Students say thanks during ‘Catholic Schools Week’

WASILLA — As part of Catholic Schools Week, celebrated the last week of January each year, students from Our Lady of the Valley in Wasilla spent the week thanking community organizations that help them and giving back to those in their community.

This year’s slogan was “Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

Our Lady of the Valley students put the slogan into action during trips to Bishop’s Attic and BP Alaska to thank them for their generous gifts to our school. The students were well received as they performed a concert with a variety of songs.

Students went out into the Palmer community and thanked Bishop’s Attic for its generous grant of $5,639 and toured the facility where the students sang to all present.

While in Palmer, the group continued the blessings and sang for seniors at the Alaska Veterans and Pioneers Home in Palmer and at the Palmer Senior Center.

The highlight of service and giving to others had to be a trip to Bean’s Café, where many patrons heard the students’ voices. Tears of joy filled the eyes of the many hungry and homeless people at Bean’s.

The students went around the room and had a chance to shake hands and share smiles, just to let them know that they are not forgotten and that we pray for them.

Catholic Schools Week ended with a Mass at Sacred Heart Friday morning and a thank you to teachers who give so much of themselves.