Mike James/The Independent
Ashland — The children in the lunchroom tumbled about, climbing on their parents and yipping with excited glee.
But that was OK. Everyone knows a family meal can get raucous.
Of course, this meal was lunch in the Holy Family School cafeteria, but on this day parents joined their children at the table.
It was part of Holy Family’s Catholic Schools Week celebration.
And when parents tried to explain why they chose parochial school for their children, the word “family” kept coming up.
“The community of parents is like a family,” said Kathleen Kammerer, who has three children at Holy Family and a 7-month-old infant she plans to send there.
Kammerer went to parochial school herself but started her eldest child, Katelyn, in public school. She moved Katelyn to Holy Family last year, in the second grade.
“It was the best decision we’ve made in our lives, she said.
“The teachers are phenomenal. They truly care and work with students as individuals,” she said.
Katelyn said she likes Holy Family and her teachers. And there’s one more thing: “I learn more about God,” she said.
Which is one thing that appeals to Teresa Gussler, whose three children go to Holy Family. “The values here are the same as at home,” Gussler said. Considering the amount of time children spend at school, it’s good to know they’re learning good values, she said.
The weeklong celebration includes a carnival Wednesday and a bingo tournament.
Students in grades six through eight on Tuesday went to Lexington to participate in a yearly mass with other Catholic school students from across the state.
“Catholic schools are something to be proud of,” said Colleen Gossett, who retired as principal at Holy Family and returned to coordinate its Title I programs.
“We’re not a large school. The people are very friendly. The children are friendly to each other. They participate in almost all activities.”
One can tell it’s a friendly school by watching how the childeren get along, Kammerer said.
“It’s not uncommon to see first-graders play with sixth-graders,” she said.
MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2652.
