Celebrating community with a carnival for Catholic Schools Week
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Students at Nativity of Mary School in Clarence got to enjoy a bounce house obstacle course Feb. 1, an inflatable whack-a-mole game that included lights and beeping sound effects, and ring and ball toss games, all while volunteering family members of some students made bags of popcorn for the children to take back to their classrooms.
This carnival in the school gym is one of the annual events put on by the school as part of its Catholic Schools Week celebrations.
“It’s been here for as long as I can remember,” said Nicole Richard, principal at Nativity. “It started with games, and we’d make popcorn. The kids used to make their games, but since then we’ve brought them in.”
Students in grade eight supervise the games, which are enjoyed by the classes in different shifts. Over the course of the year, younger students form buddy partnerships with older students for various activities.
“Any opportunity the kids have to be with their buddy, they look forward to it,” said Richard, who noted her own child is in kindergarten and looks forward to interactions with her eighth grade peer.
The carnival was just one of several activities held during the week. Earlier, students participated in Bingo games. And on Jan. 31, the entire school went to the movies, visiting the nearby Dipson Theater. The older children saw the live-action Disney film, “Cool Runnings,” a comedy recalling the true story of the 1988 Jamaican Olympic Bobsled Team. The younger children viewed “Ratatouille,” a Disney-Pixar animated film featuring a rat who dreams of becoming a top chef in France.
Richard admits bittersweet feelings as the eighth graders enter the final months of their academic year. While they’ve earned their way toward the privilege of supervising the carnival, they’ll soon be gone to graduation, heading off to local high schools.
“They’re a great group of kids,” Richard said. “We look to instill in them values that they will take to them into high school and later into college.”
They are values, Richard adds, that attracts families of many non-Catholic students to enroll their children at the school.
No mole was left unzapped during the Nativity of Mary School carnival. The Harris Hill school held its annual carnival to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. (Photo by Patrick J. Buechi) 
Traditional midway games came to Nativity of Mary School courtesy of Bounce USA. (Photo by Patrick J. Buechi) 
Bounce Houses area thing of the past. Nativity of Mary School in Harris Hill had a bounce obstacle course for its Catholic Schools Week carnival. (Photo by Patrick J. Buechi) 
All grades at Nativity of Mary School in Harris Hill learned the definition of fun at the Catholic Schools Week carnival held Feb. 1. (Photo by Patrick J. Buechi) 
Tracy Bianchi and Kathy Pagnonella serve up some popcorn at Nativity of Mary School’s carnival held Feb. 1. (Photo by Patrick J. Buechi) 
Traditional midway games came to Nativity of Mary School courtesy of Bounce USA. (Photo by Patrick J. Buechi) 
The inflatable obstacle course takes up half the gym at Nativity of Mary School. (Photo by Patrick J. Buechi)
