In celebration of National Catholic Schools Week January 28 through February 3, 2024, Catholic Schools together with parents, fuel the light of faith and academic excellence. It takes a community to nurture the whole person, body, mind, and spirit. Catholic schools around the nation take this week to recognize and celebrate all those that help with the central goal of forming future saints.
In each of the 16 Diocese of Gaylord School buildings, the staff, students, and parishes will celebrate this special week with many fun activities and service projects. Visit your local school’s social media page, website, and parish bulletins for all the details.
United in faith and community, on behalf of the Diocese of Gaylord, we thank you for your role in Catholic Education!
Sunday: Celebrate Your Parish
On this special day, our Catholic Schools Celebrate the support of their Parish Families. Parish support is crucial to our Catholic Schools. It is through the abundance of generosity in funding, prayer, volunteers etc., that helps facilitate the teaching of the whole child, body, mind, and spirit.
Monday: Celebrate Your Community
A central aspect of developing the whole child is fostering the importance of service to others. On this day and throughout the year, our Catholic schools give students the opportunity of seeing the value of helping others, creating life-long patterns of service of others.
Tuesday: Celebrate Your Students
All students contribute to our Catholic Schools in a special way. Catholic Schools help students reflect on key aspects of their education and how by learning, serving, and leading they will succeed throughout their lives.
Wednesday: Celebrate the Nation
As Catholics, we are blessed to live in a Nation that allows faith-based schools. On this day, we pray for our Nation and all those who fought for our freedoms. We also communicate the importance of these freedoms to our government leaders.
Thursday: Celebrate Vocations
Catholic schools work to explore and nurture students’ God-given talents and how they can be used in the service of God and others throughout their lives.
Friday: Celebrate Faculty, Staff and Volunteers
It takes a community of faculty, staff, and volunteers to support our Catholic schools in the important work of educating our children and preparing them for the future.
Saturday: Celebrate Families
Parents, guardians, and other families play an important role in educating our children in the faith. It is through a mutual goal of working together that Catholic schools, parents, and guardians can instill faith, values, and expectations for academic excellence in students.
Why Choose Catholic Schools?
Catholic schools offer academic excellence in a faith-filled environment for students nationwide. National test scores, high school graduation rates, college attendance and other data show that Catholic schools continue to outperform public schools. In many areas around the nation, Catholic School enrollment is on the rise.
Listed below are some national facts and figures that highlight the ongoing excellence in Catholic education.
- There are 5,920 Catholic Schools nationwide.
- 98.9% of students who attend a Catholic School graduate compared to 86% in public schools.
- Staffing Ratio: Elementary 12.1:1, Secondary 10.3:1, National 11.5:1
- 85.2 % of Catholic High School graduates attend a four-year college compared to 43% of Public High School graduates.
“In order that the Catholic school and the Catholic teachers may truly make their irreplaceable contribution to the Church and to the world, the goal of Catholic education itself must be crystal clear. Beloved sons and daughters of the Catholic Church, brothers and sisters in the faith: Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.”
– Message of John Paul II to the National Catholic Educational Association of the United States, April 16, 1979
