CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa (WTAJ)–The All Saints Catholic School is ending its Catholic Schools Week celebrations with a mass.

Catholic Schools Week is a national initiative through the National Catholic Education Association to celebrate the excellence and impact of catholic schools. Every year it falls on the last Sunday of January because of the St. Thomas Aquinas celebration.

The week is full of appreciation and faith for everyone who supports their schools. All Saints Catholic School Principal Kathy Maurer said this is an essential week to give appreciation to everyone.

“It is very important because, without all of them, we couldn’t exist,” Maurer said. “We’re not only celebrating us, but we’re also celebrating them for supporting us and for showing our appreciation to them.

The week began Sunday with a mass and ended with their Friday mass and an ice cream party. However, this is the first year since Covid that the school has done various activities during the week.

Eighth Grader Emily Olienyk said it’s a bittersweet year because it’s her last one with the school. She said this year was special because she had more responsibilities and got to bond with her friends.

“I feel like it was much more special than years in the past, especially because since I’m in eighth grade, I’m more responsible and looked up to,” Olienyk said. “I get to do more stuff and responsibility.”

Maurer said there were activities dedicated to the people who support their school. They had a teacher’s lunch, pastries for parents event, family game night and a talent show.

Fourth grader, Trentyn Myersleto, performed piano in the talent show. While he didn’t win anything, he said it was one of his favorite parts of the week.

“I saw gymnastics, and people were telling jokes and playing the guitar,” Myersleto said.

Olienyk said she learned more about her teachers through the quizzes they had one day. She knows when she leaves for high school, she can rely on them to be there for her.

“I learned more about our teachers because we do quizzes about them,” Olienyk said. “I also get to learn more about my faith and my catholic school.”

Maurer said the hope is that students learn how appreciated and blessed they are that they attend a school with so much support.

“We want them to realize why we’re special, and not only they’re getting a good education here,” Maurer said. “We are celebrating our faith, and without the community support and support of our families, everyone else we wouldn’t be able to do that. So we want to say thank you to everybody, and we want to realize what makes us special.”