Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
CAT HOLIC
Celebrating the J
enny Yankovich, Principal of John Paul II Catholic School, describes herself as a product of our Catholic schools. Immediately following her college graduation, she returned to the area to teach within this archdiocese. “My husband and I knew we wanted our children to attend Catholic schools because Catholic education is very important to us,” Mrs. Yankovich says. “I know firsthand the impact of a faith-based education. This is a gift our students are given.” We celebrate this gift of a faith-based education during Catholic Schools Week, which is an annual recognition of Catholic education in the United States. “I tell the students that we’re going to celebrate what you get to do every day,” Mrs. Yankovich says. “I always tell them you get to come here. You don’t have to be here, but your parents are making sacrifices so that you get to be here.”
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Typically, Catholic Schools Week starts the last Sunday in January, and at John Paul II Catholic School, the week includes a myriad of different activities. “We spotlight these things that we do every day that don’t happen at public schools,” Mrs. Yankovich says. “We start our day with prayer. We go to Mass as a school community. We pray for each other and with each other to remind ourselves of what we get to do here.” The week is divided up to celebrate the different people who make us who we are including our teachers, students, families, parish, and community. Usually there is a service project that the school engages in for the entire week, as well, to give back to the community. “On Sunday, there will be an open house to invite families and community members to meet our teachers and see what we’re all about,” Mrs. Yankovich says. “We honor our parish and community and make sure to thank them.”
