Catholic schools around the Diocese of Rochester are celebrating Catholic Schools Week Jan. 26-Feb. 1 with a variety of special activities. Below are the events taking place at each of the schools as listed on their websites or from submitted schedules sent to the Catholic Courier. For more information on specific events, please visit that schools’ websites.
In addition to these events, representatives from each school will celebrate Mass with Bishop Salvatore R. Matano at Sacred Heart Cathedral Jan. 29. The Catholic Courier will be livestreaming that Mass on its website.
Finger Lakes
St. Michael School, Penn Yan, will kick off Catholic Schools Week with a bowling outing Jan. 27. Third- through fifth-grade students will participate in a Quiz Bowl with Father Leo Reinhardt, pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, Jan. 28. Students can donate $1 and dress out of uniform Jan. 29. The money from the dress-down day will go to a local non-profit. On Jan. 30, students are invited to bring in their favorite beach attire to change into for a beach party in the church hall. The school will conclude Catholic Schools Week with Mass. Grandparents are invited to join the students for the Mass and for lunch and games at school.
Students at St. Mary School, Canandaigua, will gather for a prayer service Jan. 27. There will be an open school day for prospective families to visit the school Jan. 28. The middle-school students will attend Mass with Bishop Matano at Sacred Heart Cathedral Jan. 29. Kindergarten through fifth-grade will have a day of service Jan 30. Also on Jan. 30, there will be the annual seventh-grade and eighth-grade volleyball game. Students may wear their favorite team attire or St. Mary School spirit wear and bring a canned soup donation for “Souper Bowl” Day Jan. 31. There also will be a school Mass in the morning, and the middle-school students will participate in day of service.
The city of Auburn Mayor Mike Quill will present St. Joseph School, Auburn, with a proclamation for Catholic Schools Week Jan. 27. Special person’s day will be celebrated throughout the week. The students also will participate in making cards for residents of The Home and thank-you cards for the school staff. There also will be a Scholastic Book Fair during the week. The school will wrap up its Catholic Schools Week activities with a closing Mass Jan. 31.
Monroe County
Students at St. Louis School, Pittsford, will wear mismatched clothing to school Jan. 27. They will celebrate Mass together Jan. 28. That day, students also will get to wear crazy hats to school for crazy hat day. Jan 29 is St. Louis spirit day, and Jan. 30 it is bus driver appreciate day. Fifth-grade students will perform their musical for the school community that day at 1:30 p.m. On Jan. 31, the students are invited to dress down for “Souper Bowl” Dress Down Day and bring cans of soup for the Pittsford Food Cupboard. There also will be a film festival before concluding Catholic Schools Week with a faith assembly.
St. Pius Tenth, Chili, will have an open house and ice cream social Jan. 30 from 6 to 7 p.m. There also will be a school Mass Jan. 31.
Seton Catholic School, Brighton, will start its Catholic Schools Week events Jan. 27 with an obstacle course. It’s pajama day on Jan. 28, and students are invited to bring in their favorite board games. Students will be making valentines for the Sisters of Mercy motherhouse and Our Lady of Lourdes Church shut-ins, and there will be ice cream sundaes served Jan. 29. That evening, there will be an open house for Seton children and families. On Jan. 30, students can wear crazy socks and hats to school. Fourth- through sixth-grade students will go head-to-head in a Challenge 24 tournament, while the pre-K through third-grade students will play bingo. Seton will conclude Catholic Schools Week with “Seton Cinema” on Feb. 1 and with its Winter Carnival Feb. 2.
At St. Ambrose Academy, Rochester, students will begin Catholic Schools Week with school prayer in the main hallway Jan. 27. On Jan. 28, the school will have an open house from 6 to 7 p.m., and the book fair, which will be open all week during the school day, will be open in the evening for parents and the public. Pre-K through first-grade students will have a special activity on Jan. 29, while the second-grade through fifth-grade go to Mass with Bishop Matano at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Students will enjoy bingo on Jan. 30. St. Ambrose Academy will conclude Catholic Schools Week with bowling at L&M Lanes during the day and a movie night in the school gym in the evening Jan. 31.
Holy Cross School, Rochester, will kick off Catholic Schools Week with a pep rally and faculty verse sixth grade games, followed by a second grade/alumni basketball game in the evening Jan. 27. Students will dress like their favorite superhero and dance the Cha Cha Slide Jan. 28. Students will all sing the Star Spangled Banner as a school and write valentines for he Shore Winds Nursing Home Jan. 29. In the evening on Jan. 30, there will be a family snow and ice STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) night. On Jan. 31, there will be a school Catholic Schools Week Mass in the morning and a celebration of grandparents or special friends in the after. Holy Cross will conclude Catholic Schools Week with a Sweetheart Dance on Feb. 1 and with service by collecting cans of soup for the St. Andrew’s and Holy Cross Food Cupboards for Souper Bowl Monday Feb. 4.
