IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PREPARES FOR NATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Parochial schools across America will celebrate Catholic Schools Week this week.

"Become heralds of good news to the world" will be the Immaculate Conception School's theme for the week.

"It's always a big time of the year for us," said Principal Tracy Dumey. "We have a few new things and a few things we've done in the past."

Action kicks off Monday, with "Celebrate Community Day." Students will make bags of treats for the local Meals on Wheels program. The bags will be filled at an assembly. A handful of students will then go with a faculty member to deliver the bags. This is a new activity this year.

"We try to do a community project each quarter," Dumey said. "We think that's very important."

"Celebrate Students Day" will be Tuesday. Students will get a chance to write something complimentary about each classmate on a card handed out by each teacher. The cards will then be shared with the class.

Wednesday will be "Celebrate our Nation Day," featuring an all-school Mass. Families of students are invited to attend. After Mass, parents and students will have lunch in the gym, which will be decorated with banners. These will be related to food.

This event is usually packed, as the 239 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade bring family members to school.

"We have such a good turn out," Dumey said. "Our gym is packed. They sit on the bleachers and on the floor on blankets, and flow into the cafeteria. Almost all the students have a parent or both parents or a grandparent that comes to eat lunch with them. It's one of our bigger events."

"Celebrate our Volunteers Day" will be Thursday, featuring a luncheon for parent volunteers.

Finally, "Celebrate our Teachers Day" will wind up the week, Friday. Student are asked to do or say something special to their teacher. An all-school assembly, in which the staff and students will make 100 rosaries to give out in the community, will be held. This will also tie in with the 100th day of school.