Celebrating Tradition: Catholic Schools Week at Julie Billiart Schools

Monday, January 25, 2021

By Sarah Richlak

"Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration of Catholic Schools in the United States. It allows us to celebrate the uniqueness of Catholic Schools, especially schools like JB. We are able to provide a whole child education - academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually - to benefit our students. While we recognize and honor all faith traditions, this week allows us to celebrate the Catholic faith and allows us to honor the traditions set forth by the Sisters of Notre Dame." -

Jodi Johnston, Principal of JB Lyndhurst

Catholic Schools Week is quickly approaching for it’s 47th anniversary. As a network of Catholic schools that accept all faith traditions, Julie Billiart Schools are proud to celebrate Catholic Schools Week as a community each year! This year, the traditional Celebrate Catholic Schools Week will be held from January 31 through February 6, 2021. The theme for 2021 is Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service. In preparation for this year’s celebration, we’re exploring the history of Catholic Schools Week and shining a light on the ways our students, faculty, and staff celebrate.

History of Celebrating Catholic Schools Week
The first celebration of Catholic Schools Week was held in 1974 in the United States as a way to celebrate the work and faith of Catholic schools across the country. To honor this tradition, schools celebrate with Mass, school open houses, and a collection of other activities for the community, parishioners, and school students and families. Through these events, Catholic Schools Week serves to remind the community of the value a Catholic education provides to our youth and their contributions to our nation’s churches.

Typically, this week-long celebration is observed during the last week of January. The daily Celebrating Catholic Schools Week schedule is as follows:

Sunday- Celebrating your Parish
Monday- Celebrating your Community
Tuesday- Celebrating your Students
Wednesday- Celebrating your Nation
Thursday- Celebrating Vocations
Friday- Celebrating Faculty, Staff, and Volunteers
Saturday- Celebrating Family

Importance of Catholic Schools Week

In the celebration and honoring of Catholic Schools Week, we are reminded of the importance that Catholic Schools hold within the communities they serve and the mission they uphold. The NCEA defines the importance of Catholic schools by three main categories:

• Teaching students mind, body, and soul
• Academic excellence
• Impact on church

The Catholic education implores students to actualize their potential by growing in mind, body, and soul through their teachings. Catholic schools focus on using faith as a guiding force to form their students to be well rounded pupils, “academically, physically, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and socially,” (NCEA). Honoring traditions is a large part of the Catholic faith, and celebrating the tradition of Catholic Schools Week is an extension of that strong sense of tradition.

Celebrating Catholic Schools Week at Julie Billiart Schools

JB students of all faith traditions are welcome to participate in the activities of Catholic Schools Week. The Schools aim to turn each day into a fun celebration. There’s a multitude of fun activities that JB Schools executes for Catholic Schools Week. Aside from dress down days, JB Schools hosts book fairs, pizza lunches and ice cream treats, Catholic saint bingo, service projects like a donation drive for a local animal shelter, a school-wide art project, and even a round of bowling in the school gym. Julie Billiart Schools is proud to be a network of Catholic schools and participate in a tradition as important as Catholic Schools Week.

Sources:
https://www.ncea.org/csw/Home_Page/CSW/Catholic_Schools_Week.aspx
https://nceatalk.org/2018/08/importance-of-catholic-schools-today/