Catholic Schools Week takes place this week

Catholic Schools Week 2021 will be celebrated from Sunday 24 January to Sunday 31 January 2021 on the theme ‘Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith and Resilience’

Fr Eddie McGee has arranged to celebrate Mass tomorrow for Catholic Schools' Week.    Your school community, including parents and grandparents, can join in online via the St Mary's University College weblink:   Thursday 28 January 2021 at 12 noon via the St Mary's University College webcam https://churchmedia.tv/camera/st-marys-university

As we live through an unprecedented time of challenge and uncertainty, our faith and our resilience can be tested.
We can ask questions like ‘Will things ever be the same again?’, ‘When can we get back to normality?’, ‘Where is
God in all of this?’ In response to this, we reflect upon how Catholic schools are communities of faith and resilience. In Catholic schools, we are called to support each other and to have faith in the promise of the Good News. Catholic schools are inspired by the belief that God has created each one of us with a capacity to give love and receive love. This love is bound in faith and is more resilient than any virus.
While each Catholic school is such a community, every Catholic school fosters the holistic development of its
students, promotes their wellbeing and offers them cultivation of a deeper, loving relationship with God. Jesus
teaches us to love one another as he has loved us. This week, we celebrate the gifts and talents we have in following Jesus’ teaching. This year we celebrate how we are called to be communities of faith and resilience, through our thoughts, words and actions. In doing so, we live out the meaning of the beautiful hymn Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Where charity and love are, God is there.

Have a look at the resources  in the Home Learning Section and feel free to talk to your child/ren about the resources and activities attached. If your child completes any of the activities please send pictures through Seesaw or send back in with your school pack. If your child would like any of the resource pages printed out, please contact your child's class teacher on Seesaw and arrange a day to collect them at school.

There are different themes each day. Read and pray these reflections together as a family.

MONDAY
Today is the first day of Catholic Schools Week 2021. Today’s theme is about being a Community of Faith. When we think of the school, we think of a community of people. A Catholic school is a special community where
we learn about God’s love for us and the way Jesus teaches us to live. We learn to show God’s love to others by being kind in our thoughts, words and actions.
Lord, help us to live like you taught us to.
Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...

TUESDAY
Today we are asked to think about our school as a Community of Learning. We learn many things in schools. We learn about things like maths, Gaeilge, science, music and art. We learn spellings and tables. But we also learn how to be a good friend. We learn how to be helpful and kind. Jesus’ Golden Rule is to treat others as you would like to be treated. Today we learn to be the best we can be, being kind to ourselves, others and the world around
us.
Lord, help us to live like you taught us to.
Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...

WEDNESDAY
Today we are asked to think about our school as a Community of Love. We especially think of our grandparents. They can be very important teachers who show us how to love, how to be caring and how to share.
They can teach us about the past and about the importance of working hard and doing our best. They can teach us through love. In our Catholic school we try to show that love each day in kind thoughts, kind words and
kind actions. Why don't you make something nice for your Grandparents on this day.
Lord, help us to live like you taught us to.
Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...

THURSDAY
Today we are asked to think about our school as a Community of Resilience. Resilience means how we cope with things even when they get tough. Sometimes we might feel sad or worried about something. A Catholic
school is a place where everyone wants you to feel safe and happy. God wants us to be safe and happy. We can pray and talk to God about our worries. We can also learn ways to help with worries and to feel better. In
our school you are never alone, and will always be cared for.
Lord, help us to live like you taught us to.
Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...

FRIDAY
As Catholic Schools Week comes to a close, we are asked to think about our school as a Community of Hope. We are all children of God, called to live like Jesus asked us. This year we will continue to make this school a
loving place where everyone feels safe, welcome and cared for. We live in the hope that Jesus has shown us the way to live and we can hope to create a future where all people can know God’s love. We can do this through our
kind thoughts, kind words and kind actions.

Lord, help us to live like you taught us to.
Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...