January 22, 2021 (Louisville, Ky.)–Students, families, pastors, faculty and staff at 48 Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville will join dioceses throughout the nation in celebrating Catholic Schools Week from January 31-February 6, 2021. The theme for this year’s Catholic Schools Week is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.”
Festivities include a Mass on Tuesday, February 2, 10:00 a.m., at the Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 South Fifth Street, Louisville. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Cathedral will live-stream this Mass to be aired in schools throughout the Archdiocese. The Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., Archbishop of Louisville, will preside and preach. (Search for Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, KY on YouTube to see the broadcast, which will be archived on the YouTube channel.)
At the Mass, awards will be presented for the Distinguished Catholic School Leader (Pamela Breunig, Saint Dominic School, Springfield, Ky.); the Irene Casey Catholic Inclusion Award (Judi Erskine, Assumption High School); and the Outstanding School Volunteer (Sarah Ball, Nativity Academy).
At this Mass, the Catholic Education Foundation also presents poster and essay-writing contest awards to elementary students for winning posters and a high school student for a winning essay. The poster and essay contests invite students to celebrate Catholic schools by reflecting on the ways in which Catholic schools demonstrate qualities of faith, excellence, and service.
The 48 Catholic elementary and secondary schools reside in seven counties of the Archdiocese of Louisville. Attached are examples of ways in which schools are observing Catholic Schools Week. Media outlets seeking to cover any of these examples should be in touch with the contact at the school(s) to discuss coverage in light of the schools’ COVID-19 restrictions.
For information, call: Cecelia Price at 502/585-3291 (office) or 502/417-7187 (cell).
Bethlehem High School holds variety of activities to honor the community, nation, and those who serve the Church.
On Monday, February 1, at 1:15 p.m., Bethlehem High School (309 West Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown, Ky.) will celebrate the Bardstown community by delivering gift baskets to those who have served the community during the pandemic. Bethlehem means “gift of bread” in Hebrew, so the high school’s Mom’s group will bake bread. Students and other volunteers will deliver this bread in Bethlehem themed gift baskets to feeder school principals, the Mayor’s office, the local Chamber of Commerce, Flaget Memorial Hospital, physicians, and local police and fire departments.
On Tuesday, February 2 throughout the morning, Bethlehem High School freshman will complete a scavenger hunt throughout the school using QR codes to answer questions about the history of the school and to learn more about the timeline and charism of the school.
On Wednesday, February 3, at 8:15 a.m., Bethlehem seniors will lead a Rosary for our nation over the public address system at the school. Students also will conduct a “penny war” fundraiser and donate to Bethlehem University, a Catholic university in Palestine.
On Thursday, February 4, throughout the morning, students in their English classes will be reading and responding to letters written to them by alumni serving the Church. Bethlehem High School has produced a large number of priests, religious, and lay ecclesial ministers who serve the Church, including the present Bishop of Nashville, the Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding.
For information, contact Brigid Manion at (502) 507-9590 or bmanion@bethlehemhigh.org.
Holy Trinity School holds variety of activities, including a Where’s Waldo of religious leaders, debut of a 2020-21 time capsule and food collection for the Holy Name Food Pantry.
(Holy Trinity School has two campuses in Louisville: Holy Trinity School, St. Matthews Campus, located at 423 Cherrywood Road and Holy Trinity Clifton School, located at 2117 Payne Street.)
Throughout the week: In a faith-based version of “Where’s Waldo,” Holy Trinity students have been creating self-portraits which will be mixed in with images of various religious leaders. Students will then “find” religious leaders throughout the week on the cafeteria wall at the Holy Trinity School, St. Matthews Campus. (Holy Trinity Clifton School students will visit the St. Matthews campus on Wednesday, February 3 to find religious leaders as they attend Mass and have time on the playground from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Holy Trinity School, St. Matthews Campus has virtual instruction on Wednesdays.) Religious leaders featured will include the pastor and associate pastor – Father Bill Bowling and Father Paul Eve – as well as Jesus Christ, Archbishop Kurtz, Pope Francis, and others.
