The principals and planners at Butler County's Catholic schools are hoping for a warmer reception for this year's National Catholic Schools Week.

This year's week runs Jan. 26 through Feb. 1 with the theme of “Learn, Serve, Lead and Succeed.”

Michelle Peduto, director of Catholic schools for the Pittsburgh Diocese, said, “The beauty of Butler County Catholic schools is they are in communities spread over the county.

“They are providing access to Catholic education beyond the suburbs and into the rural areas,” she said.

Butler Catholic School Principal Sister John Ann and Kathy Dudley, director of development at the school at 515 E. Locust St., hope the weather cooperates for this year's slate of Masses, open houses and other activities planned for students, parents, parishioners and members of the community.

Butler Catholic's 237 students are enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade and another 38 are in the preschool program.

Last year subzero temperatures during Catholic Schools Week forced schools to close and put some scheduled activities on ice.

Sister John Ann and Dudley hope the weather cooperates during the planned 1:15 p.m. Monday Mass that will be celebrated in the school's gym by Bishop David Zubik, head of the Pittsburgh Diocese.

“That's the biggie. That's something we haven't had in a while,” said Sister John Ann. “This also ties in with the 50th anniversary of Butler Catholic school.”

Sister John Ann said last year's cold also canceled plans for state troopers from the Butler barracks to have lunch with students.

This year's trooper lunch is slated for Wednesday.

“Thursday is Junior Achievement day when the parents come in and give information on the businesses they run,” said Sister John Ann.

Other activities planned for the week include different grades having lunch with their parents at school each day during the week, kickball in the gym on Jan. 30 and a Jan. 31 talent show.

Dudley said there will also be an open house for prospective students and their parents from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

An open house and a complimentary pancake breakfast is also planned at Holy Sepulcher School, 6515 Old Route 8 North, Middlesex Township.

Kristine Marsico, the Holy Sepulcher advancement director, said the open house and breakfast would run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday to give parents a chance to see the school that houses 176 students from preschool through eighth grade.

“We'll be doing some fun things through the week,” said Marsico. “We'll be doing a 'Mad Science' assembly. We'll have a skate party, lunch with parents, Junior Achievement, a game day.”

Marsico said the school was also having a Jared Box drive led by first-grade teacher Amanda Lauer to raise toys for children undergoing chemotherapy.

Lauer said, “The Jared Box Project centers around a little terminally ill boy who would take a box of toys to doctor's appointments. He was amazed that other children didn't do the same.”

The Jared Box project was started in 2001 by the children at Our Lady of Victory School in State College to honor their classmate and friend Jared after he died.

Lauer said Holy Sepulcher School students will collect toys and books to be packed into boxes and delivered to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Bonnie Giallombardo, administrative assistant at St. Wendelin Catholic School, 211 St. Wendelin Road, said it will be a very busy week for the 98 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Students will fill all the parts — readings, responses and servers — at St. Wendelin's regular 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday.

There will be a book fair at the school from Jan. 26 through Feb. 1.

Monday is wear pajamas to school day, class saint projects and an afternoon movie.

Students Tuesday will go bowling at Family Bowlaway in Butler.

Wednesday will again see students filling in all the parts during the regular 10:15 a.m. Mass. There will also be an arts showcase and family luncheon.

The week wraps up Feb. 1 with a 4 p.m. Mass attended by school alumni and a reverse raffle to benefit the Mueller Fund school endowment.

Catholic Schools Week will focus on “The Celtic Way” for the 561 students and 98 preschoolers at St. Killian's Parochial School, 7076 Franklin Road, Cranberry Township, according to Stacye DeJulius, the school's director of marketing.

She said the Celtic Way refers to the schools five core virtues.

DeJulius said, “Each day we will celebrate a different core value: respect, compassion, honesty, self-discipline and responsibility.”

Monday kicks off the week with an all-school Mass at St. Killian's Church. At lunch, students will be able to participate in a “Guessing Game” and “Kilian Krafts.” The school day will end with a volleyball game pitting eighth-graders against teachers.

On Tuesday students will dress-in jeans and grade-level color T-shirts for a drone photo of the student body followed by a sock hop in the gym.

Wednesday is spirit wear day ending with grade level-appropriate movies.

Thursday is “Mismatched Dress Down and Crazy Hair Day.” At lunch, students will make Valentine cards for Father Bober to take to local senior home residents. The afternoon will end with an American Heart Association assembly in the gym.

Friday students are invited to dress down in their favorite college or sport team jersey. There will be a middle school spelling bee, a tailgate lunch with the Pirate Parrot complete with a DJ and schoolwide Father Bober bingo.

Across Route 228, at North Catholic High School, the 594 students in grades 9 through 12 will have morning assembly, Monday, according to North Catholic's assistant principal, John Benzing.

There will be a special 8:30 a.m. Mass Wednesday, a “Family Feud” assembly Thursday and a Friday pep rally featuring teacher head shaving and hair dyeing, all part of an effort to raise money for the Children's Home of Pittsburgh.

Erin Harris, the principal of St. Gregory's School, 115 Pine St., Zelienople, said Monday her school's 210 students in kindergarten through eighth grade will take part in a math tournament and math game show.

Tuesday features the annual eighth grade versus staff volleyball game.

Wednesday brings a student science fair in the gym, and Thursday is Literature Day with “book-nics” and hot chocolate while the seventh- and eighth-graders go bowling in the afternoon,

“Friday, we'll have the regular 9:15 a.m. Mass and Saints Alive where the fifth-graders will dress up as saints and tell their stories,” said Harris. “The seventh- and eighth-graders will bake cookies for Meals on Wheels.”