National Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States in which schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to our church, communities, and nation. This year's celebration takes place beginning this week January 27 – February 2, 2019.

The theme is "Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed."

Since 1874, St. Mary Academy - Bay View has been educating girls and young women, providing an all-girls education inspired by Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. Our commitment to empower each student to be a confident, compassionate, independent, and socially conscious young girl and woman, is rooted in the Gospel and exemplified through the Catholic faith and the Mercy charism.

Our Academy positions its students to achieve academic excellence in an environment that is steeped in the core values of compassion and service. By promoting leadership, inquiry, and innovation, we are dedicated to the forward-thinking development of a holistic education that encourages and values social responsibility and global awareness.

Daily themes for National Catholic Schools Week include:

Sunday – Celebrating Your Parish
Catholic schools benefit all year long from the religious guidance, prayers and support parishes provide. Many parishes join in the National Catholic Schools Week celebration by devoting a Mass to Catholic education. Schools start the week by inviting parishioners and community members to parish-centered events and school open houses that feature their outstanding academic programs, religious education and service opportunities.

Monday – Celebrating Your Community
A central aspect of Catholic education is learning the importance of service to others. When students take part in service activities—both local and beyond—they demonstrate the values and faith they gain through their Catholic education and learn how to make the world a better place. When they observe how others serve the community, they gain an appreciation for how they can continue to serve others their entire lives.

Tuesday - Celebrating Your Students
Schools celebrate students during National Catholic Schools Week by planning enjoyable and meaningful activities for them and recognizing their accomplishments. They encourage students to reflect on the benefits of Catholic education and how the grounding in faith, knowledge and service it provides will help them throughout their lives.

St. Mary Academy - Bay will hold an Upper & Middle School Liturgy in Mercy Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, January 29th, 2019 at 9:30 AM and a Lower School Liturgy in McAuley Hall Chapel at 9:30 AM. Fr. Bob Hawkins will be our guest celebrant. The mass is open to Bay View families and alumnae.

Wednesday - Celebrating the Nation
On National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools, students, families, educators and other Catholic school supporters communicate the value of Catholic education to government leaders. They share information with leaders on the significant contributions Catholic schools make to the nation and their role in preparing students to be good citizens. They pray for the nation and recognize all those who serve it.

Thursday - Celebrating Vocations
By focusing on faith, knowledge and service, Catholic schools prepare children to use their God-given talents to the fullest later in life. National Catholic Schools Week offers an opportunity for students to explore the many life paths that enable them to use their talents well in the service of God and others — by answering the call to a religious vocation, by nurturing a family through sacramental marriage, by volunteering in church activities and charities, and/or by pursuing a career that makes the world a better place.

Friday - Celebrating Faculty, Staff and Volunteers
On this day, schools will honor teachers and principals as well as administrators and staff who support them in their important work and thank the parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners and school board members who provide volunteer service.

Parents, guardians and other family members play a vital role in Catholic education. Not only do they volunteer at the school, they instill values and expectations for academic excellence in their children at home. We acknowledge the role of families in Catholic education and celebrate their contributions to the success of our schools on the last day of National Catholic Schools Week and all year long.

For more information on National Catholic Schools Week visit the National Catholic Educational Association's website at https://www.ncea.org/CSW