St. Paul School celebrating Catholic Schools Week

The pandemic isn't stopping St. Paul School from celebrating Catholic Schools Week.

There's no spaghetti dinner, no carnival, no in-person Family Fun Night and no volleyball game pitting students vs. faculty, but the theme of Faith, Excellence and Service will remain through other activities, both this week and throughout the year.

"Catholic Schools Week gives us a chance to celebrate and showcase what we do every week of the year at St. Paul School," Principal David Pancurak said.

The parochial school for pre-K through sixth grade has been serving students in the Salem area on East State Street since 1904.

That's 117 years of shaping the minds, bodies and spirits of students to carry forward a life of service to others and their communities.

St. Paul School is the only school in the area to earn the Ohio STEM Designation for its incorporation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in all studies, teaching students problem solving and teamwork with a hands-on approach. The school also incorporates religion and arts for a STREAM experience.

Catholic Schools Week kicked off Sunday, with students asked to either attend Mass in person or virtually.

Today the focus is community, with an all-school book kickoff with teachers reading the first chapter of "Nim's Island" in their classrooms and students treated to breakfast. Students will receive a STEM design challenge related to the book.

Students are also kicking off the Food Drive Challenge to benefit the Salem Salvation Army. Different food items have been assigned point values, with students earning points for the items they collect. Those points will be combined for prizes based on overall point totals. For 500 points, every student will receive a candy treat at lunch; 1,000 points earns an ice cream treat for every student; 1,500 points equals an all-school movie and popcorn afternoon; and 2,000 points results in all-school spirit wear day.

Monetary donations for the food drive will be accepted via check written to St. Paul School with food drive in the memo line or through Venmo: @SaintPaulSchoolSALEM with food drive indicated in the notes.

On Tuesday, the focus is the students, with a writing or drawing activity on why they like St. Paul School. Students will take home a Family Fun Night bag equipped with a game family members can play together, a packet of cookie mix for baking cookies and a St. Paul School pizza kit with dough, sauce, cheese and pepperoni.

Students focus on faith on Wednesday with a virtual school Mass and completion of a project to decorate classroom doors for different saints.

Thursday will celebrate vocations, with a Zoom question and answer session with Father Bob Edwards and Sister Adele, along with Catholic brain activity.

Faculty, staff and volunteers will be the focus Friday as students participate in all school virtual bingo. For the final day on Saturday, students will be encouraged to do something with their family and share a picture of the activity.

Pancurak said students also plan to work on self portraits that will be placed in the roped-off pews at St. Paul Church.

The school is back to in-school learning, except for a few families on remote. Since the beginning of the school year in September, he said no students or teachers have tested positive for the coronavirus, but some have had to quarantine because of other family members.

At least 50 students have had to quarantine at one time or another due to contact tracing. One staff member has been under quarantine due to contact tracing. Pancurak said students and staff can switch back and forth between in-person and on-line learning flawlessly.

Even with the pandemic, he's still offering tours, but they have to take place after school when all students are gone. Students are compiling a virtual tour to show what St. Paul School has to offer.

"Our enrollment has gone up 20 percent this year," Pancurak said.

The numbers in grades kindergarten through sixth grade increased from 89 to 106, and with pre-school, the total enrollment is 115.

Scholarships are available. To learn more, check the school's Facebook page or call the school at 330-337-3451.

mgreier@salemnews.net