Stepping Out In Style

Everyone loves a parade—to paraphrase the old song—especially when you can be in it.

Hundreds of preschool and kindergarten students have been starring in their own parades this month, riding in their family car around schools and churches as teachers stand and cheer.

Celebrations have taken place at Blessed Francis Seelos Academy in Wexford, St. Therese of Lisieux School in Munhall and St. Gregory in Zelienople, among other schools.

Teachers at St. Gregory and St. Therese also delivered congratulatory yard signs to the homes of eighth graders, helping them stay connected with one another in celebrating the end of the school year.

“Hopefully it will be something the kids remember,” said Father Dan Sweeney, who is known for his strong support of Catholic education in general and St. Therese School in particular.

“We wanted to make this memorable, especially for the 8 ^th graders,” said St. Therese principal Jon Cuniak. “There were a lot of traditions they couldn’t take part in, like the annual 8 ^th grade trip.”

Faculty and staff of Seelos Academy cheered and waved to students at a parade held Friday on the school’s K-8 campus at St. Alphonsus Parish. There also was a special display at the end of the parade route for eighth graders, who received graduation certificates from their teachers.

"Our amazing teachers wanted to end a challenging year by celebrating our families and our graduates,” said principal Robert Reese.  “I cannot be more proud of my faculty's efforts to support our students over the past few months.”

St. Gregory teachers delivered yard signs to eighth graders’ homes, and two days later applauded all students at a parade on school property.

St. Therese of Lisieux School, founded in 1954, is part of the Pittsburgh-East Regional Catholic Elementary Schools. Blessed Francis Seelos Academy was established in 2017 through a merger of the parish schools of St. Alexis and St. Alphonsus in the North Hills region. St. Gregory School opened in 1911 and serves families from Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.

Above Photo: St. Therese preschooler Emerson Yakubic rides in her parade, cheered on by teacher Lisa Fetzko (center) and aides Beth Regan (left) and Rachel Pastor.
 
Click here to watch the St. Gregory School parade.  

Below photo: St. Therese of Lisieux School' s parade for kindergartners