Celebrating Catholic Schools Week 2022 in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington Community
As a Catholic educator for many years, I have participated in a number of Catholic Schools Week activities, and can admit that the excitement around this anticipated week never gets old. The tradition of Catholic Schools Week stems back to 1974 when the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) announced this week as a time to celebrate Catholic education across the United States. The week always starts on the last Sunday in January, this year Catholic schools will celebrate from Sunday, January 30 through Saturday, February 5.
As I have mentioned to our school communities, despite these continued uncertain times, it is important for our school leader, educators, students, and families to use this week to recognize and celebrate all the great achievements in our Catholic schools! It is also a great opportunity for prospective families to learn about the benefits of an education rooted in Gospel values. All of our Catholic schools observe the annual celebration with Masses, open houses, and fun activities for students, families and the community. It is through these events that our schools highlight the value Catholic education provides to our young scholars.
In the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington especially, we have so much to celebrate! With 90 schools from preschools through high schools, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington provides a Catholic education to over 25,000 students. We work hard to make a Catholic education as affordable as possible for any family that desires to send their child to one of our Catholic Schools. During the 2021-2022 school year, the Archdiocese Tuition Assistance Program awarded a total of $6.2M to families across our Catholic schools. Additionally, our Catholic schools provide a rigorous academic curriculum; nearly 70% of students met or exceeded grade-level expectations on the Scantron Performance Series Reading and Mathematics assessment
For all of these reasons and many more, I am very excited to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with our school communities. I am very proud of our educator’s hard work and dedication, each and every day, to help our student’s grow in the Catholic Schools Week 2022 Theme: Faith, Excellence, and Service. I am grateful for each of our families who have chosen to give the gift of a Catholic education to their child. I am also incredibly proud of all of the students across the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington that make our school communities so special and unique with their gifts and talents.
I pray that whether your child currently attends a Catholic school or you are considering a Catholic school for your child, that you have a fruitful and blessed National Catholic Schools Week.
Kelly Branaman serves as the Secretary for Catholic Schools and Superintendent of Schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.