Gehlen Catholic celebrates Catholic Schools Week

Gehlen Catholic will join the National Catholic Education Association and schools throughout the Diocese of Sioux City to celebrate Catholic Schools Week (CSW) Jan. 29-Feb. 4, under the theme, “Faith. Academics. Service.”

The week at Gehlen Catholic begins Sunday with the annual CSW Kick-Off Dinner Supper in the cafeteria.

On Monday, the community is invited to celebrate Mass with Bishop R. Walker Nickless.

This year, four generations of the Marcella (Erdmann, ’48) Nemmers family will be gift bearers and be recognized for their leadership and support.

Tuesday is Staff Appreciation Day.

Wednesday is Community Appreciation Day with the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee at 9:30 a.m. and the Peter Gehlen (Legacy) Society Luncheon at noon.

On Thursday, the Family Picnic will be held from 12-12:45 p.m. A special announcement will be held in the Bob Kneip Family Gym at 12:40 p.m.

Friday is Student Appreciation Day featuring Gehlen Catholic dads serving homemade pancakes to students from preschool — 12th grade.

Throughout the week, there are a variety of athletic and fine arts events.

Gehlen Catholic President, the Rev. Kevin Richter, a graduate of Spalding Catholic School, stated, “I have always held, and continue to hold, the conviction that Catholic schools are a tremendous gift and opportunity in passing on our Catholic faith and traditions to our children. Catholic schools provide a values-based education that emphasizes intellectual, spiritual, moral, physical and social values in our students. Catholic schools have a far-reaching impact on shaping the world, whether it is through our student’s support of our parishes, community, local and international missions to our alumni’s chosen ministries years after their graduation.”

“The theme focuses on three priorities that Catholic schools establish that make them stand out from other educational institutions,” according to the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) in a press release.

“Children are taught faith — not just the basics of Christianity, but how to have a relationship with God. Academics, which in Catholic schools are held to very high standards, help each child reach his/her potential,” the NCEA concludes.

2012 marks the 39th celebration of Catholic Schools Week, a joint project of the National Catholic Education Association and the United States Catholic Conference on Bishops.

Gehlen Catholic School is one of 28 schools in the Diocese of Sioux City and 7,378 Catholic Schools in the United States dedicated to educating and preparing students for a Christian life.

The complete Catholic Schools Week schedule at Gehlen Catholic is:

Sunday, Jan. 29

4:30-7:30 p.m. CSW Kick-Off Supper in the Cafeteria. Menu features spaghetti w/meat sauce, garlic bread, lettuce salad, beverage and ice cream. Adults $6; children 5-10, $3; age 4 and under, free. Proceeds used to purchase educational items for faculty staff.

Monday, Jan. 30

8:45 a.m. CSW Liturgy in the Bob Kneip Family Gym

Presider: Bishop R. Walker Nickless

6 p.m. freshmen boys/junior varsity boys basketball at South O’Brien

6 p.m. freshmen girls/junior varsity girls basketball vs. South O’Brien at home

Tuesday, Jan. 31

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day

3:30 p.m. Deadline for essays for Betty Sitzmann Scholarship

4:30 p.m. junior varsity girls/varsity girls/varsity boys basketball at Spalding Catholic

Wednesday, Feb. 1

9:30-10:30 a.m. Chamber of Commerce Coffee

Noon-1 p.m. Peter Gehlen Luncheon

NWIBA Jazz Band Contest at SIoux City Convention Center, Gehlen Catholic perfgorms at 8 a.m.

3:30-5 p.m. Clover Kids

Thursday, Feb. 2

Cooks Day Off

Noon-12:45 p.m. CSW Family Picnic with a special announcement in the Bob Kneip Family Gym at 12:40 p.m.

4 p.m. junior high girls basketball at West Sioux in Hawarden

6 p.m. junior varsity girls/junior varsity boys basketball at Unity Christian

Friday, Feb. 3

Student Appreciation Day with free jeans day

Student Blessing in the Bob Kneip Family Gym

Dads and Pancakes in the cafeteria

4 p.m. junior high girls basketball at Hinton

4:30 p.m. junior varsity boys, varsity girls, varsity boys basketball at Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn

JVB/VG/VB BB @ MMC

Saturday, Feb. 4

8 a.m. — TBD AAU Volleyball in both gyms and cafeteria.

State Large Group Speech Contest at Spencer