Catholic Schools Week recently concluded at St. Bernard School. It was a week that brought together students, educators, parents, and the broader community in a week-long celebration of faith, learning, and community spirit. Read about the highlights from each day below!
SUNDAY, JANUARY 28: The week began with students leading both the 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Masses at St. Bernard Parish. Students were involved in the entire Mass process from the introduction to the readings to bringing up the gifts. After each Mass concluded, parishioners received a handmade bookmark from a student and were invited to celebrate in Bishop Hall with a donut and some fellowship. This was the first official day of the Penny Battle as well. Jars were displayed in Bishop Hall as classrooms competed against one another to raise the most money for Old Glory Honor Flight. This is an organization whose main focus is to honor veterans by providing them with an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
MONDAY, JANUARY 29: The special dress for the day was “Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character.” Students and teachers alike came dressed in all sorts of creative costumes. Some popular favorites included Harry Potter, Waldo, Ms. Frizzle, the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree, and Pete the Cat. Throughout the day, students were given the opportunity to “Stop, Drop, and Read!” Students brought a book and a blanket from home and found a cozy place to read anywhere in the school. Popular spots included the gym, underneath tables, and in the hallways. Many older students enjoyed finding a younger student to read picture books together. Another fun activity on this day was Disney Trivia. Students competed against other students in their homeroom to be the ultimate Disney champion. The winner from each homeroom then went to the main office to claim a special Disney-themed prize. Finally, each day students had the opportunity to participate in an estimation game. The question on this day was, “How Many Books are in the School Library?” One winner was chosen from each unit level to win a gift card to Barnes and Noble for having the closest guess!
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30: It was Decades Day on this day! Students and teachers represented every decade from 1950 all the way to 2020. It sure was groovy to see how totally tubular everyone looked in their throwback outfits! The Penny Battle continued on this day as students brought in pennies and dollars to help improve their chances of winning while also bringing in silver coins to reduce other classrooms’ chances. Throughout various points of the day, students played BINGO in their classrooms. Numbers were called over the announcements and there were tons of winners as the entire school played together. BINGO winners each got to pick out a new book to take home! Just like Monday, there was an estimation game. The question on this day was, “How many BINGO chips are in the jar?” The four winners from each unit level won a gift card to Baskin Robbins for ice cream.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31: Today was all about bringing bright colors to the school! Students had “Dress All in One Color Day” and came wearing as much of one color as possible from head to toe. Each grade was also assigned a color to decorate their entire classroom with. Students brought in decorations from home such as streamers, balloons, toys, and more in their assigned color. Music was playing throughout the halls as classrooms had 30 minutes to make their classroom look the most decked out in their color. A panel of judges then came around after and awarded one winning classroom from each unit. The preschool winner was Room 20, the primary winner was Room 3, the intermediate winner was Room 9, and the middle school winner was Room 13. These classrooms each earned themselves an ice cream party that afternoon. It was absolutely crazy how bright and colorful each classroom turned out; it was very impressive how creative everyone got! In the afternoon, students got to relax by coloring a schoolwide mural in the lunchroom. They also got to enjoy a small treat from the treat cart that traveled throughout the hallways. The estimation game of the day was, “How Many Skittles are in the Jar?” The four winners each earned themselves a family-size bag of Skittles to take home!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1: The students each came to school in their favorite sports apparel on this day. It was also time for the main event of the week…all of the students in grades K-8 traveled to the Resch Center downtown to cheer on the UWGB Men’s Basketball Team! The experience was wild and so much fun for everyone involved. The UWGB team said that the student sections were the loudest they have ever been since 2015! Kids screamed and cheered as they watched UWGB defeat IUPUI at the game. Upon returning to school, the entire school gathered in the gym to participate in the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It was a wonderful end to the day as students joined together in song. This was led by the school principal, Mr. Gusloff, and his wife. Their singing talents are such a blessing! This was also the final day of the Penny Battle. Students brought in last-minute donations to try and claim the ultimate prize of a pizza party. The estimation game of the day was, “How Many Rosaries are in the Jar?” The four winners each got a mini over-the-door basketball hoop and a mini basketball to take home.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2: This was the final day of Catholic Schools Week 2024. Students wore their regular school uniforms as it was a Mass day. The Mass was led by Room 5 students and included a blessing of the candles to be used for the upcoming liturgical year. Following Mass, students were allowed to put on a crazy hat or headband and some crazy socks. This was also the day when the winner of the Penny Battle was announced. The winning classroom was Room 8; they were so excited to win a pizza party for their class! A check was presented to Old Glory Honor Flight for $3,100…this amount was a Catholic Schools Week record! We are so grateful for all the families and parishioners who contributed to such a wonderful organization. In the afternoon, students paired up with their buddy class to make Valentine’s cards. These cards were then donated to the VA Clinic for veterans. It was such a joy to see the older students working with the younger students. This was also the final estimation game of the day. The question was, “How Many Pennies are in the Jar?” The winners with the closest guess each got to take home a new pair of crazy socks.
As Catholic Schools Week came to a close, the resounding sentiment within the school community was one of gratitude, joy, and a strengthened sense of unity. The week-long celebration not only showcased the academic excellence of the school but also highlighted the vibrant community spirit that defines the Catholic education experience. To see photos of all the fun from the week, please visit the school’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
St. Bernard Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. St. Bernard’s provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.
