Students to celebrate Catholic education in Rochester Diocese

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Rochester will celebrate Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29-Feb 4 with a variety of special activities. Below are the event schedules that schools provided to the Catholic Courier. Visit the schools’ websites for more information.

Monroe County

Seton Catholic will begin Catholic Schools Week with Mass at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Students are asked to wear their Seton uniform to Mass and there will be a light breakfast afterward provided by the Seton Parent Teacher Association. On Jan. 30, students may wear their favorite sports team jersey or team colors to school and there will be bagels and juice in the classrooms. Students will also make valentines for those in need. It’s Pajama Day Jan. 31. Students may wear appropriate pajamas to school. It’s also the first day of the obstacle course. Students in grades third through sixth will take part. In addition, there will also be board games with classroom buddies. Seton is getting wacky Feb. 1 as students may wear their dress down clothes inside out or backwards that day. Students will also enjoy ice cream sundaes, served by the sixth-grade students during the lunch. Feb. 1 is also the second day of the obstacle course, with students in pre-K through second grade participating in that. Feb. 2 is Crazy Hat and Sock Day. Students can wear crazy hats and/or socks with their uniforms. They will also play BINGO together as a school using Zoom. In the evening, there will be an opening house from 6-7 p.m. Seton Catholic will conclude Catholic Schools Week Feb. 3 with Mass at 8:30 a.m. lead by the sixth-grade class. Later that day, they will enjoy movie and popcorn in the classroom.

St. Pius Tenth School, Chili will be collecting cereal boxes for the Southwest Ecumenical Services, Inc. (SWEM) for Catholic Schools Week. The goal is 500 boxes of cereal, which will be lined along the hallways of the school for a Cereal Box Domino Course, which will take place Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m. All grade levels will participate. Fourth- and fifth-grade students will be leading the charge and setting up the domino course. January 31 is Crazy Hair and Sock Day. Students may wear crazy hair and socks to school that day. Tuesday, Jan. 31 is Tie Dye Tuesday, and Wednesday, Feb. 1, is Mismatch Day. In anticipation of its Catholic Schools Week Liturgy on Feb. 3, it’s 60’s day on Feb. 2. Students may dress in a clothes with a 60’s theme. There will also be an open house and ice cream social for current and prospective families from 6:30-8 p.m. The school liturgy is at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 3. Students to wear school uniforms on that day. To round out Catholic Schools Week, families are invited to attend Mass at St. Pius X Church Feb. 4 or Feb. 5. and students are encouraged to wear their school uniforms to Mass. Students who attend a different church are also encouraged to wear their uniforms to your home parish or church.

All week long, students at St. Lawrence School, Greece, will be collecting food items that they will donate to the Aquinas Food Shelf. The school will kick off Catholic Schools Week with Crazy Hair and Mismatch Day Jan. 30. There will also be stop-drop-dance throughout the day. On Jan. 31, it’s Class Color Day and First Responder Appreciation Day. Each class will be assigned a different color to wear to school. There will be stop-drop-read throughout the day. Also on Jan. 31, first responders will drive around the building and then join the students for lunch. Students will make cards to honor and thank them for everything they do to keep the community safe. On Feb. 1, students in kindergarten through fifth-grade will attend Mass at St. Lawrence Church. Feb. 1 is also Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Bus drivers will come into the school for coffee, a treat and goodie bag. Cards will be given to the bus drivers to thank them for all they do for the school. St. Lawrence students can wear their favorite hat and crazy/fun socks to school Feb. 2. They will also be making Valentine’s Day cards for military service members and residents at The Village at Mill Landing. Students at St. Lawrence School will conclude Catholic Schools Week with Sports Celebration Day Feb. 3. Pre-K through fifth-grade students may wear jeans and their favorite sports team attire or favorite shirt. All classes will participate in mini-gold in the gymnasium during their assigned time.

St. Joseph School, Penfield, will kick off Catholic Schools Week with a Winter Carnival Jan. 28. They will also be having a book fair that will run Jan. 28-31. Mass will be celebrated Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Church. On Jan. 30, it’s Ice Cream Sundae Day. Students may dress out of their uniforms that day. Magic Joe, the Magician, will visit St. Joseph School Jan. 31 and students may dress in the color that has been designated for their grade level. Feb. 1 is Red, White and Blue Day. Students may dress in red, white and blue clothing on that day. They will also receive a Bomb Pop treat. Groundhog Day is Feb. 2 and students may dress like their favorite animal. St. Joseph School will conclude Catholic Schools Week with spirit day and bowling Feb. 3.

