NSCW celebrations will not end in January

February 1, 2024 | Sharon Sedlar

National School Choice Week takes place every year during the last full week of January. Next year, NSCW 2025 will be from January 26 through February 1. This week is marked by upbeat and positive celebrations of options in every area – urban, suburban, and rural; district, charter, homeschool, private, microschool, and everything in between. We saw 800 events in PA alone last week with bright yellow scarves, special dances, rallies, school fairs, and too many more to even name. There were 27,211 events nationwide!

This current week is Catholic Schools Week, during which we will hear about the fantastic work that the Catholic School system is doing in serving its students. The National Catholic Education Association has a ton of information about this week, what it means, and its events:

“While faith is the binding element in Catholic schools, the Church reiterates that parents are the first teachers of their children. Holding this tenet, Catholic school communities expand beyond the walls of school buildings to envelop the family as an integral part of the school community. Together teachers, administrators, staff, students, and parents fuel the light of faith by integrating culture with faith and faith with living.”

The National School Boards Association holds Public Schools Week from February 21-25. While limited information is currently available, we will bring it to you upon its release.

Every single school’s accomplishments should be celebrated. Every child should tell why they love their school.

We, as adults, parents, caregivers, and community members need to uplift and celebrate those schools, administrations, teachers, and service providers that serve those children day after day.

This doesn’t mean that we should turn a blind eye to those models or schools that could or should do better for students, however. We need to find practical, holistic ways to bring about positive change for students where needed.

So as we complete the various celebrations of certain school models, let’s not forget that it’s the children who are the focus – their success, their happiness, and their accomplishments. Let’s keep celebrating those.