Posted January 30, 2018

Tuesday, Jan. 30
Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School; 3233 Thompson Street; Philadelphia
8:15 a.m. — On “Vocabulary Day” at the school each student has been given a vocabulary word and they will dress up to depict their word. Pre-kindergarten through eighth grade will then have a vocabulary parade to show off their creative costumes.

St. Aloysius Parish School; 844 North Keim Street; Pottstown (Montgomery County)
9 a.m. — St. Aloysius school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade will host Bob Kelly, Fox 29 Good Day Philadelphia Traffic Reporter and “Kelly’s Classroom” segment host for a spirited Philadelphia Eagles pep rally to get ready for Super Bowl LII vs. the New England Patriots. Students, faculty and staff will come to school dressed in their Eagles green and among other activities sing the Eagles’ fight song “Fly Eagles Fly.”

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Lansdale Catholic High School; 700 Lansdale Avenue; Lansdale (Montgomery County)
9:15 a.m. — Auxiliary Bishop Timothy C. Senior, rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and a proud graduate of Lansdale Catholic High School Class of 1977, will be the main celebrant and homilist of the school community’s Catholic Schools Week 2018 liturgy, which will take place in the gymnasium.

St. Pius X Parish School; 204 South Lawrence Road; Broomall (Delaware County)
9:30 a.m. (Kindergarten through fourth grade) and 11 a.m. (Fifth through eighth grade) – St. Pius X will treat its students to a “Brain Show” assembly in the school, which looks and feels like a live TV game show set and requires students to answer interactive trivia questions and perform activities based upon current curriculum they are learning in school. There will be two sessions for elementary and middle school students.

St. Isidore Catholic School; 603 West Broad Street; Quakertown (Bucks County)
10 a.m. — First through sixth grade will take part in “Hoops for Heart,” a program with the American Heart Association. Students will shoot hoops with each basket counting toward the school’s fundraising goal. In addition to the basketball activity, students will be surprised with a special visit from the Phillie Phanatic.

Holy Rosary Regional Catholic School; 3040 Walton Road, Plymouth Meeting, (Montgomery County)
10:30 a.m. — Holy Rosary Regional will celebrate its students on Tuesday during Catholic Schools Week with a “Student Appreciation Day.” Activities planned include an obstacle course filled with fun and challenging physical activities for students in Kindergarten through fourth grades in the school gymnasium.

Simon and Jude Catholic School; 6 Cavanaugh Court, West Chester (Chester County)
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (School Yard) — Father Michael J. Gerlach, pastor of SS. Simon and Jude is very excited about the Eagles and has spearheaded a photo op for the students, faculty and staff. During SSJ Eagles Day the school community will form a commemorative “E” photo of all its students and faculty. They will also do some E-A-G-L-E-S cheers and of course sing the Eagles fight song. The students will begin to line up in “E” formation at 11:45 a.m.

Maternity B.V.M. Parish School; 9322 Old Bustleton Avenue, Philadelphia
1 p.m. — The entire school community, approximately 500 students, will gather together to sing the Eagles’ fight song in the Parish Hall. After the song the entire school will be doing an Olympics-style athletic competition.

St. Norbert Catholic School; 6 Greenlawn Road, Paoli (Chester County)
1:15 p.m. – St. Norbert’s is holding a “Nickels to Knockout Cancer” school-wide event. Students will bring in nickels and place them on the gymnasium floor in various designs. The nickels will then be counted by students in upper grades and the money collected will be donated to help fight pediatric cancer.

Wednesday, Jan. 31
St. Michael the Archangel; 130 Levittown Parkway, Levittown (Bucks County)
9 a.m. — On “Teacher & Staff Appreciation Day,” St. Michael the Archangel will hold an Eagles Spirit Day in preparation for Super Bowl LII. Students and teachers will dress in their best Philadelphia Eagles gear. A spirited morning pep rally complete with singing of “Fly Eagles Fly” will open the day in the school’s gymnasium.

John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School; 1736 South 10th Street, Philadelphia
8 a.m. — Drexel Pitch Competition Assembly will be held for all students in the school auditorium. This assembly will feature a current student or a recent graduate of Drexel University who has participated in an educational/immersive approach for students and recent graduates to turn great ideas into great startups.

St. Christopher Catholic School; 13305 Proctor Road, Philadelphia
9 – 10 a.m. – St. Christopher School will be hosting a Reception/Assembly for Philadelphia Police, Fire and First Responders from the community including parents, grandparents and friends. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross, Department Commissioner Christine Coulter as well as the captains, lieutenants and community relations officers from the 7th District as well as Department Commissioner Loesch and Lieutenant Whalen of the Philadelphia Fire Department and firefighters from Engine 22. The school has a large number of school parents and other family who serve in these areas so it is a well-attended and special event for all involved. This is the third year St. Christopher School has hosted an event to honor its first responders with songs, poems, artwork and small tokens of appreciation made by the students.

Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School; 405 Allendale Road, King of Prussia (Montgomery County)
9:15 a.m. — Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade will honor first responders with a special program. Family members of students who serve as police, firefighters, EMT’s, etc. have been invited. Mass at 9:15 a.m. will be followed by a breakfast and special program. The students will be presenting first responders with spiritual bouquets (personally written prayers/intentions) and small tokens of appreciation. Mother Teresa Regional musicians will also perform and representatives of Student Council will speak.

St. Peter the Apostle School; 1009 North 5th Street, Philadelphia
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. — Each class throughout the day will have a “Sister Bernal Math Bee” in their classrooms, testing their Math skills based upon current grade curriculum. The Bee is in memory of Sister Bernal a beloved teacher who taught at St. Peter the Apostle for many years.

St. Laurence Church; 8245 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby (Delaware County)
9:30 a.m. — St. Laurence School will take the time to “Celebrate Our Nation” and honor our veterans. The day will begin with a Mass honoring Veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Veterans from the parish community have been invited to attend with students, faculty, and staff. During Mass the petitions read by students and the hymns sung by the school choir will be in honor of veterans. A patriotic basket and signs made by students will be presented to veterans immediately following the Mass.

Corpus Christi Catholic School; 920 Sumneytown Pike, Lansdale (Montgomery County)
1 p.m. (pre-school through fourth grade); 2 p.m. (fifth through eighth) — The famous traveling basketball troupe, The Harlem Wizards, will hold an assembly for students at Corpus Christi School in two one-hour performances. Several Harlem Wizard players will perform and participate basketball tricks and interactive games with students and teachers. The Harlem Wizards will also share an important message related to one or more of the following topics: character, teamwork, sportsmanship, healthy eating and fitness.

Good Shepherd Catholic Regional School; 855 North Hills Avenue, Ardsley (Montgomery County)
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. — On “Faculty Appreciation Day,” Good Shepherd students will take part in a “Minute-to-win-it” hour of challenges, trivia and other interactive games with an emphasis on fun and learning. Students in grades kindergarten through eighth grades will participate.

St. Anastasia School; 3309 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square (Delaware County)
1:45 – 3:15 p.m. — In celebration of the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics, St. Anastasia School will hold its own Olympics event. Select students from pre-school through eighth grade and their prayer partners will compete together in a series of STEM and “minute-to-win-it” game challenges, which will all take on an Olympic theme.

St. Katherine Day School; 930 Bowman Avenue, Wynnewood (Montgomery County)
1-2 p.m. — Students at St. Katherine Day School, one of four schools of special education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will hold a “Music Works” interactive assembly as they celebrate two special themes, “Student Appreciation” and “Celebrate Your Nation” day. Students, faculty, and staff will come to school on Wednesday in patriotic wear to celebrate the red, white, and blue colors in the American flag.

St. Katherine Day School is a Life Skills program for students with intellectual or multiple disabilities and students with Autism with ages ranging from four and a half through 21 years old.

Mother of Providence Regional Catholic School; 607 North Providence Road, Wallingford (Delaware County)
9 a.m. (Tailgate); 12 p.m. (Tailgate Lunch) — The students and faculty of Mother of Providence Regional Catholic School will be holding an Eagles Tailgate Party. It will include Super Bowl-themed games, football shaped pretzels, and Zac’s Burgers for lunch. Games and activities will take place from 9 a.m. until noon in the school gym with lunch being held at noon. During the tailgate students, faculty and staff will also be signing a thank you banner to the Eagles for all of the charitable work they perform in the community.

Thursday, Feb. 1 

St. Bernadette of Lourdes School; 1015 Turner Avenue, Drexel Hill (Delaware County)
8:15 a.m. (Eagles Pep Rally); 9 – 10:30 a.m. (Eagles Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Student Experience) – The day promises to be a “Souper” Day at St. Bernadette School as the community celebrates Catholic Schools Week and the Philadelphia Eagles’ first trip to the Super Bowl in 13 years. This celebration coincides with the school’s annual collection of canned soup for residents of the Life Center in Upper Darby as well as a collection of items for residents of Holy Family Home, which is administered by the Little Sisters of the Poor in Southwest Philadelphia.

