Catholic Schools Week Brings Bingo, Dodgeball & More to HFA

Students, faculty and staff at Holy Family Academy celebrated the gift of Catholic education with special activities including dodgeball and a costume contest during the last week in January.
Catholic Schools Week, which spanned January 26^th through February 1^st in 2025, is an annual celebration from the National Catholic Education Association.
 
At HFA, the week began on Sunday, which was themed around celebrating parish life. Many students attended Mass in their uniforms, and at each Mass, one student got behind the ambo to briefly speak on everything they love about Holy Family Academy.
Masses were followed by an Academic Fair in the school gym, where upper school students presented geography, history and science projects to visitors. Some students even dressed up as notable historical figures, including Betsy Ross and Nikola Tesla.
Monday focused on celebrating our teachers, who were treated to a Chick-fil-A lunch by HFA’s Parent-Teacher Organization. Students, meanwhile, came to school dressed up as a favorite teacher or literary character.
At the end of the day, special recognition was given to the four students dressed as Bilbo Baggins, Emily Elizabeth from “Clifford” and HFA’s own Sisters Maria Caeli and Mary Pieta. Several others received honorable mentions, including Clara from “The Nutcracker” and Sherlock Holmes.
The fun continued into Tuesday, which was themed around celebrating our school community. In the afternoon, students and teachers competed in minute-to-win-it games that required them to scoop cotton balls blindfolded, get a cookie from their forehead to their mouth without touching it, and race to stick post-it notes on themselves.
On Wednesday of Catholic Schools Week, which focused on vocations, Holy Family Academy’s priests and religious sisters were given sweet treats to thank them for all they contribute to our community. In addition, Fr. Moriarty hosted Bingo for students in the gym.
Thursday celebrated parents, who were invited to come enjoy lunch with their children before students headed off to a fun-filled afternoon: classroom movies for our lower school and a heated dodgeball tournament for our upper school.
On Friday, the HFA community was encouraged to give back in celebration of our country. Huge boxes of food shelf donations were brought to the St. Louis Park Emergency Program by students decked out in red, white and blue regalia. 
Finally, Saturday closed out a memorable Catholic Schools Week with our annual Sock Hop, open to the entire school community. Parents, staff and students enjoyed social time, refreshments and dancing, all while wearing poodle skirts and bowties.

Each year, Catholic Schools Week brightens up the doldrums of January, and 2025 was no exception! Though we’re sorry it’s behind us, at least we have plenty of time to plan for next year’s costumes.

“Catholic education aims not only to communicate facts, but also to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom.”
-Pope St. John Paul II