Catholic schools in the Diocese of Orange will celebrate Catholic Schools Week with activities and events for students, staff and families. Here’s a look of what some schools have planned. Visit occatholicschools.org for more information.
ST. JEANNE DE LESTONNAC CATHOLIC SCHOOL, TUSTIN
St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School kicks off Catholic Schools Week with a virtual morning wake-up. On Tuesday, the school will celebrate students with a virtual Mass for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Lancer Spirit free-dress, extra recess, and an Afternoon at the Movies in their classrooms. Weeklong activities include a CSW Logo Scavenger Hunt on campus and the annual Spring Basket Raffle benefiting the Sisters of the Company of Mary Scholarship Fund.
ST. BARBARA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, SANTA ANA
St. Barbara School is celebrating Catholic Schools Week with unique special events and activities. The school will collect money for a local homeless shelter. The second-grade class will celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation. The school will celebrate students and staff with special dress-up days and delicious treats. In honor of our nation’s heroes, students will make cards to send to our men and women in the armed services. Students will also be writing essays, drawing posters, and creating videos to highlight what Catholic education means to them.
ST. ANNE CATHOLIC SCHOOL, SANTA ANA
St. Anne School will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week with something to look forward to each day. The school will remember those who have helped it during the pandemic, including its friends and donors. The school will host a Zoom call just for them with the student council. Parents will receive cards made by their children to thank them. Local community leaders, including the local fire department, police
and Representative Lou Correa who keeps in contact with the school, will also be recognized. Two school Masses will be celebrated, asking our loving Lord to continue to bless the school community.
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL, PLACENTIA
St. Joseph Catholic School has lots of fun events planned for Catholic Schools Week including the school-wide talent show via Zoom on Wednesday evening for the whole school. The school is encouraging entire families to be creative and show off their God-given gifts all together. Pop up some popcorn and get ready for a show…SJS virtual style.
ST. NORBERT CATHOLIC SCHOOL, ORANGE
The school will celebrate students and teachers with a competition between the eighth-grade class and teachers. The student council has prepared an amazing list of exciting “Minute To Win It”-style games that will feature students and teachers going head to head, all while being live streamed to distance learners and school parents. The week will begin and end with a celebration of the Eucharist, live streamed to all.
LA PURISIMA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, ORANGE
La Purisima is celebrating the great gift of Catholic school education. This exciting week will feature students making care bags for nurses working on the frontlines of the pandemic. Care bags will include snacks, chapstick and other goodies along with prayers of gratitude for their sacrifice.
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL, SANTA ANA
Students will be celebrating the week with a day of service by collecting goods for a refugee shelter for women and children in Mexicali, a fun day of social distanced activities for students, writing thank you cards to our civic leaders, first responders, and healthcare professionals, and talking with current clergy, seminarians, and religious sisters to learn about religious life.
CHRIST CATHEDRAL ACADEMY, GARDEN GROVE
There is a lot planned for Christ Cathedral Academy during Catholic Schools Week including the much-anticipated Family Catholic Trivia Night, using Kahoot. The school will also host a virtual Career Day with people of different vocations “Zooming in.” Some of the special presenters will be the mayor of Garden Grove, a flight attendant, a firefighter, a doctor, nursery owners and farmers, a gerontologist, and many more.
OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS CATHOLIC SCHOOL, NEWPORT BEACH
The plans for Catholic Schools Week at Our Lady Queen of Angels School include Community Outreach Day “Operation Gratitude.” During Make a Difference With Denim, students wear jeans and bring in canned goods for SPIN (Serving People in Need). The outreach project will focus on thanking the Newport Beach community with messages, treats, and thank you cards. Student Appreciation Day includes crazy hair day and crazy sock day. Recess will be highlighted with music. No homework. No tests, and In-N-Out lunch – provided for all. Other activities include teacher and staff appreciation and recognition of priests and parents.
ST. COLUMBAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, GARDEN GROVE
The week will kick off with Family Appreciation Day and a Panda Express fundraiser at the Garden Grove Promenade on Feb. 1, with a percentage of all sales to benefit St. Columban School. Next, students, faculty and staff will be shown how much they are loved and appreciated. On Friday a special vocations prayer will be recited during morning announcements and parish priests and religious, including Sr. Brid O’shea and Sr. Mary Hyacinth, will be honored.
ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC SCHOOL, HUNTINGTON BEACH
Jan. 31 will kick off the week with student lectors at outdoor Mass, a 2021 family vision board project, and a Catholic Trivia Night Kahoot, hosted by our Parent Faculty Association on Zoom. During the week students and faculty will dress up in various themes such as superheroes, favorite book characters, future careers, and a time-honored tradition – opposite day, where students dress as teachers and teachers dress as students. Activities will include letters of gratitude to religious clergy as well as community leaders.
ST. CATHERINE’S ACADEMY, ANAHEIM
Life-long learning Appreciation Day and Donor Appreciation Day are highlights of Catholic Schools Week at St. Catherine’s Academy. Later in the week, Student Appreciation Day and Community Appreciation Day will be filled with fun events and activities such as barbeque lunches and special outdoor Masses. The week ends with an open house for any families interested in more information about the school.