Students will wear Eagles gear and, using virtual reality technology, will have the opportunity to “pose” with their favorite Eagles player. During the pep rally student council members will share a reflection on the impact that sports leaders like Nick Foles and Carson Wentz have on today’s youth. These players’ deep faith and trust in a loving God, hard work, and a team effort have been inspiring to students at St. Bernadette.

Nativity of Our Lord School; 585 West Street Road, Warminster (Bucks County)
9 a.m.-10 a.m. — The school community began a food drive on Jan. 22 in a nod to St. Vincent de Paul, Nativity’s “Saint of the Month” for January, and his work with the poor. The non-perishable food items collected will be donated to the Warminster Food Pantry. Using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills of calculations, estimations, construction ideas and creativity, the students will be using all of the food items in their packaging to construct various types of structures. The ideas are unlimited, but could include buildings, animals, landmarks, etc. on a 4’x 6’ mat in the gym. The classes will have one hour to complete their structure and create a placard for the display.

St. Ephrem Catholic School; 5340 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem (Bucks County)
9 a.m. (Aid for Friends Breakfast Bag Assembly Begins); 2 p.m. (Philadelphia Eagles Pep Rally) — Fifth through eighth grade students will assist their prayer partners in the younger grades, first through fourth, in assembling “Breakfast Bags” for the Aid for Friends Organization. In addition to putting together the bags filled with breakfast related items such as tea bags, granola bars, fruit cups, etc., the students will work together to write personal care notes to be included in each bag.

Aid For Friends, begun by a parishioner of St. Jerome Parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, serves the elderly, shut-ins and those in need in the five-county region, with daily home-cooked meals delivered weekly by volunteers.

Later that day at 2 p.m., the school will hold its second Eagles Pep Rally in the school gymnasium since the Birds’ playoff run began. The St. Ephrem students, faculty and staff will be wearing their Eagles finery or green shirts to school that day and will also be asked to bring in a can of soup to celebrate “Soup-er Sunday” in honor of the many charities performed by the Eagles players, especially Carson Wentz, who inspired the school to add this element.

St. Genevieve School; 1225 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown (Montgomery County)
12:45 p.m. — St. Genevieve School will be having an Eagles Pep Rally as the community will gather together in the school yard and display a formation of the team name “Eagles” that will include all the students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight. The school will be taking pictures of the formation from the roof. Following the picture students, faculty, and staff will head inside to hold their spirited pep rally in honor of the Birds and Super Bowl LII.

Holy Innocents Area Catholic Elementary School; 1312 East Bristol Street, Philadelphia
1 p.m. — Holy Innocents students will welcome 16 students, in kindergarten through fourth grades, from St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments and Archbishop Ryan School for the Deaf, two of four schools of special education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The students will play a form of school Jeopardy with grade-appropriate curriculum questions. Students in the upper grades at St. Lucy and Archbishop Ryan, fifth through eighth grades, often spend time with their peers for general education integration. However, for many in the younger grades, their first visit to Holy Innocents will be during Catholic Schools Week.

St. Maximilian Kolbe School; 300 Daly Drive, West Chester (Chester County)
1 – 2:30 p.m. — Students in fourth through eighth grades at St. Maximilian Kolbe, a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, will have the opportunity to hear from a variety speakers with different vocations during the school’s “Career Day” programming. Presenters will include Pennsylvania State Senator Thomas Killion who will speak about his work in Harrisburg and answer students’ questions during two sessions.

Immaculate Heart of Mary; 815 Cathedral Road, Philadelphia
1 p.m. — A Religion Bee will be held in Father Sullivan Hall. Students from different grades will compete to be the Fourth Annual Religion Bee Champions in various grade levels. Students, faculty and staff will also form the audience for this competition.

St. James Regional Catholic School; 500 Tome Street, Ridley Park (Delaware County)
1:15 p.m. – St. James Regional will hold a Kahoot! Day at the school utilizing a web-based software program to have students play interactive games and answer trivia in real-time using classroom tablets with curriculum appropriate questions based upon grades and classrooms.

Pope John Paul II High School; 181 Rittenhouse Road, Royersford (Montgomery County)
1:25 p.m. — Student athletes at Pope John Paul II (PJPII) taking part in winter sports including boys’ and girls’ basketball and swimming as well as boys’ wrestling will be recognized during a school-wide pep rally. PJPII students will show off their school spirit and be led by their cheer squad and school mascot to cheer on these winter athletes.

St. Helena Catholic School; 1499 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell (Montgomery County)
2 p.m. – St. Helena will hold a spirited Eagles Pep Rally in its Recreation Center immediately following its annual Catholic Schools Week “Knowledge Bowl.” After kindergarten through eighth grade students warm-up by testing their knowledge in their own education games they’ll cheer and sing for their favorite NFL team getting ready to compete in the Super Bowl.

