TOLEDO, Ohio — You won't find students wearing uniforms at St. Joan of Arc School this week. It's one of the perks of Catholic Schools Week. Friendly competition is another.
Classmates squared off on Tuesday in "minute to win it" challenges such as clipboard ping pong and building towers with index cards. There was still a lesson involved through all the fun, though.
St. Joan of Arc student Max Kennedy said the week helps everyone make friends with other students they may not see as often, such as those in different grades.
Audrey Geletka, an eighth-grade student at St. Joan of Arc, agreed: "Learn team-building skills and because we're paired with different grades we're all learning team-building and bonding as a school."
The camaraderie is just one piece of Catholic Schools Week. It's also about appreciation. Students made thank you cards for people in the community who help support them.
The charitability aspect emphasizes how the catholic schools are "part of a bigger mission, Matt Daniels, senior director of the Department of Catholic Education, said.
"It's not just about us in our classroom but it's about how we serve our community and how we live in our parishes and school, how we give back to those communities as well."
About 15,000 students attend a Catholic school across the 19 counties of the Toledo Catholic Diocese. Throughout this week many schools will also host special masses and open houses.
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