St. Rose of Lima enjoys Catholic Schools week
St. Rose of Lima school students went bowling in their pajamas as part of the celebration of Catholic Schools Week.
EPHRATA - Students at St. Rose of Lima school celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a mix of community service projects, dress-up days and school activities.
St. Rose of Lima school is the only Catholic school in the northern Columbia Basin, said principal Amy Krautscheid. Enrollment is 78 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and 103 students counting the preschool, she said.
St. Rose students visited the assisted living facility at Columbia Basin Hospital and gave manicures to the residents, then helped them paint their fingernails. Others built wooden crosses which they will donate to the Ephrata American Legion Post; Legion members put the crosses out on the graves of veterans on Memorial Day. Later in the week the students painted the crosses white.
Every student at school was allowed to wear their pajamas to school on one day, and everyone wore their pajamas to the bowling alley. Everyone dressed up in their nicest clothes when the school honored the teachers.
Grandparents were recognized with a barbecue and talent show, and on Saturday parents and students gathered for dinner and a movie.
St. Rose of Lima was founded in 1958 by the Sisters of Providence, who wanted to provide educational options for families in the area, especially military families, Krautscheid said. The nuns no longer serve as the teaching staff, she said; the sisters are concentrating on providing education options for parents in underprivileged urban areas.
It was named for the already-exisiting Catholic church in town; St. Rose lived in Lima, Peru in the early days of Spanish settlement. The school accepts students who aren't Catholic, she said.
If parents are going to pay tuition they should get their money's worth, and that means a focus on academics, Krautscheid said. The school can provide an option for parents who want moral and religious discussions in ways not allowed in public schools, she said.
The school is in the Yakima Diocese, and the current bishop, Joseph Tyson, is committed to the idea that all children who want a Catholic education should get it, Krautscheid said. Enrollment for the 2013-14 school year will be opening next month, with information nights for curious parents.
The diocese has a scholarship program, and parents who want more information can contact Krautscheid at the school, 509-754-4901.
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