Toonies Add Up!

How to Celebrate World Catholic Education Day in your School

May 9, 2013 Marks World Catholic Education Day

On May 9th, Catholic education will be celebrated globally and the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association encourages Canadian Catholic Schools to take part.

World Catholic Education Day is a time for Catholics around the world to take a moment to pause, reflect and pray on the gift that is Catholic education.

With this year’s theme marked as You Will be My Witness, the day is a chance to reflect on how Catholic education has served parents and their children in most nations throughout the world for centuries.

CCSTA’s mandate is to promote excellence in Catholic education across Canada. Representing 80 school boards, the organization puts the spotlight on how Catholic education has helped define Canadian society, serving the nation through faith-based leading and learning. CCSTA also works hard to ensure Catholic education remains attainable for children across the country by offering the Endowment Fund and Toonies for Tuition program.
 
CCSTA Executive Director John Stunt says Catholic education can’t be forgotten or taken for granted.
 
“Accomplishments over the past two centuries of the Canadian Catholic school system, both English and French, have been an integral part of the growth and spirit of Canada,” says Stunt. “The presence of Catholic education is based on the values of peace, justice and respect, values that are inherent to our Canadian identity.”
 
Catholic schools, boards and parishes across Canada are asked to recognize World Catholic Education Day through prayer and celebration on May 9th.

How can you, as an educator, do this?

CCSTA offers a few ideas on how to celebrate WCED in your school:

• Promote awareness of the day by posting WCED posters;
• Mass or prayer service for the whole school; include parents; invite your local trustee or representative;  
• Prayer in each classroom at the same time;
• Have everyone in the school thank another person for making your school a special place/community.
• Call or send student letters to retired teachers and administrators in your area and especially those from your school, to thank them for their work in Catholic education.

As well, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association has generously offered CCSTA to promote WCED and suggest utilizing OCSTA resources from Catholic Education Week. OCSTA has a number of helpful resources to help celebrate Catholic education in Canada.

Visit OCSTA’s website for these resources: http://ocsta.on.ca/CatholicEducationWeek.aspx

We celebrate this year’s WCED on May 9, 2013; every day through our teaching and learning we proclaim God's word as help to form and transform the world.