SIDNEY—Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2017 is Jan. 29 to Feb. 4. The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2017 is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.” Schools typically observe the annual celebration week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to our church, our communities and our nation.

The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2017 is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

At Lehman Catholic High School, Catholic Education Week activities actually begin on Saturday, Jan. 28, with the school’s annual Foundation Banquet. Best-selling author and inspirational source of the Blind Side, Leigh Anne Tuohy is the keynote speaker.

Monday, Jan. 30, is designated as Faculty Appreciation Day at Lehman. The Lehman administration will provide lunch for teachers and staff members.

Tuesday, Jan. 31, Sixth-graders from Lehman’s partner Catholic elementary schools – Holy Angels School in Sidney, Piqua Catholic School, St. Mary School in Greenville, St. Patrick School in Troy, Holy Rosary School in St. Marys, and Immaculate Conception School in Celina will visit Lehman. The sixth graders will participate in a prayer service, tours, ice-breakers, and lunch with Lehman student ambassadors.

Wednesday, Feb. 1, Lehman Student Council officers and their adviser Melissa Safreed will travel with Lehman Chaplain the Rev. James Riehle to St. Peter Church in Huber Heights to participate in Dayton-Area Catholic Schools Mass.

Thursday, Feb. 2, has been designated “Student Appreciation Day.” Students will be permitted to wear jeans and will be treated to breakfast by homeroom teachers.

Friday, Feb. 3, will be the Mass of St. Blaise, The Blessing of the Throats, a sacramental of the Roman Catholic Church, celebrated on Feb. 3, the feast day of Saint Blaise of Sebaste.

Sunday, Feb. 5, the school will host the induction of new members into the Lehman Chapter of the National Honor Society. The ceremony for NHS members, new students who have been selected, and parents begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel on campus.

“Everyone in our Lehman community is invited to join us for Mass on Friday of Catholic Schools Week,” said Lehman Principal Denise Stauffer. “We want to thank everyone for continued support of Lehman Catholic High School and your dedication to helping to provide a Catholic education for students in our area.”

The logo and theme for the week, developed for NCSW, was in response to member requests for a theme and logo that would last more than a year, the new theme will be used for at least three years. This will provide opportunities for schools to brand the week and their ongoing marketing activities with repeated mentions and use of a consistent logo. The theme encompasses several concepts that are at the heart of a Catholic education.

First, schools are communities—small families in their own right, but also members of the larger community of home, church, city and nation. Faith, knowledge and service are three measures by which any Catholic school can and should be judged. The logo features a swirl of colors interacting around a cross, which is at the center of all Catholic education. The vibrancy of the colors and the movement and shadows in the logo portray the inner-connectivity and community life that are present in our Catholic schools.

This year marks the 43rd celebration of Catholic Schools Week which was begun in 1974 as a joint project of the NCEA, the world’s largest private professional education association, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Area Catholic schools will join others around the nation for the annual celebration of Catholic education. Area Catholic schools are under the umbrella of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which is the eighth largest network of Catholic schools in the United States. It covers 19 counties in southwest Ohio and enrolls over 28,000 students in 89 elementary schools and 24 secondary schools.