Catholic Schools Week celebration starts

Character. Compassion. Values. Those words seem to stand in stark contrast to the tragedies of this millennium: devastating hurricanes and typhoons; an economy tested by a new and more competitive global market; the spread of terrorism; the war in Iraq; and the event that may have foreshadowed all that followed—the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. However, these natural disasters and world problems also highlight the importance of “Character, Compassion, and Values.” For with each tragedy, humanity has responded tenfold with compassion that is grounded in both character and values.

It is therefore fitting and timely that these words also serve as the central themes for this year’s celebration of Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3.

The stage was set for this year’s celebration in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa last week Monday, Jan. 23, by Bishop Tomas A. Camacho who signed a proclamation commemorating the week as Catholic Schools Week.

In the proclamation, Bishop Camacho wrote, “I urge my fellow citizens to participate in observance of this week in appropriate ways that will help instill an awareness and appreciation of the values that Catholic education instills in our children, which enhance the quality of life for all our people.”

In addition to commemorating Catholic Schools Week, the proclamation also recognized the three Catholic schools in the Diocese: Tinian’s Saint Joseph Catholic School, Rota’s Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja, and Saipan’s Mount Carmel School.

Students and administrators from all three schools were on hand for the signing, which took place at the Diocesan Curia.

The official celebration of Catholic Schools Week began this past weekend with a focus on “Catholic Schools in our Parishes.” In each parish, Catholic school students led as choir members, readers, ushers, altar servers, and ministers. Representatives from the Mount Carmel School also delivered the annual Catholic Schools Week message in each parish.

Mount Carmel School’s Celebration

For Mount Carmel School, the celebration continues today with “Catholic Schools in our Community.” As they do every year, Mount Carmel students will spend the morning volunteering for various community service projects, including beach clean ups and a cleanup of the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library. High school seniors will volunteer at Sister Remedios Early Childhood Development Center, while grade school and middle school students will compete in a poster and banner contest.

Monday’s celebration will conclude with the annual Donor Appreciation Banquet, wherein the school will recognize and thank those in the community who have supported the school in recent years.

Catholic Schools Week continues on Tuesday with “Catholic Schools and our Faculty and Staff.” Aside from the annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Program, the school will also recognize, for a second year in a row, the Teacher of the Year and the Support Staff of the Year. As a bonus token of appreciation, classes will be dismissed at noon to give teachers and staff the afternoon off. Later that evening, the school’s Parent Teacher Organization will treat school employees to an appreciation reception.

Wednesday’s focus will be on “Catholic Schools and our Vocations.” Bishop Camacho will lead a Vocations Forum with high school boys, while high school girls will listen to a similar presentation from various religious congregations. For their part, seventh and eighth grade students will compete in a Bible Quiz Bowl. First to sixth grade students will enjoy a variety of games, songs, and storytelling with their teachers.

Thursday will be a celebration of “Catholic schools in our Nation,” with a special look at our men and women in the military. Following a special flag raising ceremony, veterans and other guest speakers will share their stories with the student body. Students, in turn, will prepare care packages for service men and women still in active deployment.

Catholic Schools Week 2006 will culminate on Friday with a focus “Catholic Schools and our Students and Parents.” In addition to the various field activities scheduled for the day, that night will feature what has become the cornerstone of Catholic Schools Week every year: Family Night. The entire school family will celebrate its cultural diversity with a wide array of ethnic dishes and an exciting mix of cultural performances.

The night will be further enhanced by the announcement of this year’s Distinguished Graduate Award.

Catholic Schools Week is a joint project of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Individual dioceses and local Catholic elementary and secondary schools develop and promote their own CSW activities each year. The Catholic Schools Week celebration became an annual event in 1974. The first national Catholic Schools Week slogan was “Different Where It Counts—Message, Community, Service.” (PR)