Holy Trinity Catholic School; Osborne & Stockham Avenues, Morrisville (Bucks County)
7 – 8:30 p.m. — An Open House and School Showcase will open in the school cafeteria and will feature highlights such as a school choir performance and a look at the 21st Century Community Center. Additionally, students in the eighth grade will present a “Living History Museum.” The students selected and researched an impactful person from history, then embody them by using costumes and props. Students, school families, and visitors will push a button on the museum wall and watch and listen as the historical figures come to life before their eyes. Visitors will then have the opportunity to vote for categories including: “Best Historical Portrait,” “Most Authentic,” “Best Use of Props,” and “Most Original.”

St. Elizabeth Parish School; 120 Saint Elizabeth Drive, Chester Springs (Chester County)
7 p.m. — The annual variety show held by St. Elizabeth showcases its talented student musicians, singers and dancers in the school gymnasium. The students practice for several weeks in preparation for this showcase during Catholic Schools Week.

Sacred Heart School; 109 North Manoa Road, Havertown (Delaware County)
9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Sacred Heart will be celebrating vocations in its classrooms on Thursday during Catholic Schools Week. Vocations to the priesthood and religious life will be highlighted when Father Henry J. McKee, pastor; Sister Rita Charles Smith, I.H.M., an assistant to Sacred Heart School, and Sister Kathryn Benham, I.H.M., Director of Religious Education speak to students in their classrooms and answer questions regarding religious vocations. A prayer service will also be held at each grade level during the school day.

Friday, Feb. 2

Holy Cross Catholic School; 240 North Bishop Avenue, Springfield (Delaware County)
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. — This Catholic Schools Week, the students at Holy Cross are dedicating themselves to bringing “HOPE” to a family in their community by supporting Bringing Hope Home (BHH), a 501c3 charity, which pays household bills for local families with cancer.

During the week the school is raising awareness and funds by hosting a “HOPE” week with a goal of $600 to help a local family whose family matriarch is currently battling stage IV colorectal cancer. The week-long activity includes student made cards, a “penny wars” collection on the gym floor, and encouragement bracelet making.

A Philadelphia Eagles themed dance party complete will also be held for students at Holy Cross on Friday, Feb. 2. Students, faculty, and staff will dress in their favorite Eagles gear and dance the morning away while also welcoming representatives from the Bringing Hope Home Organization (BHH) who will be on hand to thank the school community for their efforts during Catholic Schools Week. The school will present BHH with the total dollar amount collected at that time.

St. Mary Interparochial School; Fifth and Locust Streets, Philadelphia
9-11 a.m. (School Cafeteria) – St. Mary Interparochial School, a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, will kick-off its year-long Golden Jubilee during Catholic Schools Week 2018. On Friday, the school community will hold its Annual Maroon and White Games with a “Touch of Gold!” These games are a spirited tradition involving students being divided into two teams. All students are encouraged to wear a touch of gold during the games to celebrate the school’s Golden Jubilee. The competition will include good-natured athletic challenges.

Several events and activities are planned to properly celebrate this important milestone for Saint Mary Interparochial throughout 2018, which will culminate with its first-ever “Gala” on Thursday, Nov. 29 at Ballroom at the Ben in Philadelphia, which is being billed as “A Celebration of Excellence in Catholic Education from Colonial to Contemporary.” A strong planning committee has been assembled made up of teachers, parents and board members who are dedicated to the success of this year-long campaign and who look forward to inviting their supporters to join them as they celebrate the school’s rich history and academic success.

Our Lady of Hope Regional Catholic School; 1248 Jackson Street, Philadelphia
9:45 a.m. — Currently, Our Lady of Hope Regional Catholic School’s front windows facing Jackson Street in South Philadelphia are adorned with festive Philadelphia Eagles decorations and the words, “God Bless Our Eagles.” The school will be holding an Eagles Pep Rally on Friday, Feb. 2 at approximately 9:45 a.m. following its closing Catholic Schools Week Prayer Service for faculty and staff. The list of activities for the pep rally will include: football trivia, a football toss competition, a “Fly Eagles Fly” sing-a-long, and the opportunity to make a prediction of the final score for the Super Bowl – closest class wins a prize.

Additionally Our Lady of Hope has sponsored a “Souper Bowl” in which each student was asked to bring in a canned food item for St. Francis Inn and in return they can wear an Eagles shirt. “Be a true fan and bring in a can” was the slogan. Additionally, students will show off “underdog” masks they made earlier in the week in art classes.

