Catholic Schools Week—it's a national tradition and has been since 1974. Students, staff and families at James Regional look forward to this celebration of Catholic education every year.

Each year, The National Catholic Educational Association inspires this united week of celebrating, country wide. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week. This year, it falls from January 30th – February 5th 2022.

The 2022 overarching theme is: “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” Words that reflects our school well.

It’s not unusual to see our teachers in collaborative comradery, but this week especially you’ll find them scheming to make for a memorable week of celebrating.

What are we celebrating? St. James Regional celebrates what makes its Catholic education such a unique experience. This celebration encompasses seven areas: parish, community, students, nation, vocations, staff/volunteers, and families. These mark the theme for each day.

Sunday: Celebrating Parish
A day is set aside just for the Church. Catholic schools benefit all year long from the religious guidance, prayers and support parishes provide which is surely something to celebrate. 

Monday: Celebrating Community
A central aspect of Catholic education is learning the importance of service to others. When students take part in service activities – both local and beyond – they demonstrate the values and faith they gain through their Catholic education and learn how to make the world a better place. When they observe how others serve the community, they gain an appreciation for how they can continue to serve others their entire lives.

Tuesday: Celebrating Students
On this day, our faculty and staff plan enjoyable and meaningful activities for our students and recognize their accomplishments. We encourage our students to reflect on the benefits of Catholic education and how the grounding in faith, knowledge and service will help them throughout their lives.

Wednesday: Celebrating Nation
Our school community shares information with leaders on the significant contributions Catholic schools make to the nation and their role in preparing students to be good citizens. We pray for the nation and recognize all those who serve.

Thursday Celebrating Vocations
By focusing on faith, knowledge and service, we aim to prepare our students to use their God-given talents to the fullest later in life. National Catholic Schools Week offers an opportunity for our students to explore the many life paths that enable them to use their talents well in the service of God and others.

Friday: Celebrating Faculty, Staff, Volunteers
On this day, we will honor our teachers, as well as administrators and staff who support the teachers in their important work. We also thank our parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners and school board members who provide volunteer service.

Saturday: Celebrating Families
Our parents, guardians and other family members play a vital role at St. James Regional. Not only do they volunteer at school, they instill values and expectations for academic excellence in their children at home. We acknowledge the role of families in Catholic education and celebrate their contributions to the success of our school on the last day of National Catholic Schools Week, and all year long.

By observing the annual celebration week with prayer and activities for students, families, parishioners and community members, St. James Regional paints a picture of all that it has to offer its school community.


Photo credit: change.org

Through these events, St. James Regional will focus on the value its Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to our church, our communities and our nation. It will be hard not to feel the school spirit. 

We hope you are looking forward to this year’s Catholic Schools Week as much as we are here at St. James Regional.

A more detailed description of the week’s activities can be found in our regular communications home.