Local Catholic schools around the area will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week from January 26-31. St. Matthew\u2019s School has scheduled its theme for this year\u2019s event as \u201cMaking a World of Difference.\u201d
\nTeachers worked with the students of St. Matthew\u2019s to make a mural in the main hallway of the school to incorporate this theme. They copied a map of the world and wrote in it how they could make the world a different place or what they like about Catholic Schools Week.
\n\u201cCatholic Schools Week is to recognize all the important values that the kids are taught here: Intellectual, spiritual, moral, physical, and social values,\u201d said St. Matthew\u2019s Principal Jamie DiDomenico. \u201cThe values that they\u2019re taught here, they\u2019re good for a lifetime. That\u2019s supposed to be their foundation, so then hopefully when they face difficult situations, they\u2019re going to have what they learned here at St. Matthew\u2019s to help them deal with the rest of their lives.\u201d
\nThe school focuses on the basics- reading, writing, and math. Also, students explore their spirituality and learn respect for themselves, teachers, and classmates.
\nSt. Matthew\u2019s School currently has nine students enrolled in preschool and 53 enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade. A sixth grade class is possible, depending on enrollment from year to year.
\nSunday mass at 10:30 a.m. starts Catholic Schools Week for St. Matthew\u2019s, with a student-run church service. Then, the school will host an open house from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Parents who are interested in sending a child to St. Matthew\u2019s are invited to attend.
\nEach day throughout the week has a special theme, and each grade has pre-selected a lunch menu for a day.
\nMonday\u2019s theme is \u201cThrough our Staff and Volunteers.\u201d Numerous parents and community members volunteer at the school. The students also volunteer time in service projects.
\n\u201cWe have coffee and doughnuts for anybody who volunteers for the school,\u201d said DiDomenico. \u201cSome parents volunteer in the classrooms, maybe listen to kids read, read to the kids, help with art projects, whatever the teacher wants. Phyllis Johnson is a grandmother, and she comes through the Seniors for Student Literacy Program, and comes three times a week.\u201d
\nThe students also volunteer their time as each grade carries out a service project throughout the school year. First grade goes to Epworth Manor on a monthly basis and brings an art project with them. The first graders sing songs and visit with the residents.
\nSecond graders raise money to save the Rain Forest. Also, they have a book-buddies program with the pre-school.
\nThird grade makes birthday cards for children in the parish who are not in school yet. Fourth and fifth grade is combined, and they go to the Presbyterian preschool on a monthly basis to read books and do an art project with the children.
\nMonday the students will also have a \u201cdress down\u201d day instead of wearing their uniforms, and they can wear a hat of their choice throughout the school day. Also, Mrs. DiDomenico has tickets marked with each student\u2019s name on them. She will draw one ticket out of a bowl every hour, and that student will win a prize.
\nThe next day the theme is \u201cIn Our Nation,\u201d so the students can wear red, white and blue to show patriotism. Also, they are encouraged to bring in non-perishable food items throughout the week to donate to the local food kitchen.
\n\u201cIn Our Community\u201d is the theme for Wednesday as students will make cards for residents of local nursing homes.
\n\u201cIn a way to reach out to the community, all the students make Valentine cards, and then Sister Karen visits Tyrone Colonial Courtyard and Epworth Manor, and she\u2019ll distribute the cards to shut-ins and residents of those places,\u201d said DiDomenico.
\nStudents will also show their school spirit that day by wearing their uniforms and any St. Matthew\u2019s T-shirts, sweatshirts or jackets.
\nThursday students will show their appreciation for teachers as the theme is \u201cThrough Our Teachers.\u201d If they want, students can give a teacher a card or small gift. It is also a day where students can wear their favorite team clothing. A talent show has been scheduled in Harkins Hall at 12:30 p.m.
\n\u201cPretty much anybody can participate in the talent show,\u2019 said DiDomenico.
\nStudents will lip sync to CDs, sing songs, do magic tricks, and play musical instruments.
\nOn Friday, Catholic Schools Week will conclude with the theme \u201cThrough our Students.\u201d Students will have the option to wear an item of clothing inside-out to school. Also, an assembly about the Pennsylvania railroad is scheduled at 1 p.m. in Harkins Hall.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s fun, and the kids do like it,\u201d added DiDomenico of Catholic Schools Week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Local Catholic schools around the area will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week from January 26-31. St. Matthew\u2019s School has scheduled its theme for this year\u2019s event as \u201cMaking a World of Difference.\u201d Teachers worked with the students of St. Matthew\u2019s to make a mural in the main hallway of the school to incorporate this theme. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news-in-the-tyrone-pennsylvania-area"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47415"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47415\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}