St. Genevieve Parish; 1225 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown (Montgomery County)
9 a.m. – St. Genevieve School will close out its Catholic Schools Week 2018 celebration with the theme of “Vocations” and a focus on “Celebrating Our Spiritual Life.” Students in Kindergarten through eighth grades will attend Mass and pray their personally made spiritual bouquets. A spiritual bouquet is simply a list of prayers the giver has offered or will offer for a special recipient or request.

St. Theresa of Calcutta School; 256 Swamp Pike, Schwenksville (Montgomery County)
9 a.m. — On the Friday of Catholic Schools Week, St. Theresa’s pastor, Father Paul Brandt, has tasked students with writing prayers for their favorite football team/player in a lesson about prayer and fair competition.

Throughout Catholic Schools Week the faculty will be working with their students in creating prayers for the Eagles. Recognizing that God has no favorites, the children will be encouraged to pray that the Eagles play to their best abilities and that they and their opponents do not get injured. This is the model of prayer that is encouraged at the school for young people when they participate in athletic competition or academic tests. These prayers will be collected and presented at the First Friday Mass led by the third grade class. As each class representative comes forward they will light a vigil candle to reinforce the Catholic practice of lighting a candle for a prayer intention. The entire student body will be encouraged to wear their Eagles gear to school that day.

Archbishop Ryan High School; 11201 Academy Road, Philadelphia
11 a.m. — Michael Barnett, Class of 1990 and president of Archbishop Ryan since November 2017, will be officially installed as the school president at a special Mass in the school auditorium.

Christ the King School; 3205 Chesterfield Road, Philadelphia
11:15 a.m. — Christ the King School students, faculty and staff, will all take on roles in a full-blown spirited Pep Rally in honor of the Philadelphia Eagles, beginning at 11:15 a.m. in the school/parish hall. This is also the culminating activity of Friday’s events for the last day of Catholic Schools Week at Christ the King.

Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls; 1000 West Lycoming Avenue, Philadelphia
1-5 p.m. — Students, faculty, and staff at Little Flower (LF) will celebrate the closing of Catholic Schools Week with the 6th annual school-wide Dance-a-Thon. The theme for this year’s dance is, “Keep the Tradition in Motion.” The dance-a-thon is an opportunity for our students to express gratitude for all they have received through the generosity of others including parents, alums, and friends, by “paying it forward” and dancing for others. All proceeds are reserved for tuition assistance for future LF students. The dance-a-thon is a chance for them to help LF students of the future who will follow them. Students will pay a registration fee and also obtain sponsors for the event.

St. Andrew Catholic School; 51 Wrights Road, Newtown (Bucks County)
2 p.m. — To gear up for the game and celebrate the closing of Catholic Schools Week, St. Andrew’s will hold an Eagles dress down day on Friday, Feb. 2. The children may wear green and white if they bring in at least one can of soup. The school will then donate the soup to a local food pantry. It’s a “Souper” Bowl fit for the big game. Additionally, there will be an Eagles pep rally in the school gymnasium.

Cardinal O’Hara High School; 1701 South Sproul Road, Springfield (Delaware County)
6:45 p.m. — The Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence (DGV/DPV), a division of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia serving men and women with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will attend Don Guanella and Divine Providence Night at O’Hara hosted by Cardinal O’Hara High School’s Girls Basketball team and Community Service Corps.

Approximately 80 men and women from the DGV/DPV along with staff will be in attendance. In addition, they will cheer on the Cardinal O’Hara High School Girls Varsity Basketball team who will be playing Lansdale Catholic High School. The team will present men and women from DGV/DPV a signed basketball before the game’s tipoff.

The Community Service Corps ministry in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a service program that encourages students to become involved with their communities by working directly with children, the disabled, the elderly, the poor and the disadvantaged. Thousands of students work together throughout the year to build and develop a spirit of Christian community.

Throughout the year, the Cardinal O’Hara High School Community Service Corps hosts several events for men and women for DGV/DPV such as Thanksgiving and Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, carnivals in the school’s cafeteria, whiffle ball games in the gym, and much more.

Peter and Paul Church Hall; 1325 Boot Road, West Chester (Chester County)
7 p.m. – 12 a.m. – SS. Peter and Paul School’s sixth through eighth grade students will take part in a “Four Diamonds Mini-THON” dance marathon to conclude Catholic Schools Week and support children with pediatric cancers. The students will don colorful costumes and dance the night away to popular music played by a DJ.

Four Diamonds Mini-THONs are interactive events for students of all ages that inspire teamwork, leadership and creativity, while empowering youth and young adults through philanthropy and community service in the fight to conquer childhood cancer. Mini-THONs are modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) and have been making a difference in the lives of childhood cancer patients and their families since 1993.