The school community at St. Louis School, Pittsford will start Catholic Schools Week with 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Louis Church Jan. 29. Students will participate in different roles in the Mass. Following Mass, there will be coffee and donuts. On Jan. 30, students will make valentines for those in need in the community. St. Louis School will gather for Mass, led by the 4th grade students, at 9:10 a.m. Jan. 31. After Mass, students may wear their craziest, silliest hats. It’s Red, White and Blue Day on Feb. 1. Students may dress in red, white and blue to honor our nation. They will also receive a red, white and blue Bomb Pop treat at lunch. On Feb. 2, it’s Career Day. Students may dress up as what they want to be when they grow up. Feb. 3 is Class Color Day and a Staff “Thank You” Lunch. St. Louis School will conclude its Catholic Schools Week celebrations Feb. 4 with Family Fun Day. Families are encouraged to do an activity together as a family.

St. Ambrose Academy will kick off Catholic Schools Week with a Souper Bowl Kick Off Jan. 30. Students are encouraged to bring in canned soup for St. Andrew’s Food Cupboard. The soup drive will last through Feb. 10. Also on Jan. 30, students will participate in a luminary prayer walk. On Jan. 31, there will be an all-school Mass at 9:15 a.m. In the afternoon, there will be a schoolwide rock, paper, scissors and hoop hop showdown game in the gym. Students will also help clean their classrooms for the school’s Open House Jan. 31. St. Ambrose Academy will celebrate the nation Feb. 1 and student may wear red, white and blue to school on that day. Students will pray a decade of the patriotic rosary together during a community gathering and will make cards for Officer Lawton and the Irondequoit Police Department. Students will also be going bowling at Empire Lanes Bowling. On Feb. 2, students will be participating in a schoolwide saints BINGO. Students are asked to bring a sandwich bag of change to use for BINGO markers. After BINGO, the money will be collected and donated to the Retirement Fund for the Religious. In the evening, there will be an open house from 5:30-7 p.m. Students at St. Ambrose Academy will conclude Catholic Schools Week with Break the Rules Day. Students may choose to wear a non-uniform top, a non-uniform bottom and/or hat. For each item they choose to do, they have to bring in a $1, which will be donated to Bethany House, a shelter for homeless women and children.

Holy Cross School, Rochester will start Catholics School Week Jan. 29 with Sunday Mass at 10 a.m., followed by an open house from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. On Jan. 30, students are invited to dress as a community helper (police officer, doctor, nurse, teacher, firefighter, etc.). In the evening, the Ashley Nagel Scholarship Grade 2 Basketball Game will take place in the gym at 6 p.m. On Jan. 31, students may wear red, pink or white clothing or clothing of their “beloved” sports team, book or movie to school that day. Classes will also decorate their doors with “Why We Love Holy Cross” notes or pictures. It’s Spirit Wear Day Feb. 1. Students will make cards for staff, faculty and families as a way to thank them for their Holy Cross education. There will be schoolwide Mass Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. Holy Cross will conclude Catholic Schools Week Feb. 3 with a school pizza party during lunch time, and roller skating at Horizon F/X in the evening.

Finger Lakes

St. Mary School, Canandaigua will kick off Catholic Schools Week with Mass Jan. 29 at 9 a.m. at St. Mary Church, followed by a coffee hour in Dougherty Hall. There will be tours of St. Mary School at 10:30 a.m. On Jan. 30, students will celebrate the community around them. They will deliver snacks to first responders in the city and assembly cookie trays for community sponsors, supporters and bus drivers. There will be a school Mass Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. and students are invited to “dress to impress” that day. Students will celebrate the nation on Feb. 1 and may wear red, white and blue to school. There will also be indoor roller skating that day. On Feb. 2, it’s Decades Day! The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) will provide lunch, and in the evening, it’s “Pack the House” event for families with the preschool to grade 5 from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and grades sixth through eighth from 6:30 p.m. St. Mary School will conclude Catholic Schools Week with Spirit Day Feb. 3. There will be a Mass for kindergarten and middle school students in the morning and the annual sixth- and seventh-grades verse eighth-grade volleyball game will take place at 1:30 p.m.

