In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, marked nationally from January 27 to February 2 this year, St Rose of Lima School held a range of activities and events.

The school’s celebrations began with a Knowledge Bowl assembly on January 25, overseen by science and religion teacher Valerie Petrillo. After all of the students were assembled in the school’s gymnasium for the event, Principal Bardhyl Gjoka explained the Knowledge Bowl was this year’s kick-off for Catholic Schools Week celebrations. The entire student body was divided into four teams for the event, and they faced off in grade-level rounds to answer trivia questions before their opponents. According to Mrs Petrillo, the winning team will defend its title near the end of the school year by participating in athletic games.

A Pep Rally then began Catholic Schools Week officially at St Rose on January 28, when the entire school community sat in a circle around the perimeter of the Monsignor Weiss Gathering Hall. The school’s cheerleaders demonstrated a cheer before student athletes were honored. The Pep Rally concluded with the school’s annual pig race, which has educators race their class or department’s electronic stuffed animal pig against other contenders. The winning pig was the fifth grade’s pig, named “Chungas is Amongus.”

Other events for the week included a Community Leader Day on January 29, when leaders from the Diocese of Bridgeport and town visited the school. A Faculty VS Eighth Grade volleyball game was postponed from January 30 to February 6 due to a school weather cancellation, and a planned story and craft outing to C.H. Booth Library for January 31 was postponed to February 7, also due to the weather. Teacher Appreciation Day was held on February 1, closing out the week’s planned celebrations.