Catholic Schools Week

At the school where I used to teach they called it characters on parade. THere were many Harry Potters and Pippi Longstockings. Now that I teach in a Catholic School we do Biographies on Parade where each child dresses up as someone they admire, tells a little about that person's life, their triumphs and setbacks, etc. and then the audience tries to guess who the child is. It is really wonderful. Most of the kids work very hard on their costumes and their little speeches. Good luck with Catholic Schools Week. We really haven't even started to plan.

Hi, the theme this year is Catholic schools make a world of difference. So each day of the week we chose a different "world" ocean, space, rain forest, arctic, and desert. Each day we have different activity to go along with the world. like hat day for ocean.hats are made or worn with an ocean theme, snacks and lunch also go along with the "world" theme. hope this helps

Our children (ALL GRADES K4 through 8th) are given vasrious people to thank - ie, Parish Staff, crossing guard, kitchen staff, janitorial staff etc. So one day is support staff appreciation day. The next day is Parent appreciation day - obviously our parents sacrifice ALOT to pay the tution to send their kids to our schools so EACH child makes a person thank you for their parents, - this is ALWAYS received very well. Next day is teacher appreciation day and there is a lunch and then Friday is studetn appreciation day and the little kids go bumper bowling, middle schoolers and up go Roller Skating! THis is done FREE to the kids and the school picks this bill up.

We also do dress like your favorite teacher day and that is always good for some funny pics. We do many of the above mentioned ideas too.

Good Luck

Blessings
Kim

We just celebrated last week. We had an activity a day. Monday was Mismatch Day(no uniform,)Donuts with Dad and thank you letters to parents. Tuesday was a field trip to museums. Wed. was crazy hat day, Muffins with Mom and ice cream sundaes with lunch. Thurs. was crazy sock day and making cards for Shut Ins. Friday we dismissed at noon and met at the skating rink for an afternoon of fun!

We've done the following in the past: decorated classroom doors, had essay contests as to why our school is the best, Student vs. Faculty volleyball game, spelling bees in each level, movie and popcorn for student appreciation day, pep rallies, school color day, prayer service to open the week, special Mass, VIP day (grandparents, etc.), schoolwide field trip -ice skating rink, alumni come to speak. Hope this helps. I'd be interested in your ideas, too.

Our school seems to go all out every year leaving not much time for "actual work." This year we actually scaled down a bit...
Sunday is opening liturgy. We have a pajama day, prayer service each day, movie day, ice cream sundaes, family projects, workshops (which consists of teachers and parent planning special activities to do like paper airplanes and stuff), flag ceremonies, ice skating, religion bees, handwriting contests, alumni assembly, family breakfast... and other things i can't think of. we are going to try and have some parents or volunteers compete in an "Are you smarter than our fifth graders" game.

For halloween each year we dress up and have a parade of saints. I like this idea with the theme this year. i wish we could do it for CSW instead. If your school hasn't maybe its an idea you can steal. Everyone researches a saint or holy person from the bible and shares the info with the whole school.

We have an Art Fair all week

We have a storyteller come at night and all the kids and parents come in pj's and bring blankets

We have a Students Appreciation Day. The kids get to choose DQ or a neighborhood Deli. They pay for their own lunches and get to drink soda

We have a Teacher Appreciation Day and the kids get out at 12:30 and the faculty has a catered Lunch and then we get to leave early.

We have a grade levels Mass and grandparents can come and the students get to sit with their grandparents and not just with their class

The kids also get an ice cream treat another day.

This what I know about so far.

Our CSW begins on Sunday as well with a Mass, open house and book fair.
Monday - we play all school bingo
Tuesday - the students get to wear their favorite cap and get a treat for student appreciation - We also have pastries for parents that morning before school starts
Wednesday - we have a school wide service project - jump for your heart - plus teachers get a luncheon:)
Thursday - we have special programs: Jungle Terri for the primary and Illusion Factory for the upper grades
Friday - we end the day with a mass

Sunday- Mass and open house.

Monday- is School Spirit Day. We have a dress down day and wear school colors. We also have a pep ralley in the afternoon.

Tuesday-Get up & Move Day. Songs are played intermittently dring the day and the kids get up and move. (YMCA, Chacha Slide, Electric Slide, you get the idea.)

Wednesday- Nut Day (No uniform Today) ALso an assembly from the local science center.

Thursday- Weekday mass. Volunteer Day -brunch for volunteers with students. ALso Crazy hat day (after church).

Friday-Grandparents Day- Spaghetti dinner with grandparents.

Here's what we are doing..

Sunday - wear uniform to mass (we are a 3 parish school) and Open House at school

Monday - Put student made "luminaries" out in the hallways to connect all classrooms with "light". The art classes also drew on the sidewalks with chalk to reflect this year's theme. It rained so I hope some of it is still there! It's also a dress down "Green and Gold" day where students can wear jeans and a shirt in the school colors if they wore their uniform to mass on Sunday. Ofcourse, we have no way of knowing if they really did or not unless we happen to see them there so we just have to take the parents word for it when they send in a note.
:-)

Tuesday - We will read success stories of saints and heros in class and will have an "international" rosary with parents who speak different languages saying a part of the rosary in their language. We do several decades ( I can't remember how many) and it is so hard for my first graders to sit through it, especially since they don't understand the languages, but it is nice.

Wednesday - There will be a magic show for the K - 4th grade classes and a drama presentation for the 5th -8th. We also write letters of thanks to people who help our school (priests, school board members, etc.)

Thursday - Grandparents join us at flag and in classroom until we go to mass. From 9:30 - 11:00 we will have another open house so that prospective parents can wander around while classes are in session. This is not my favorite day. :-)

Friday - We have our annual jog-a-thon to raise money for the school and have fun. Then the kids are served a pizza lunch and sent home early (yay!)