PROVIDENCE - Legislators got a taste of the hospitality of Catholic schools March 22 as they stopped by tables loaded with tasty treats and manned by teachers, administrators, students and parents from dozens of Catholic high schools and elementary schools in the diocese.
The event was the seventh annual Catholic School Day celebration at the State House, designed specifically to highlight the quality of education in Catholic schools and the real impact their presence in communities has, locally and statewide. In the booths, representatives from the schools not only passed out promotional material, but they also provided sandwiches, desserts and other treats to legislators stopping by the tables on their way to various committee meetings.
The atmosphere was one of excitement as students engaged in page-led tours of the State House, exchanged monogrammed pens and pencils and visited other tables where they sampled a variety of offerings from their Catholic school counterparts.
Alyssa Carroll, a seventh grader at St. Augustine School in Providence, said promoting her school is easy. "It has good sports teams," she said. As a member of the girls' cross country Central Division champs with an undefeated record for the second year in a row, Carroll said anyone wanting to participate in track or cross country or basketball programs in the Catholic Athletic League should attend St. Augustine. It has a winning history oh, and they'll receive a good education, too, she added.
As they handed out Kit Kats to those stopping by their table, fellow St. Augustine School students Caitlin Page, Grade 7, and her sister Meagan, Grade 5, said they were enjoying their time at the State House. They especially enjoyed meeting students from the other schools.
Manning the tables was, in many cases, a family affair. Parents and grandparents joined their children's teachers and principals at the State House, to highlight the value of a Catholic school education and the difference it has made in their own child's life. Many of the home-baked goods were made by moms and grandmothers of the students.
The involvement of families in the activities that day didn't surprise Paula Unsworth, assistant principal of Mercymount Country Day School in Cumberland. "Family is what Catholic schools are all about," she said.
Valerie Pecchia, a kindergarten teacher at St. Matthew School in Cranston, said she has taught in the school for seven years and she loves the diversity of the students there. The principal, Elaine P. Dykstra, allows the teachers flexibility to adjust their curriculum to correspond to the needs of the students, she said.
June Spencer, principal of Blessed Sacrament School in Providence, praised the event at the State House as "a wonderful opportunity to show the great things Catholic schools do."
Dr. David M. Beaudoin, secretary for Catholic Education, Spiritual Formation and Evangelization, said Catholic schools have made "real progress" in tooting their own horns, and deservedly so. "Catholic schools are good places for kids and families and they make a real difference in communities," he said.
(This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal)
