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Pacelli Catholic Schools is eager to show off what it can offer and has created a day in which to do it with a pair of events that will open both of its buildings to prospective families looking perhaps for a different educational experience.

The school will be hosting Pacelli Preview Day for grades 1-12 during the school day on May 8 and then that night will be offering its Pacelli Kindergarten Round-up.

Pacelli Preview Day will be done in two different sessions at 10:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. while the Pacelli Kindergarten Round-Up will take place from 6:15-7 p.m.

“It’s an opportunity to show the public who we are and what we offer,” said Advancement Director Nicholas McGrath, who is also a teacher at the school. “It’s a come and see kind of day.”

Families visiting any of the two slots for Pacelli Preview Day will receive information in a number of different areas including an admissions presentation and scholarship information, a tour of the facilities, meeting the faculty and meeting students.

McGrath said the latter of which is especially important for families to hear from when they visit the school.

“Our students are our best sellers, both when they graduate and become alumni, but also here at the school,” he said. “Our students partake in this community. They live the Pacelli experience every day. They are the recipients of the Pacelli experience every day. Of course they are going to talk about it well in a tour setting.”

One of the reasons for the event is to provide background to families who are maybe investigating those different types of educational experiences and as McGrath explains, piggy backs well off of changes seen during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic itself proved to be a moment of change in education.

“I think right now the world of education, post COVID especially, has changed and I think a lot of the people are looking for options to navigate the change,” McGrath said. “Pacelli, and any school for that matter, should have a visit event.”

At the same time, those at the school hope to shed some light on perhaps some misconceptions of the school including the idea you have to be of the Catholic faith. All faiths are welcome, it’s just the background of the education is Catholic.

“Non Catholics are welcome, but our worship is Catholic,” McGrath explained. “Some of our prayers and traditions are uniquely Catholic, but the Creed is the same. Our belief in Jesus, our belief in loving our neighbor. All of that remains the same and all of that is universal.”

The kindergarten event that night will look to achieve many of the same goals as the event during the day as people will learn about many of the same core values of education. 

They will receive a tour of the kindergarten classroom, do a craft and even go for a bus ride.

In the end, the school is just hoping to show off what it believes makes Pacelli a good place to receive an education and a cultural experience.

“For folks who are looking for different or for many who don’t know different is out there, we’re using the preview event to come and see,” McGrath said. “If you have questions or are curious, come and see.

To take part in any of the two events, people are encouraged to call 1-507-437-3278 and reserve a slot.