Throughout the week: The school is hosting a food drive to support Holy Trinity Parish’s clustered parish, Holy Name (2914 South Third Street), which will be opening a Dare to Care food pantry in February. The school assigned specific items for students in each grade level to donate.
Monday, February 1: Students at both campuses wear crazy hair, hats, and socks.
Tuesday, February 2: Students at both campuses wear appropriate pajamas to school and will participate in “Drop Everything and Read” activities during the day.
Friday, February 5: Holy Trinity Parish School unveils its Time Capsule and 2020-2021 entries at 1:30 p.m. Through the Time Capsule, the school hopes to capture and preserve the last year so that future generations will be able to experience this historic time in the school’s history. All homerooms at both campuses created a mask for the time capsule, and the student council will be adding photos and other items.
For information, contact Ashley Davenport at (502) 897-2785 or adavenport@ht-school.org.
Saint James School (Elizabethtown) collects funds for school in Louisiana destroyed by hurricanes and holds virtual community event for business professionals.
Throughout the month of January and culminating with Catholic Schools Week, Saint James School (401 Robinbrooke Blvd., Elizabethtown, Ky.) students have been contributing $2 each Friday for a dress-down day. Saint James will contribute the funds raised to Saint Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles, LA, which was destroyed by recent hurricanes Laura and Delta and is in the process of being rebuilt.
On Tuesday, February 2, the school has invited a group of 75 business professionals from Hardin County to view a series of videos on the school’s Facebook page. Typically, during Catholic Schools Week, the school holds a community breakfast for the business community, and this virtual visit will replace this annual breakfast. The videos feature morning prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance at the school, previously created videos of the school’s outdoor classroom and a conversation between a student and a business professional who is an alum of the school.
For information, contact Jennifer Moran at (270) 765-7011, ext. 110 or jmoran@stjames-etown.org.
Saint James School students slime teacher who raised funds for the school, and school debuts an interactive chalkboard and kindness rock garden for the community.
On Wednesday, February 3 at 1:00 p.m., Saint James School (1818 Edenside Avenue, Louisville) will debut an interactive art exhibit featuring acts of compassion and kindness with a chalkboard on which members of the community can interact and share their thoughts. The school also created a kindness rock garden where visitors can pick up rocks to spread this love and compassion. Saint James School will locate these displays in front of Saint James Church at 1826 Edenside Drive.
On Friday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m., students will slime teacher Karen Snapp who has taught at the school for 25 years and who challenged students to sell candy bars to reach a goal of $6,000 to support the school. The students completed $17,000 in sales. This event will celebrate Ms. Snapp’s commitment to Saint James students.
For information, contact Noah Means at 502-454-0330 or nmeans1@stjamesbluejays.com.
Mercy Academy spends Catholic Schools Week focusing on what makes Mercy.
Throughout the week, Mercy Academy (5801 Fegenbush Lane, Louisville) students and families will express gratitude for their Catholic education. Students will write thank you notes to families in English classes, which will be mailed during Catholic Schools Week, and parents are writing thank you notes to faculty and staff. Staff will be treated to special treats on Friday morning, February 5.
Students will celebrate their Mercy spirit all week:
On Monday and Wednesday, February 1 and 3, students observe a “Time Machine,” by dressing in old elementary school uniforms, future attire, etc. On Tuesday and Friday, February 2 and 5, students observe “Twin/Triplet” days by dressing in complimentary attire.
Students also will collect items to support the Mercy Student Council’s work with Free2Hope, which addresses the issue of human trafficking.
For information, contact Angie Laemmle at (502) 644-5570 or alaemmle@mercyjaguars.com.
Notre Dame Academy and Saint Lawrence Preschool hold virtual open house and on-site appointments to learn about the schools.
Notre Dame Academy and Saint Lawrence Preschool (1927 Lewiston Drive, Louisville) will hold a virtual open house on Tuesday, February 2, 6:00 p.m. featuring the principal, preschool director, learning coordinators, teachers, parents, and students. It will include a short presentation, followed by questions and answers. The school will share a registration link for the virtual open house on its Facebook page or those interested may call Daivie Kay below for more information.
Notre Dame and Saint Lawrence Preschool also will welcome families to tour the schools by appointment only on Wednesday, February 3, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Strict COVID-19 protocols will be followed, and masks are required.
