St. Paul Catholic School welcomed the community with open arms during their open house on Sunday, January 28.
The open house is a big part of Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration to honor Catholic education that always commences on the final Sunday in January and runs for one week.
Debbi Czapla, the pre-kindergarten teacher at St. Paul Catholic School, has been there for 27 years. As not only a teacher but also a parent of children who also came through St. Paul, she discusses how this open house brings excitement to the community.
“The open house gives the public a chance to come see our classrooms, learn about the curriculum and the different activities we have to offer,” Czapla said. “It’s always a really fun week because we’re coordinating with the community.”
Parents had the opportunity to meet teachers and members of the church. Tours were available to help guide families that were unfamiliar with the school.
“Our Junior National Honor Society kids are here to lead the tours,” Czapla said. “It’s really cool because we know how important the school is to them and it’s nice to give them an opportunity to speak about their experiences with some of these classes.”
Lisa Hughes, principal at St. Paul Catholic School, has experienced an increase in students since she came to the school. She’s always motivated to make the community more alert to what their school has to offer.
“When I first came here, we had about 220 students,” Hughes said. “This year, we were sitting around 275 students. We want to continue showing people the wonderful things that Catholic schools do. This day is about letting families come in to see the school and create awareness with the hope of bringing in more new faces.”
On top of the open house, St. Paul Catholic School has big plans for the upcoming days as well. Donna Shane, kindergarten teacher at St. Paul Catholic School, discusses what to expect for the remainder of Catholic Schools Week.
“Throughout the week, we have several fun activities for the kids where they can dress in pajamas and another mass celebration with the family on Friday. We’re also doing many outreach programs because that is a big focus on our Catholic identity.”
In the spirit of a Catholic identity, Shane highlights how the school provides opportunities for families to work together and support St. Paul Catholic School.
“Our parents are required to do volunteer hours,” Shane said. “While that is mostly for fundraising, it also allows our new and current parents to build that family atmosphere with a common goal to make our school the best that it can be.”
The open house during Catholic Schools Week is always a popular time of the year for teachers and families alike. Vanessa Pentangelo, pre-kindergarten aide at Saint Paul Catholic School, emphasizes why she appreciates this day.
“I enjoy getting to see what each grade is doing and what to look forward to,” Pentangelo said. “My kids are always excited to see the classroom and the open house does a good job at helping break the ice for everyone.”
Everyone in attendance was able to see what values the school promotes. Father Doug Mayer, pastor at St. Paul Catholic Church, shared how both the church and school educate the community and create a unified family.
“Christian education includes faith-based learning as well as the regular academics of life to form us as people who look at the world from the eyes of kingdom values,” Father Doug said. “It’s a celebration of what we’re doing to not only help the children but also the vision that parents and families in the church have. This is a gift that we have to offer in the community and it will make a transformative difference in the lives of those that we are forming.”
For more information on St. Paul, you can visit their website.