For decades, the St. Robert school community has participated in Catholic Schools Week. Created by National Catholic Educational Association, Catholic Schools Week has been celebrated throughout Catholic schools around the nation since 1919.  The special week was created to unify Catholic education around the united states. Once a year, students celebrate their learning through their Catholic faith. All Catholic schools orient their week around four themes:  service, school spirit, academics, and faith.

The week kicked off on Sunday, January 26, at the all-school open house. The event welcomed both prospective and current school families. The open house allowed others to get a peek at what our school is like. When entering the cafeteria for the school pancake breakfast, guests couldn’t miss the wall covered in gloves and scarves. For weeks, the Student Leadership Council had been planning and gathering these to donate as one of their various school wide service projects. The gloves hung hand in hand and were meant to symbolize the collaboration of our school and community. In order to keep the service spirits high, a diaper drive also took place during the week. Students brought in packs of diapers to be given to less fortunate families with young children. It is through service projects that we unite with community around us.

In order to excite the school, many school spirit events were planned. For years, one of the St. Robert traditions was that the eighth grade plays the teachers in a game of volleyball. The game was kicked off by a series of relay races performed by students from every grade. The school shook with cheers and chants as the eighth grade and teachers entered the court. The eighth grade began the game with a strong lead. But as the game went on, the score took a turn and the teachers won the game. The St. Robert school spirit shone through as the students cheered on their peers. As another part of school spirit, the Student Leadership Council planned a special surprise for the students: a dance break in the middle of the school day. When the music sounded, all of the students in the school got their feet and began dancing. The second, third, and fourth grade started a school conga line, collecting students as they paraded down the halls. The students were united through the fun activity of dancing.

Academics are what makes the school such a great place to learn. At St. Robert, students learn through their Catholic faith.  Catholic Schools Week is a special time for our school to showcase all of the unique academic skills of the students. This year’s educational event was the school wide spelling bee. Two students each from third grade to eighth grades were selected to represent in the bee. During the bee, the spelling skills of the candidates were put the test–leading to heartbreaking losses and one very sweet victory. Seventh grader Jack Hietpas claimed first place and was crowned the best speller of St. Robert School.

Catholic Schools Week is fun and goofy, yet the main reason for its occasion is to honor the gift of Catholic education. St. Robert does wacky things like crazy hair day and slipper day to unite the school and remind one another why we celebrate Catholic Schools Week. These activities are done to prove that learning about our faith can be fun! By learning through the Catholic faith, students who attend St. Robert will become better leaders and inspire others to learn. Our faith is what binds us together and will help us grow to become powerful people.

Catholic Schools Week is about having fun with your school community, but one of its main goals is to promote Catholic educational excellence. All Catholic schools celebrate this week to honor learning through faith. The activities that each school does may set them apart from the rest, but all Catholic schools are united when they celebrate together.