For information, contact Daivie Kay at (502) 447-3155 or d.kay@ndasaints.org.
Saint Raphael School holds open house and spelling bee.
On Sunday, February 7 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saint Raphael School (2131 Lancashire Avenue, Louisville) will hold tours by appointment for interested students and their families. Saint Raphael will showcase remodeled classrooms and a state-of-the-art middle school science lab. Visitors can sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f4ca5a628a0fb6-straphael1. Strict COVID-19 protocols will be followed, and masks are required.
On Tuesday, February 2 at 1:30 p.m., the school will hold a school-wide spelling bee for students in grades 4 to 8 who won their individual class spelling bees. This event will be live-streamed to the entire school.
For information, contact Jenny Garcia at (513) 375-9962 or jgarcia@sraparish.org.
Sacred Heart Model School weaves Bible stories into each day of Catholic Schools Week.
Throughout the week, Sacred Heart Model School (3107 Lexington Road, Louisville) will hold a series of activities tied to a Bible story and verse. These include:
- Monday, February 1: John 13:1-7, Serving Others: Jesus served His disciples by washing their feet, and on Crazy Sock Day! students and teachers will wear crazy and colorful socks. Students will make placemats with positive, happy messages and illustrations during Religion class that will be donated to Norton Children’s Hospital.
- Tuesday, February 2: Genesis 8-9-17, Noah’s Rainbow: A rainbow is a sign of God’s promise, and on Color Day! students and teachers may wear their “Community Color” shirt and jeans. Lunch will be provided for faculty and staff.
- Wednesday, February 3: Genesis 1:1-25, Story of Creation: And God rested on the seventh day, and on Pajama Day! students and teachers may come to school in weather appropriate pajamas.
- Thursday, February 4: Genesis 37:1-11, Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors: God is always with us, even in bad times, and on Crazy Colorful Mismatch Day! students and teachers may wear crazy, colorful mismatched clothing and accessories.
- Friday, February 5: Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6, The Mustard Seed: Faith starts small and grows big, and on Spirit Day! students and teachers may wear SHMS Spirit Wear and jeans. The students will write a special note to Sacred Heart Schools President, Dr. Karen McNay and will deliver “spirit-filled” notes as a way of showing appreciation. Donuts will be served to students as they walk in the building.
For information, contact Allison Bayer at (502) 736-6418 or abayer@shslou.org or Dr. Michael Bratcher, Principal, at (502) 896-3931 or mbratcher@shslou.org.
During Catholic Schools Week, Sacred Heart Preschool celebrates a variety of members of the community and seeks to help others in need.
On Monday, February 1, Sacred Heart Preschool (3105 Lexington Road, Louisville) will collect items for the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs, a non-profit organization “building community and enriching the lives of equine workers and their families at Churchill Downs racetrack.” Sacred Heart Preschool Director, Lisa Houghlin says, “We wanted a mission opportunity that would be tangible (and possible with COVID) for children to pick an item and know they are bringing to share with a child in need. I feel this is an important time to celebrate and support other cultural communities that may be different from our own.”
On Wednesday, February 3, as the school celebrates the nation, preschool students will each make a Valentine card for a U.S. Veteran. These cards will join cards made by students at the other three Sacred Heart Schools and will be delivered to the Louisville VA Hospital by Director of Mission Effectiveness, Amy Olson.
On Thursday, February 4, in celebration of vocations, each preschool class will make a special card or video for the class’ adopted Ursuline Sister. Students and teachers have heartwarming and important relationships with “their sisters,” and due to COVID-19, students, teachers and sisters have had only limited interaction with one another.
Other activities include:
Tuesday, February 2 – Celebrate students on Crazy Hat day.
Wednesday, February 3 – Celebrate the nation and wear red, white and blue. Friday, February 5 – Celebrate faculty and staff and wear the Sacred Heart Preschool shirt and crazy socks.
For information, contact Allison Bayer at (502) 736-6418 or abayer@shslou.org or Lisa Houghlin, Director, at (502) 736-6418 or lhoughlin@shslou.org.
