While walking through the halls of Our Lady of the Assumption School (OLA) in Beloit, it’s difficult to miss the beautiful icons that sit atop student lockers.
The saintly icons are an effective reminder to students and staff of role models who have persevered in their faith and grown in relationship with Christ.
One of the most beautiful icons is a representation of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s apparition to St. Juan Diego, where the saint is depicted kneeling before the Blessed Mother.
It’s cool to pray
For Catholic Schools Week this year, OLA wants to “set the tone for the week,” said Principal Trevor Seivert.
Seivert highlighted the fact that, “It is cool to know God. It’s cool to know Jesus, it’s cool to go to Mass on Sunday, and it’s cool to pray to the saints.”
“Our world has said that it is not cool [to do these things] and you should be embarrassed,” he continued, but “[We want] to set the tone.”
The icons that decorate OLA are year-round examples that show, counter to today’s culture, amazing things happen when you pray, when you dedicate your life to God.
Much to be thankful for
For OLA, Catholic Schools Week is a “way to reward the students for working so hard to serve their neighbors,” said Jon Nelson, director of marketing at the school.
During the week, OLA is planning a talent show, scavenger hunt, all-school movie, and an eighth grade versus faculty dodgeball game.
Another unique privilege granted during Catholic Schools Week is to the student council, who decides the lunch menu throughout the week.
Chuckling, Seivert has made sure to say, “No, we have to have more than just pizza the entire week.”
In addition to the school’s families, OLA has a lot to be thankful for, including: The school’s teachers, volunteers, and supporters.
One thing Seivert is particularly thankful for are the taco fundraisers, which take place on the third Sunday of each month at the parish.
The money raised “goes directly to our tuition assistance,” said the principal, and besides supporting a good cause, the tacos “are really, really good.”
Our Lady of the Assumption School in Beloit serves the families of Pastorate 12, which includes the parishes in Beloit and Clinton.
The school, which was originally built in 1953, has undergone major additions throughout the school’s history. Today, the school offers classes for students from 3K through eighth grade.
Many students come from parishes within the pastorate, but some students travel from across the Illinois border in order to attend the school.
For more information on Our Lady of the Assumption School, visit school.olabeloit.com.