BY JOY MARQUARDT
CONTRIBUTOR
The theme of “Faith, Excellence and Service” commemorates National Catholic Schools Week at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Tomahawk Jan. 29 – Feb. 4, 2023, with a full schedule of activities.
“For Catholic Schools Week, I look forward to seeing how the kids respond to the different activities we plan and how they just want to be involved,” said teacher and Interim Principal Juanita Skubal, who has served the school for more than 18 years.
A Mass to celebrate the week takes place Sunday, Jan. 29, at 10:30 a.m. at the church, followed by a community gathering with cinnamon rolls served in the Corpus Christi Center.
A spelling bee for grades one through five starts off the school week Monday, Jan. 30, with students competing for a spot in the National Spelling Bee. The winners from St. Mary’s will advance to regional competition.
An all-school retreat with devotions and Adoration takes place Wednesday, Feb. 1, focusing on faith building exercises and worship.
Students from St. Mary’s will travel to St. Francis Catholic School in Merrill, joining students from Rhinelander, Medford, and Merrill on Thursday, Feb. 2, to participate in a Mass presented by Bishop James Powers of the Diocese of Superior.
“Our students really look forward to the Bishop’s Mass every year where they get a chance to see kids from other Catholic schools,” Skubal said.
As a service project for the week, students will be collecting monetary donations for the Ronald McDonald House in Marshfield, with a goal of raising $500 for the charity.
“The kids know it’s the younger kids and their families they are helping out,” Skubal said. “They are learning about kindness and taking care of others, knowing it could be their family that is in need someday.”
Themed dress-up days, snowmen building at Milestone Assisted Living Center, and other activities will round out the week. The week will conclude with Grandparents Day Friday, Feb. 3, with students inviting grandparents and other relatives to school for a special Mass and luncheon.
“The kids enjoy having a special day with their grandparents, showing them what they do in Mass, and experiencing that with them,” said teacher Adam Gessler.
Gessler has taught fourth and fifth grade at St. Mary’s for 7 years and has been a volunteer with the school for more than 13 years.
“I really love the small school atmosphere here,” he said. “I’ve seen some of the kids throughout the years and have seen their growth. You develop a unique bond with all the kids.”
Gessler uses a hands-on approach to learning and has taken his classes on field trips to places such as Tree’s for Tomorrow and Tree Haven to learn about areas outside of the classroom.
“We do a lot more learning outside of the classroom; it’s so beneficial,” he said.
Gessler has built a hydroponic garden in the school, with resources from the Home and School Committee, which is tended by his classes. The garden produced more than 30 pounds of lettuce which was used by the school and donated to other facilities.
“The older kids are mostly responsible for it, but the whole school benefits,” he said.
Gessler’s classes are often paired up with younger students at St. Mary’s, as reading buddies or as partners in school projects.
“His big kids are such good role models for the younger students,” Skubal said. “It warms my heart to see the kids learning from one another and helping each other.”
In addition to teaching Latin as an extracurricular activity for grades two through five, Gessler assists with school service projects, such as garbage pick up on Earth Day, raking leaves for veterans, and making blankets for the American Red Cross.
“The kids are learning that it is not all about them,” Gessler said. “Everyone is created equal, and in the likeness and image of God, we are all the same. They are thinking of others and learning values by treating everyone with dignity and respect.”
Skubal and Gessler are both proud to be alumni of St. Mary’s and continue to keep in touch with some of their former teachers.
“We know what we had when we went to school here, and we want to make sure others have the same opportunity,” Skubal said.
Christi Lobermeier currently has two children attending St. Mary’s and has been a volunteer in the classroom and with various school activities.
“I love the fact that we are allowed to participate and come in to be with the kids,” she said. “It’s nice to see the kids in the activities and see the older kids interacting with the younger ones. The school has such a family feel.”
Lobermeier appreciates the religious aspect of the school as well as the emphasis on kindness, respect, and caring for others.
“They do things as simple as going caroling downtown or going out to smile and wave at cars as they pass by,” Lobermeier said. “Not everyone may be having a great day, so if you can do something to make them feel better, that’s a great lesson to learn.”
Students at St. Mary’s have done a Walk for Virtues and are sponsoring a child from Honduras with money raised from donations on blue jean Fridays and other events.
“We also love the element of prayer and the spirituality at St. Mary’s,” Lobermeier said. “Catholic Schools Week is our celebration of being a small Christian School. I think it instills in the kids a sense of pride in their school.”
The school’s largest fundraising event, the annual Spring Gala, will be held April 21 at the Inshalla Country Club in Tomahawk with a Hawaiian theme. The event features a silent auction, dessert auction, Time and Treasure Raffle, and other activities.
Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year is currently available for all St. Mary’s students and opens to members of its three supporting parishes beginning Jan. 30. Open registration for the community begins Feb. 10. For more information about the school, phone 715.453.3542.
