by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Students and teachers at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School enjoyed intermingling for six days bursting with activities during National Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29-Feb. 3.
It is the 43rd year that Catholic schools nationwide, including SFX, have celebrated Catholic Schools Week.
The students and teachers began the week by celebrating Mass Sunday morning, with students involved in the functions of the celebration. That same day, there was a cinnamon-roll fundraiser for an environmental camp attended by fifth-graders and also an open house for pre-K and kindergarten with tours of the school and meetings with teachers.
The rest of the days of the week were equally packed with activities that combined learning and fun. Among the events:
- A “Mission Impossible” game between teachers and students. (The students won.)
- A talk by Florence Orionzi, who shared her story of coming to the United States as a refugee.
- Personal prayers written and read by some students at the end of each school day.
- Students encouraged to dress differently each day, such as Pajama Day, Spirit-Apparel Day, Western Day for Round-Ups, and Jersey-and-Hat Day.
- An All-School Bingo event, an Ice-Cream Social and a “Drop Everything and Read” session.
- A Mass at Cathedral High School officiated by St. Cloud Diocese Bishop Donald Kettler, with students from all area Catholic schools.
- For each day, there was an overarching theme: Celebrating Our Parish; Celebrating Our Community (Faith, Knowledge, Service); Celebrating Our Students; Celebrating Our Nation; Celebrating Vocations; and Celebrating Our Faculty, Staff and Volunteers.
- A “Pay it Forward Good Deed Wagon” that was pulled through the schools’ hallways, with “good deed” notes pinned to it. Each note mentioned a good deed or helpful comments observed or heard in the school by students, teachers or staff. Some examples:
“We saw Ellie holding the door for people.”
“Caiden invited Gavin to sit by him.”
“Helped a classmate clean up around the desk.”
“Aden and Jaelyn both said ‘excuse me’ to the preschoolers.”
SFX School Principal Kathy Kockler said the activities for National Catholic Schools Week were unqualified successes.
“It was a fun, exciting, upbeat, faith-filled way to explore how amazing our school community and church really are for all,” she said. “It’s a fun reminder of who we are – awesome! It’s a reminder of our Catholicity as a full-school community. We are grateful to celebrate a national event with others from around the country.”
Proud and happy students and two teachers stand by the “Good Deed Wagon,” one of the many activities created for Catholic Schools Week at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School in Sartell, In the back row (standing, left to right) are Addison Nagengast, Breanna Kurowski, Gabbie Schultz, Grant Kurowski, Trevor Fleege and Camden Lund. In the front, kneeling, are music teacher Carolyn Yaggie-Heinen (left) and second-grade teacher Maria Harren.
St. Francis Xavier Elementary School students rally with signs during Catholic Schools Week. From left to right, the ones whose faces are showing, are Michael Corbett, Kenna Sabrowski, Katie Larson, Calvin Braegelmann and Ashton Kodet.
