Archbishop Walsh Academy to celebrate Catholic Schools Week

The month of January is a gloomy and cold time of the year for Western New York.
Luckily, for Archbishop Walsh Academy and Southern Tier Catholic School, Mary Lou Plesac,
Director of Spiritual Life and first grade teacher at Southern Tier Catholic, is in charge of
planning a week of activities for students to celebrate their Catholic education and school while
the snow continues to pile up outside.
Setting aside a week each year to celebrate our schools I think is important, said
Plesac. It gives us a chance to highlight the importance of having Catholic schools as a choice
in this country and community, and it gives us the opportunity to change up our normal schedule,
adding some fun and special spiritual activities for students and staff.
The president of Archbishop Walsh and Principal, Thomas Manko, said that the schools
emphasize special values within the community.
Archbishop Walsh and Southern Tier Catholic enjoy a unique position of being the only
Catholic schools in the greater Olean area, said Manko.
STCS and Walsh emphasizes Catholic Virtues and Christian Community as a living
experience. It teaches each student to learn, love learning and be a LIGHT.
LIGHT, is an acronym for the values students at both schools are encouraged to live
by:

Live a life of faith

Impact the world through service, responsible citizenship and social justice
Grow continuously and strive for excellence
Honor each persons unique giftedness and

Treat all people with love, kindness and respect.

Nancy Crawford, a fourth grade teacher at Southern Tier Catholic, also finds importance
in taking the time to show pride in their school.
Catholic Schools offer a unique opportunity for every student to be exposed to the
Gospel values of Jesus, said Crawford. Catholic school students then are empowered to truly
know, love and serve the person of Jesus and to spread that knowledge and love to the
community.
With Archbishop Walsh and Southern Tier Catholic being the only Catholic school in the
area, the school has become a special place for students and staff.
I tell my students that being a part of a Catholic school will provide a foundation for
them that will last a lifetime, making them an asset to society, the Church and the world, said
Crawford.
During Catholic Schools Week, students will participate in a variety of events including a
Safe Teen Coalition Assembly and a hat and silly sock day. The fifth-sixth graders also will
spend a day in Buffalo, visiting the Kleinhans Music Hall and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.