St. Sebastian students ready for Catholic Schools Week

By Christine Haines

chaines@yourmvi.com

Special events will be held through Saturday to mark Catholic Schools Week at St. Sebastian Regional Catholic School in Belle Vernon, but students at the school have been doing special things for the community the entire school year.

They have participated in several charitable drives, raising money for cancer awareness, sending cards to veterans and gathering supplies for an animal shelter.

“It’s a way of giving back to our communities for all they do for us,” principal Carole Aiello said. “If we can do for others, that’s important, even if it’s something small. It can make a difference for someone else.”

Community Day will be held Wednesday, giving students the opportunity to dress casually if they make a monetary donation to benefit the St. Vincent DePaul charity in Monessen. The students are used to special event Wednesdays to help others.            

They participated in “Pink-Out Wednesdays” in October, raising more than $1,000, which was divided between the National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation  and Team Livi, a fundraiser for Olivia Sealy, a 10-year old from Hiller  who is battling a rare form of brain cancer.

Every Wednesday in December, the students supported a different organization through donations. One Wednesday, everything that was collected — including many gifts and $200 — went to the affiliate programs of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Other Catholic Schools Week events include Vocation Day, with students dressing up like what they want to be when they’re adults, Nation Day, with students wearing red school polos with blue jeans, 100th Day with students dressing like they are 100 years old or making a 100th Day T-shirt, and Volunteers/Staff Day, with students wearing school uniforms.

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