SNS Celebrates Catholic Schools Week
As is tradition, the 2021 Catholic Schools Week began with a Sunday morning opening mass. Our pastor, Fr. Steve Albero, shared the following thought “As we begin to celebrate Catholic Schools Week this week, we celebrate the fact that our school, all Catholic schools, teach our students to love one another, to respond to each other with care and dignity, and recognize their own power and authority within.” At SNS, we know these words ring so very true.
Participants in the opening mass included readers John S. (7th grade) and Liam F. (8th grade) and altar server Greg S. (6th grade). Eighth graders Gabriella H. and Gracie K. delivered the thank you message to the parish on behalf of the school. It was wonderful to have SNS alumnae ‘18 Gabriella P. cantor during the mass.
Many school families, teachers, staff and St. Norbert parishioners gathered together virtually to pray the rosary on Sunday evening for the health and recovery of former St. Norbert Parish pastor, Fr. Mike Lee. Sadly, our beloved Father Lee passed away, but we will always remember his words to our students at every mass and school celebration: “God loves you.”
SNS may have been closed on the first day of Catholic Schools Week, but our students were engaged in real life academics – creating snow angels for religion class, testing snowball velocity in math, and observing the melting point of marshmallows in hot chocolate for science. Extra credit was given for random acts of kindness like shoveling driveways for neighbors.
Service Day is ALWAYS the SNS students’ favorite day of Catholic Schools Week. This year, our students dug through their coin jars and flipped sofa cushions to bring in nickels to celebrate Peter C. and Rylee M., two children in the local community, who are undergoing treatment for cancer. It was truly our school’s honor to support Peter and Rylee and their families during SNS’ annual Nickels to Knock Out Cancer Event.
The fun continued on Thursday when HASA spoiled the faculty and staff with a catered lunch on Teacher Appreciation Day. The teachers truly enjoyed the delicious meal and special treats. HASA turned right around to treat all the students the next day to ice cream and water ice in celebration of Student Appreciation Day.
SNS had its own “Souper” Bowl celebration during CSW with the students donating 361 cans of soup to honor the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. No matter who won Super Bowl LV, the real winner is the St. Norbert Parish Outreach Program who received all the students’ soup donations.
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Despite the constraints of the pandemic, St Norbert School was able to have another successful Catholic Schools Week celebrating Catholic education at SNS!