Immaculate
Conception Parish
Catholic Schools Week
At the end of January, Immaculate Conception School participated in the celebration of Catholic Schools Week. This year's theme was: Celebrate Service. We are pleased to share some of the pictures, award winning essays and contest winners with you. Enjoy this sneak peak into the celebration of Catholic Schools Wee!
Congratulations to our essay contest winners!
As part of
Catholic Schools Week, our
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Olivia Goliger
Immaculate Conception School is the
perfect example of the way God wants us to Live. Serving our
community is a moral teaching that the students at this
school not only follow without question, but also feel is
the right thing to do, knowing, in our hearts, our mission
from God. Growing up, I felt that we were giving money or
time to help people, but now, I know we do much more than
that. The
students and families of Immaculate Conception School are
changing lives. With Mrs. McCook, Father Michael, and Father
David as our role models, we learn to be good stewards of
the life around us, given to us by God.
This school performs small works of charity with love, just
as Saint Therese of Lisieux said to do. A small work of
charity that we perform is making cards to give to senior
citizens. Some
people who live at the Senior Center do not have family, so
when they receive cards; they may not feel as lonely. We
hope they feel as though someone out there cares about how
they are doing, because the students really do care. Another
act of charity is “Quarters for Fuel.” We donate quarters to
the Mayor’s Charity Fund to help families who cannot afford
heat. We begin
our giving projects before winter sets in by holding a coat
drive, hosted by the Student Council this year. We collect
warm coats and snowsuits to give to children and adults who
do not have them and cannot afford new ones. Finally, my
favorite act of charity that our school performs is donating
money to Advent children before Christmas. Each class
“adopts” a child and shoppers buy gifts the child needs and
some from his or her wish list, so he or she, too, can get
presents for Christmas.
Our school puts the needs of the
community before all others.
We give our time, money and prayers to benefit those
in need as Jesus taught us. I am proud to be an eighth
grader at this amazing school. I know deep in my heart that
the families of Immaculate Conception School truly love each
other and that we are being stewards of God’s people and the
beautiful world with which we have been blessed. |
As the last week
of January approaches, Catholic schools around the world prepare to
celebrate Catholic Schools Week.
It is a time each year when we honor the mission of Catholic
Schools to educate young people in faith and knowledge, who go forth to
serve the Church, and the community. We remember all those who are
involved in Catholic education and the service that Catholic schools
perform throughout the school year The
2009 theme, Catholic Schools Celebrate Service, is a different approach
from the usual as it calls for reaching out and taking action in
response to the needs of the local and global communities. While the
global responsibility of Catholic service seems overwhelming, every
Catholic can make a difference in his or her local community. Our call
comes from Jesus’ life, works, and words. Baptized in His name, we are
expected to carry on the work that He performed in the world. No doubt, all
Catholic school communities have planned approaches for engaging their
student bodies in service projects. Often these projects center on the
Advent season which naturally lends itself to responding to the needy.
Lent is another season for planning service or works of charity
connected to sacrificing.
The issue of Catholic service to the community is not a seasonal
activity to make one feel good but rather is a year-round commitment to
our brothers and sisters in need. As the
Immaculate Conception Mission Statement declares, “Our community
services projects bring life to our mission and witness to our faith.”
I personally embrace this Catholic mission of service. Within the
I. C. community, I donate canned goods which are sent to the Marlborough
Food Pantry to help those who are hungry. I bring in socks, shampoo, and
other necessities which are brought to the Homeless Shelter. During
Christmas and other holiday seasons, my classmates and I decorate cards
for the elderly. In my own
family and in my classroom, we “adopt” a child during Advent for whom we
buy Christmas gifts because his or her family is, sadly, not able to
supply him or her with any. Each year, there
are definite reasons for the theme of Catholic Schools Week. This year’s
theme helps one understand why Jesus taught us the lesson of
compassionate service to others. In my service to others, I have come to
realize how fortunate I am in life compared to those I have helped. I
also realize that at some point in my life, I may need the kindness of
others as well. I believe
that Jesus taught us this lesson because He wants us all to be
compassionate towards each other, to be thankful for our blessings, and
to give the gift of service to others. Without Mrs. McCook, Father
Michael, Father David, and my teachers over the past ten years, I would
not be able to embrace the true meaning of what compassionate service
truly is. I would like to
thank all of you. I now have
a heightened awareness of the challenges that all of God’s children face
throughout their lives and how our choice to help one another can make a
difference in each and every one of our lives. |
Catholic Schools Week Internet Trivia Search Contest Winners
As part of Catholic Schools Week, students in grades 5-8, in Mr. Belair’s Technology class participated in a CSW Internet Trivia Search Contest. It was designed to increase their appreciation for the value of their Catholic education and increase awareness of the purposes for celebrating CSW and its history. Prizes were awarded at the conclusion of the Catholic Schools Week liturgy celebrated on February fourth to: Loan Vuong and Catherine Zacchilli grade 8, Laura Cattarin, grade 7, Skye Chalmers, Lauren Rich, Jason Short grade 6 and Alexander Cronin, grade 5. Congratulations!
More Pictures from Catholic Schools Week