Catholic Schools' Week a Success

OWATONNA — Catholic Schools Week 2017 turned out to be another success for St. Mary’s School in Owatonna, as the school blended service, fellowship, and fun with aplomb.

“The weather was cooperative,” which allowed St. Mary’s to fulfill “the planned activities each day,” said Kathleen Segna, St. Mary’s principal. “We also had enough snow and cold weather for teachers who had planned an outdoor activity, such as sledding or skating.”

As is usually the case, one of the week’s highlights was the winter carnival. The school’s junior high students design a variety of games, run them, and also take younger students around to the various activities.

The games are to be “fun and creative,” but also appropriate for students of all ages, said Stacey Ginskey, a sixth-grade teacher at the school. A core value of St. Mary’s is interaction and mentoring between younger and older students, and “it’s pretty awesome.”

“We’re one big happy family here,” she said. “That’s what makes us us, what makes St. Mary’s St. Mary’s.”

For a majority of the junior high students, the best part of the winter carnival is spending quality time with their younger counterparts, teacher Chris Smith said late last month.

“Another endearing lesson for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students is that life is not all about them, and that we are to use or gifts and talents to benefit the common good,” said Smith.

Dani Robertson was part of a group running a golf ball toss game, one of the appeals of which was that “it’s easy for even young kids to do,” said the eighth-grader. “It’s not too extreme.”

Robertson appreciates the opportunity to assist the school’s youth during the winter carnival, and she said Thursday the highlight of her week would likely be the trip Friday to Grand Slam in Burnsville.

“Everyone says (Grand Slam) is really fun,” she said. “I want to jump on the trampoline and get some food.”

Samantha Liebl, a sixth grader, was on a team supervising “a parachute game,” she explained. With the parachute, students could engage in several games, from “sharks and minnows” to “cat and mouse.”

The massive trampoline is a terrific tool because numerous students — of all ages — can play with it at the same time, she said. Liebl and her classmates made heavy use of a parachute during gym classes when they were younger, and “everyone enjoyed it.”

The highlight of Liebl’s week came Tuesday during the school’s talent show, when she sang Rachel Platten’s hit “Fight Song,” she said. In fourth grade, she sang “When I’m Gone,” and she performed a dance in fifth grade.

Despite those experiences performing in front of her classmates, she was still nervous for this year’s show, she said. Nevertheless, “I think it went well.”

“The talent show was phenomenal this year,” Ginskey said. “It really gives students a chance to shine.”

Segna concurred, calling the talent show one of her favorite parts of the week. Even the St. Mary’s teachers got into the show, performing a synchronized swimming act to give the show and students “a surprise ending.”

Izzy Leonard was assisting with a “super hockey shot” game Thursday, and she called the annual winter carnival a “cool” experience. Like many of her classmates, however, the best part of her week was still to come, Friday’s trip to Grand Slam.

Unlike Robertson, Leonard has visited Grand Slam before, she said. “There’s a variety of choices” there, and she was most excited to play laser tag.

Service is also a pivotal part of Catholic Schools Week at St. Mary’s, Ginskey said.

“Every grade does something really good,” Ginskey said.

For example, her students partnered with second graders to craft tie blankets, which will be donated to Beds for Kids. Other service projects of the week included kindergarten readiness students creating Valentines for nursing home residents and third graders doing the same for veterans.

For St. Mary’s, Catholic Schools Week started January 29 with a pancake breakfast in the cafeteria, as well as an open house. The week closed Sunday with family bingo in the cafeteria.

Treats and snacks families could take home and enjoy during Sunday’s Super Bowl, won in shocking comeback fashion by the New England Patriots over the Atlanta Falcons, were the bingo prizes, Segna said. “We began our special week with a family time, and we ended our week with a family time.”