blogtcs.com

Several Catholic schools diligently keep us  posted on student and school achievements. Here’s a quick look at some recent happenings:

• 

  Notre Dame seniors Kelly Lafferty, Blaire Buckley and Aaron Slegers enjoy manmade snow in Scottsdale as part of Christmas Spirit Week.

  Christmas spirit week at Notre Dame Prep — Northern Arizona Catholics got snow earlier this week, but Notre Dame students played in it at school today. The school brought in a snow slide. AS far as Christmas spirit in the form of giving, the students wrap up an undergarment drive for Homebase Youth Services Monday.

• Student artwork at Phoenix Art Museum — Students from every grade at Christ the King School in Mesa have 135 pieces, largely religious in nature, on display in the education center. It should be free admission to that building. The pieces were created through the school’s Art Masterpiece program and will be on display at the museum through Dec. 28.
• Seton spirit earns award — For the second year in a row, Seton won a school spirit award from azcentral.com among a host of other sponsors. Results were based on an online “clicking” contest. The students will get a pizza party after the Christmas break.
• A Seton alumna has her first CD available on iTunes. The 11-track “Michael and Me” with Shannon Ryan on vocals, is billed as a rock album.
• St. Mary’s High School and other Catholic and public high schoolers hosted “Smiles of Christmas” for underprivileged students

Some 400 students from five Valley high schools — three of them Catholic — brought an early Christmas celebration for hundreds of underprivileged students Dec. 1.

St. Mary's High School students brought the Christmas experience complete with Santa, gifts, food and games to underprivileged elementary students. Photo courtesy of St. Mary's High School.

The fourth annual “Smiles of Christmas” event held at St. Mary’s High School and a neighboring park was the biggest yet bringing hours of games, activities, food and gifts for 265 kids. The teenagers served as buddies to the younger students who came from St. Matthew Catholic School, a school for homeless children and the special needs program from San Marcos School.

The teens — with another 60 coming from Seton Catholic Preparatory High School in Chandler, Notre Dame Preparatory in Scottsdale and Highland and Mesquite high schools — also served food and ran games, shows and craft booths. Santa also made a special appearance. The St. Mary’s Earth Club maintained the grounds. The kids also visited with Santa and toured a Phoenix fire engine.