Catholic Schools Week JANUARY 30 to FEBRUARY 5, 2022
Hal Brown photo
February 2022 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE
Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week:
A celebration of academics, faith and community BY ROSE O’CONNOR Associate Editor
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or nearly 50 years, Catholic school attendees have added Catholic Schools Week activities to their book of favorite memories. Since 1974, the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) has hosted Catholic Schools Week for elementary and secondary schools in the United States. This year Catholic Schools Week will be held Jan. 30- Feb. 5 with the theme “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” And what is there to celebrate? As the NCEA shares in user-friendly, data-driven graphics called “Catholic School Snaps,” there are currently almost 6,000 Catholic schools in the United States providing a savings of $22 billion dollars to the nation annually. Catholic schools have a higher graduation rate than public and private schools and more graduates from Catholic secondary schools will attend a four-year college. With a student to teacher ratio of 11:1 in both the elementary and secondary schools, Catholic schools serve urban and suburban communities and can be found in both rural areas and inner cities. During Catholic Schools Week, Masses and prayer services, open houses and other special events are held to showcase the value of Catholic schools in the community and
in the life of the Church. This year, weekly themes include – Sunday: Celebrating Your Parish; Monday: Celebrating Your Community; Tuesday: Celebrating Your Students; Wednesday: Celebrating the Nation; Thursday: Celebrating Vocations; Friday: Celebrating Faculty, Staff and Volunteers, and Saturday: Celebrating Families. While the week is designed to highlight the academic excellence and the faith-filled mission of individual Catholic schools, it also an opportunity to acknowledge and pray for the benefactors, stakeholders, and friends of Catholic education for their continued support. As plans for this exciting week are being finalized in the Diocese, consider following local Catholic schools on their social media platforms and discover the difference Catholic schools make not only in the lives of their students, but in the larger community.
Students in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Asbury Park, give their school a “thumbs up” on the first day of the 2021-2022 school year. The national Catholic Schools Week celebration will be held Jan. 30 – Feb. 5 this year. File photo
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Faith. Excellence. Service.
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More information on Catholic Schools Week in the Diocese of Trenton will be available in the February issue of The Monitor Magazine, on trentonmonitor.com and on our social media platforms in the weeks to come.
January 2022 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 37
Catholic Schools Week
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Good news in Catholic education
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s the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Trenton, I am honored to speak on behalf of our Catholic schools. Our Diocese has a wide-reaching swath of the state of New Jersey: four counties that reach from the Pennsylvania line all the way to the beaches. Each county has a different flavor and make-up, but the Catholic schools in all these counties have one thing in common: they are living the Gospel values that represent the mission of Catholic education each and every day. Our Catholic schools have stayed open, with minimal disruption, because of the sense of community present in our programs. Every parent, teacher and student has united to work together to make our schools safe and centers of real academic achievement and learning. Our schools’ leaders have never lost sight of their two most important responsibilities: making sure our schools are open and living the Catholic mission. The deep sense of community, manifest during these two pandemic years, is one of the residual effects that I am most proud to see come to light in our Catholic schools. The
A Notre Dame High School student leads the procession during the Class of 2021 commencement exercises, Lawrenceville. This year the theme for Catholic Schools Week is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” Hal Brown photo
38 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE January 2022
A Message from
DR. VINCENT DE PAUL SCHMIDT Superintendent of Catholic Schools
COVID-19 pandemic, with all its variants, has put the educational system under severe stress. I am so proud of our schools, our Catholic school families, and their leaders in their respective abilities to combat this terrible virus that is so prevalent in our world. How do our schools do this? Our schools answer the call of Our Catholic the needs of the students in the schools must classroom, but in the community as well, whenever and wherever live Gospel it is needed. The needs might be spiritual, educational or even values. social. The need might be a meal to eat or a shoulder just to cry on or a tutoring session for a lesson. The call is now and loud. The call is real. Our Catholic schools continue to step up to serve others as true servant leaders should. To achieve a true Catholic education that serves all requires that we teach and live the faith. Our Catholic schools must live Gospel values. Our educational staffs work hard every day to support this mission and do the same. The Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton are taking off into unprecedented areas of academic growth and rigor along with a continual focus on Catholic identity. I often say, “Our Catholic schools ROCK!!” when asked about our status of the schools. This sentiment comes from the committed teams of educators that are dedicated to leading all students in our schools to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, strong academic achievement, personal growth in the areas of social awareness/social responsibility and a sense of self-reliance steeped in a set of values which can only come from a mission driven, faith-filled community such as that found in Catholic schools. This is never on display more than during Catholic Schools’ Week! Our students are just starting the journey into young adulthood within their faith, and our students are role models that are proof positive of what can be achieved by putting oneself second. Men and women for others … just as Jesus did throughout his ministry and is calling us to do. It is on display in our Catholic Schools EVERY DAY ! Thank you for allowing our Catholic Schools the privilege of educating the children of the Diocese of Trenton.
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January 2022 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 39
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January 2022 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 43
IT
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VILLA
Every girl has the ability to learn
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Every girl has the ability to learn and reach her potential. At Villa Victoria Academy, education is a shared responsibility of the Catholic school community of administrators, faculty, parents & students – it takes a Villa. A SMALL, TRADITIONAL, ALL GIRLS CATHOLIC SCHOOL WITH AN 8:1 STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO TO ENSURE CONFIDENCE, ACHIEVEMENT & SUCCESS.
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44 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE January 2022
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The Right Decision for Your Son’s Future Christian Values. Academic Excellence. BROTHERHOOD. Service.
Regular Application Deadline February 4
Notre Dame Celebrates Catholic Schools Week
601 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville NJ 08648
ndnj.org
January 2022 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 45 601 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville NJ 08648 | ndnj.org