Catholic Schools Week: Joyfully Celebrating the Blessings and Values of Catholic Education

Catholic Schools Week is set for Jan. 30 to Feb. 4 and will be a time full of celebrations at Christ the King School. Plans are underway for the week that will allow our whole parish to understand why Catholic education is so valuable, both academically and spiritually.

The week will begin with the 11:15 a.m. Sunday Mass on Jan. 30. During Mass, one of the students will talk to the congregation about what attending Christ the King School means to him or her. “There will be a different dressup day each day,” says Christine Gibson, guidance counselor.

“There will be special events throughout the week. It’s such a fun week!” The students will hold their traditional canned food drive to celebrate the community, with the items collected going to God’s Pantry. They will also celebrate their families during the week.

“We have the students write ‘thank you’ notes to their families for that activity,” Mrs. Gibson says. During the week, the students will celebrate our clergy and parish staff by inviting them to lunch — with cake!

On Thursday, the school will celebrate Student Appreciation Day, and the teachers will be feted on Friday with Teacher Appreciation Day.

“Celebrating Catholic Schools Week is important because it’s a reminder to the children that Catholic school is something special — and it’s something we take for granted,” Mrs. Gibson says. “The week reminds us what is special about Catholic school. If we don’t take the time to make a point of it, we do tend to take it for granted.

“Catholic education is important because we like to integrate faith into every part of their day,” she adds.

For Principal Ann T. Bruggeman, Catholic Schools Week holds a special meaning that is woven into her life of teaching.

“In August of 1980, I walked up the steps of Christ the King School into a kindergarten classroom and what would turn out to be the start of lifelong love and appreciation of Catholic education,” Mrs. Bruggeman says. “I am not sure when I first realized that being educated in a Catholic school was both a privilege and a blessing, but I certainly understood the value when I was looking for my first teaching job out of college. I have spent my entire career in Catholic education because I truly believe that the opportunity to weave spirituality, faith formation, community service, and prayer into a classroom can make a positive, lifelong impact on a student’s spiritual journey, and what better a gift could we give to today’s children.”

Anyone who is interested in enrolling a child at Christ the King School, serving children from Pre-K through eighth grade, please call the school at 859-266-5641.