A prayer service will begin Catholic Schools Week at St. Kateri School, Irondequoit Jan. 27 and students are invited to wear crazy socks and bring a pair of socks to donate to those in need. There will also be BINGO in the gymnasium. It will be summer at St. Kateri on Jan. 28 as the students will wear appropriate beach attire and participate in beach activities. A walk-through for prospective families will also take place from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Activities will be organized between partner classes on Jan. 29. On Jan. 30, students will participate in a school-wide day of service. Students are invited to bring gently used children and young adult books to donate. There will also guest readers dropping by, including former 13WHAM personality Norma Holland, interim Catholic Schools superintendent Jim Tauzel and a Irondequoit police officer to read to students. St. Kateri will conclude Catholic Schools Week with Donuts with Dad in the morning and a dance party in the afternoon Jan. 31. It is also Soup-er Bowl Day where students can wear their team colors and bring a can of soup to donate.
Students at St. Lawrence School, Greece will kick off Catholic Schools Week with crazy hair and mismatched outfits and stop-drop-dance Jan. 27. There will be an open house, book fair, art show and family fun night in the evening Jan. 28. It is Spirit Day on Jan. 29. It is day of service for students Jan. 30. Preschool students will be making Valentine posters for residents at Wedgewood Nursing Home and kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade students will visit The Villages at Mill Landing to sing songs and give a gift to the residents. Third-grade students will be going to InterVol to sort medical supplies, fourth-grade students will be making blankets for Lollypop Farm and fifth-grade students will be visiting the Open Door Mission. St. Lawrence School will conclude Catholic Schools Week by wearing their favorite sports jerseys and participating in mini-golf in the gym Jan. 31.
Since there is no school on Jan. 27 at St. Joseph School in Penfield, the students will kick off their Catholic Schools Week activities with spirit day and a pep rally on Jan. 28. On Jan. 29, it is crazy hats and socks day. In addition, the school will be collecting socks, warm hats and mittens to donate to children in need. There will be a school open house in which all classes will showcase student work on Jan. 30. St. Joseph School will conclude Catholic Schools Week with bowling at AMF in Webster. The students will also be collecting can of soup to donate to the Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf and celebrating “Souper School” by wearing sports jersey.
St. Rita School, Webster will begin Catholic Schools Week with a opening prayer service at 8:15 a.m. Jan. 27. All are welcome to attend the school’s Catholic Schools Week Mass Jan. 28 at 9:15 a.m. and the school will be open for perspective families from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. The students will also do a service project that day. There will be team reading Jan. 29 and all students will go bowling Jan. 30. St. Rita School will close out Catholic Schools Week Mass with a closing prayer service in the morning and a school activity in the afternoon. It is also Soup-er Bowl Day so students can wear team-inspired shirts and colors and bring a can of soup to donate.
Siena Catholic Academy, Brighton will start their Catholic Schools Week Jan. 27 with a torch relay for the 2020 Empire State Games torch relay.
Southern Tier
All Saints Academy, Corning, kicks off Catholic Schools Week with dress up as Mr. Rogers or dress as “twins or triplets” day Jan. 27. On that day, there will also be ice cream sundaes with the parish staff. There will be Mass in the morning Jan. 28 and in the afternoon, students will make cards of support and prayer to fellow primary Catholic school, St. Mary’s Bellingen in Australia dealing with the devastating fires there. On Jan. 29, students can wear animal print or green-blue earth colors to school. Parents and grandparents are invited to a soup luncheon on Jan. 30 and each class will pick a decade to dress up as that day. All Saints will conclude Catholic Schools Week with reading activity in the morning and ice skating at Corning Civic Center from 3:30 – 5 p.m.
St. Agnes School, Avon, kicks off Catholic Schools Week with a prayer service at St. Agnes Church Jan. 27. Students will be able to wear their favorite pajamas to school and bring a stuffed animal Jan. 28. Pre-K through second grade students will take part in service projects Jan. 29, while third-grade through sixth-grade attend the Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral. There will be rollerskating and a pizza lunch during the day, and in the evening of Jan. 30, the school community is invited to a potluck dinner and talent show. There is no school on Jan. 31, but the students can participate in skiing or snowboarding at SWAIN Ski Resort or go bowling at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo with their families.
Since there is no school on Jan. 27, Holy Family School, Elmira will kick off their Catholic Schools Week Jan. 28 with a school Mass. Students will participate in “ Minute to Win it” games Jan. 31.
Tags: Catholic Schools
