A lesson in helping

This week just seemed like a good time to focus on others.

In past years, Catholic Schools Week has been all about celebrating Catholic education.

It still is, but this year students in local schools are also concentrating on helping others outside parochial education during the seven-day recognition that ends Saturday.

At Immaculate Conception School in Jackson, students are collecting canned goods and other items for the Jackson Food Pantry.

Immaculate Conception and other local schools are also holding special raffles and other fund raisers to collect money for tsunami victims this week.

"One day during Catholic Schools Week every year, we focus on the world. We thought that this would be a good way to focus on our neighbors throughout the world this year in particular," said Tami Nenninger, principal at Immaculate Conception.

At Guardian Angel School in Oran, Mo., students are raising money for tsunami victims as well as a local family who lost their home in a fire after Christmas.

"We are having our students' faith show through charitable acts that they do though the week, and then we reward them with a few fun things on the side," said Michele Huffman, principal at Guardian Angel.

The national theme for this year's recognition is "Catholic Schools: Faith in Every Student." Local schools also recognize everyone involved in Catholic education, from volunteers and teachers to parents and students.

Several schools tied students' futures into this year's recognition with career fairs and visits from parents.

At Notre Dame Regional High School, students visited with local professionals and learned about a variety of careers Monday.

"This week is about everybody coming together, with a lot of extracurriculars and assemblies," said 10th-grader Jordan Buchheit.

St. Vincent de Paul Grade School in Cape Girardeau is celebrating the week with field trips, treats for students and parent visitor day.

The school is also collecting for tsunami victims, holding a penny drive for the American Heart Association and delivering fruit baskets to local businesses and service organizations that support the school and church's ministry work.

"We're making a special effort this year to do that. We want the community to know what kind of services we're doing," said Nancy Heberlie, St. Vincent de Paul principal.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128