholic Schools Week.

Our site has been experiencing some technical difficulties, otherwise they would have been posted sooner.

Holy Family at Mancuso Bowling Center:

The kids have just finished Mass at Notre Dame and are ready to hit the lanes!

Principal Kevin Robertson (aka "Mr. Rob") with Sister Bridget.

Amy Drakes, physical education teacher and chief organizer of this event.

"Representatives" from across the grade span. They are, left to right in the back, Ariba (fifth grade), Chris (eighth grade),  Drakes and Collin (fifth grade); left to right in the front, Annarose (kindergarten), Sam (third grade) and Nathaniel (first grade).

St. Joe's kids at the YMCA -- games and workouts:

 

Pictured fifth-grade teacher Todd Bowman, who did push-ups with some of his students.

Mancuso's hosts Holy Family School, of Le Roy, for Catholic Schools Week

By Daniel Crofts

Holy Family School of Le Roy celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a trip to Mancuso Bowling Center this week, following a Mass at Notre Dame High School.

Here is some footage of the students getting their games on -- and thank you to Lorie Longhany, who teaches art at the school, for indirectly providing the title of part four:

Catholic Schools Week -- which has been observed annually for many years (at least since 1889 at Holy Family) -- was actually last week, but the bowling outing and the Mass at Notre Dame were rescheduled due to bad weather. Pictures of the Holy Family crew at Mancuso's will be posted soon, along with photos of St. Joe's kids celebrating at the YMCA.

The purpose of Catholic Schools Week, according to Holy Family Principal Kevin Robertson (affectionately known as "Mr. Rob" to the students), is to give kids and staff the chance to celebrate their Catholic identity "in a way they don't get to the rest of the school year."

Kids, teachers and parents in Catholic education celebrate this annual, weeklong tradition with fun events at the schools and out in the community.

"A lot of these activities are geared toward teamwork," Robertson said. "It gives the kids a chance to work together and just have fun."

This is the third year in a row Mancuso's has welcomed Holy Family students in for Catholic Schools Week, according to physical education teacher Amy Drakes.

Drakes was in charge of coordinating this event, which she sees as a valuable opportunity to mix the different grade levels so that they can work together. She feels it's a great way to showcase the tight-knit bond between students for the community.

"The great thing about our school is that everyone knows each other," Drakes said. "Having all the (elementary and middle school) grades together is nice, too. You see a different side of the seventh- and eighth-graders when they're working with the little kids."

"There's a great sense of family and community (in the Catholic school setting)," Robertson said. "The kids get a strong foundation for morals and values, and they're conscious of the need to treat others with respect, and to be fair and productive."

Though most Holy Family students are Catholic, the school welcomes and includes students who are not Catholic as well.

"We have non-Catholic students, and we include them in everything we do," Robertson said, "but we also respect their beliefs. They can participate in the activities we have outside of school if they choose to do so -- but if they choose not to, that's understandable."

Education at Holy Family, as at other Catholic schools, goes beyond the classroom. Recently, the kids worked on fundraising efforts for Catholic Appeal's Week (see Feb. 7 announcement). Robertson said they will continue to have many activities through Catholic Appeal's Week, which is April 10 through 17.

Visit the Holy Family School website for more information.

SUPPLEMENTAL VIDEO:

St. Joseph School students enjoy the "bouncy house" at the YMCA:

St. Joseph School Open House

By St. Joseph School

In celebration of Catholic Schools Week St. Joseph School of Batavia will be hosting an Open House on Sunday, January 31st.  Everyone is invited to join the celebration beginning with a Family Mass at 11:30. All are then encouraged to join us at the School for a 1PM luncheon reception and Open House.  Please call the school office with any questions:  343-6154.  Hope to see you there.

 

 

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