Three years ago, St. Charles Preparatory School created a series of special activities to parallel the themes celebrated nationwide during Catholic Schools Week. With each passing year, the size, success and popularity of these daily activities continue to grow among the students, faculty, parents and alumni. This year is no exception.
Sunday, Jan. 28 marks the beginning of the week with the theme Celebrating Our Parish. In the more than 40 parishes where St. Charles students live and are involved, young men and their family members will be decked out in the school’s official colors of red and white. Alumni and friends of the school have also been encouraged to wear these colors to identify their Carolian heritage.
On Monday, Jan. 29, St. Charles will Celebrate our Students with a friendly Quiz Bowl competition between students and faculty members. Initially, students create teams of four that can also include a faculty member. Gathered in the Robert C. Walter Student Commons, each person is equipped with his own laptop tablet or computer and teams battle against each other using the learning platform “Kahoot!”
The five teams with the highest scores go on to compete against members of the school’s quiz team. This winning team then competes against a group of four faculty members in a Jeopardy-style game with a moderator asking questions and competitors buzzing in to answer. At the end of the allotted time, the team with the most points will win the match and take the Quiz Bowl Trophy!
Tuesday, Jan. 30 has taken on a special significance during Catholic Schools Week. Designated as Celebrate our Nation Day, St. Charles created a special assembly at which it honors the United States. All those alumni, parents, grandparents and friends of St. Charles who have served in the armed forces, police, firefighters and/or as first responders are invited to attend. The morning celebration begins with those in each group processing into the Commons together behind special flags designating their service.
This year, St. Charles is blessed to have 1989 alumnus and Navy veteran Joe Dorrian to serve as our special guest presenter. Dorrian was one of eight St. Charles graduates to enter one of the U.S. military academies in the fall of 1989. The program also includes the Bexley Police Honor Guard and comments by Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler. A reception for the honorees and guests is taking place afterward in the school’s new Frank E. Murphy ’54 Convocation Center.
The school’s patron, St. Charles Borromeo, is also recognized during the program for his unique charisms. One of those is humility: Our community strives to emulate our patron who gave selflessly and without regard to status or prestige.
The second is mercy; trusting in God’s mercy toward us, the school practices the same mercy toward the marginalized.
And finally is the charism of solidarity, which establishes a unity grounded in brotherhood and the celebration of the dignity of the human person.
All three of these traits are also found in the people that serve the country as First Responders and in the military. As St. Charles celebrates its 100th anniversary, the school honors its patron St. Charles Borromeo by living as an example of Catholic education and faith.
Wednesday, Jan. 31 marks a day when the school will Celebrate our Faith. By focusing on the themes of learning, serving and leading, Catholic schools prepare children to succeed by using their God-given talents to the fullest throughout their lives. The day includes a community Mass that all priests of the diocese have been invited to concelebrate in the Walter Student Commons.
Thursday, Feb. 1 is a much-anticipated day that has been devoted to Celebrating Our Community. Students are encouraged to invite parents, grandparents or others who have impacted their Catholic education to join them for a school-wide breakfast buffet served before classes begin.
Friday, Feb. 2 is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day that includes a buffet breakfast for administrators, faculty and staff members. The students are treated to a dress-down day.
The week wraps up on Sunday, Feb. 4 with one of the school’s most anticipated and beloved events: the annual St. Charles Spaghetti Dinner. The event is hosted by the St. Charles Alumni Association with the family and staff of Berwick Manor managing the cooking duties. Alumni, students, and parent volunteers oversee all of the other duties with more than 1,000 people expected to attend and enjoy a great Italian meal. As an extra treat, the St. Charles Jazz Band, under the direction of Rick Brunetto, plays two different sessions during the afternoon to entertain the diners.
The week includes in numerous ways all those who have influenced the life of the school. That influence is experienced every day, and seven days is still not enough time to express praise to God and appreciation to all who have made that possible.