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Catholic Schools Week 2019 has been a tremendous success!
A huge thank you to my teachers for organizing such a busy, productive, and faith filled week. Catholic Schools Week is an annual tradition that began in 1974 and is sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), which ACS is a member of. Catholic schools across the nation commemorate CSW with celebrations, Liturgies, open houses, and activities. ACS SHINED BRIGHT in 2019! Here are some of our projects:
Day 1: Grades 2-6 baked with Sister Yosaphata, the Middle School had an “Escape Room” Activity, Student Council read to the younger grades and the whole school worked on their Heritage Projects and CSW posters! We ended the day by supporting our FSA at Buffalo Wild Wings!
Day 2: Pre-K celebrated with a Tooty Ta song and dance party – they got the whole school to dance with them. Pre-K also went on a Bear Hunt using their binoculars to help search for the bear! Kindergarten was super excited to play Sight Word Bingo, grades 3-5 had an “Escape Room” cross curricular activity where the 5th graders were able to show their leadership qualities and lead their team to a victory! Last, but not least, our 7th and 8th grade made pierogies with Sister Yosaphata and their teachers. The whole school practiced for a surprise performance, worked on their Heritage Projects and CSW posters.
Day 3: Pre-K through first had a wonderful time sharing and presenting a special item from home. They each spoke about why the item is special, how they got it, and how long they’ve had it. They did a terrific job! Kindergarten and first grade also had their second day of hatching observations, and were excited that the egg finally cracked! THERE’S MORE! The day also included the 8th graders teaching excellent social studies and science lessons, which has become an annual tradition that everyone looks forward to. Yet, the teaching award of the day goes to Father Ivan for his demonstration at church today! Father showed and explained the significance and symbolism of each piece of a priest’s vestments. From the colors to the designs, and each article of clothings special meaning. Father told students
how he prepares the communion bread called “prosphora”.
He had a sample bread, and demonstrated how he does the special cuts of bread and explained the symbolism of each piece. Students were quite interested in the process and honored to see the communion plate and cup so close. It was a morning they will long remember.
Day 4: Pre-k-8th grade finished their Heritage Projects. Everyone worked so hard on their final posters and it was an extraordinary learning experience. Tomorrow we will have our ACS Cultural Expo where projects will be displayed for all to enjoy. Our 8th graders learned to crossed stitch with Sister Yosaphata and they were surprised at their new hidden talents! The whole ACS student body recorded a Flash Mob to the CSW song, “All It Takes”. The day ended with excitement and suspense as the Teachers and Parents played a nail biting basketball game against the 8th grade class! The class of 2019 played hard, but the teachers and parents won 26-22. It was a great game and the whole school had fun cheering!
Day 5: A FANTASTIC Finale! Today, we started with praying together and attending the Divine Liturgy with our “Special Person”. After church, Father awarded six students with a $500 Scholarship for their commitment to Catholic School Education and living their Faith. Back at school, we all shared our Heritage Posters and enjoyed an exciting assembly. We showcased two spectacular cultures: Ukraine and Spain. Our own Ukrainian Dance teacher, Ms. Anna Lawrence, showed off our dancer’s talents by performing three dances and our ACS Show Choir also sang the Ukrainian National Anthem. The performers did a fantastic job. Our second showcase features our friends from The Paella Party and the talented Flamenco dancers. Today we all learned some new facts and some dance moves. We ended our celebrations with a tasting of pierogies and paella – two delicious ethic dishes! Cheers to a successful 2019 Catholic Schools Week! ACS took the opportunity to learn about different cultures and celebrate our beautiful, unique and diverse cultures. We look forward to continuing to showcase different countries. Thank you to all who helped!