St. Francis-St. Stephen School, Geneva, will kick off Catholic Schools Week with a 4:30 p.m. Mass Jan. 28 at St. Francis Church. Following Mass, there will be a carnival sponsored by the school’s Parent Teacher Organization in the DeSales gymnasium until 7 p.m. On Jan. 30, St. Francis-Stephen students will celebrate their community by participating in service projects. Things will get crazy on Jan. 31 as students can wear crazy socks and/or their favorite hat to school with their uniform. Students can wear red, white and blue to school on Feb. 1 as they celebrate our nation. Also, on Feb. 1, St. Francis-St. Stephen School will have its open house and ice cream social from 6 -7 p.m. Students may dress as their future career or vocation on Feb. 2. There will also be a school dance in the DeSales gymnasium that afternoon. Students will conclude Catholic Schools Week with bringing a special guest to lunch and with Bingo Feb. 3. In addition to the daily events, there will also be a Scholastic Book Fair all week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Students at St. Michael School, Penn Yan are not just celebrating Catholic Schools Week, but they are also celebrating the school’s birthday. There will be a school Mass at St. Michael Church Jan. 29. Following the Mass, there will a 140th birthday celebration for St. Michael School in the church hall. It’s Sports Team Day Jan. 30. Students may wear clothes with their favorite sports team to school. Kindergarten through fifth-grade students will also go bowling at Brocks Bowl in Penn Yan. Students may wear athletic wear of their choice to school Jan. 31. The activity for the day will be boot camp with the Yates County Community Center. Students will celebrate the holidays Feb. 1 and each grade level will be assigned a different holiday. Student Council is planning the activities for Feb. 1. Though the weather may be cold outside, it will be warm inside St. Michael School Feb. 2, as it will be Beach and Summer Clothes Day with beach themed activities. The school will conclude Catholic School Week with Grandparents Day. There will be a prayer service and lunch Feb. 3. Families are also encouraged to do a family activity together Feb. 4.

Southern Tier

St. Agnes School, Avon will begin Catholic Schools Week with an assembly to kick off their ‘Souper Bowl Food Drive’. Students may wear jerseys and sports hats to school. On Jan. 31, students will take part in a scavenger hunt at St. Agnes Church and learn about the artifacts, statues and objects of importance inside the church. Students will learn the history of St. Agnes School Feb. 1. Also, pie in the face with the school’s principal will take place at 11:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., and there will be a school band concert at 1 p.m. Rollerskating in the school gymnasium will take place from 8:30-11 a.m. Feb. 2. St. Agnes School will conclude Catholics Schools Week with a Family Fun Day on Feb. 3. Families have a choice of Bowling at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo or going to Altitude Trampoline Park in Henrietta.

For Catholic Schools Week, students at Holy Family School, Elmira will be focusing on serving the community by making donations to the Samaritan Center and the Chemung County SPCA. Jan. 30 is a teachers’ conference day at Holy Family School, Elmira, which means a day off for students. On Jan. 31, there will be a whole school Mass at 9 a.m. and parents are invited to join. Students can wear blue, gold or spirit wear to celebrate Holy Family. On that day, students will also be writing thank you letters to members of the community who help make Holy Family a successful school. It’s sports day Feb. 1. Students can wear their favorite sports team clothing. There will also be a teachers verse sixth-grade basketball game. On Feb. 2, students can wear their favorite color. They will also be donating canned goods to the Samaritan Center. The school will conclude Catholic Schools Week with animal day. Students may dress in animal costumes, animal shirts or like they are going to the zoo. They can also bring their favorite stuffed animal to share with their class. Holy Family School will be collecting items to the Chemung County SPCA.

Students at St. Mary Our Mother School, Horseheads will kick off Catholic Schools Week a day later as well. Monday, Jan. 30 is a day off for students. On that day, St. Mary Our Mother faculty and staff will volunteer at Elmira Community Kitchen. Catholic Schools Week will begin for St. Mary Our Mother School students on Jan. 31. Students can dress-down out of uniform and wear inspiration shirts. Also, first-grade students will create nose warmers to present to the entire school in the annual nose-warmer fashion show. The show will be recorded and put on the school’s Facebook page for families to view. On Feb. 1, it’s red, white and blue day. Students will also pack the Birthday-in-a-Bag supplies for the Horseheads Food Pantry. Sixty-four bags will be donated to celebrate St. Mary Our Mother School’s 64th birthday. Also on Feb. 1, students will create placements for community members who receive Meals on Wheels. Also, the St. Mary Our Mother School Bake Off is back by popular demand. The St. Mary Our Mother Parent Association will host another Dining Club at Outback Steakhouse. It’s school spirit wear day on Feb. 2. Students in fifth- and sixth-grade will compete in a spelling bee, with the first- and second-place receiving certificates and the winner advancing to the Diocese of Rochester’s Spelling Bee April 27. Students will also create prayer cards for the parishioners at St. Mary Our Mother Church. Mix-match day will conclude Catholic Schools Week. The Trail Mix train is back in the station for students, faculty and staff during lunch times. Students in grades PreK-3 through sixth grade will enjoy the movie “Encanto” in the gym. Students will also gather in church for a prayer service led by Amanda Reeves, the faith formation director for St. Mary Our Mother Parish.