ST. MARY’S Central School students in St. Clairsville are celebrating reading and Catholic Schools Week this week. Front row, from left, are Mila Core, Ella Schleub, Josh Perry, Dylan Gallagher, Lauren Toriseva, Klaudia Costlow, Sophia Pritts, Bradley Phillips, Molly Schultz and Hayden Landon; and back row, Karlie Glover, Alaina Schumacher, Tyler Kosek, Ethan Kingery and William Riesbeck.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Catholic schools across the country are celebrating their faith and education during Catholic Schools Week this week.

One local Catholic school decided to incorporate its annual Right to Read Week with the week-long observance. St. Mary’s Central School of St. Clairsville Principal Nannette Kennedy said the theme is “Reading Makes You Superheroes.” She said it “recognizes the importance of reading, both for learning and for pleasure.”

Kennedy said the school has an accelerated reading program aimed at helping students discover and maintain a lifelong love of reading. This week the students will participate in a variety of reading activities, contests and a book fair. On Friday, they also will receive a visit from Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Chase Watts with his Books to Badges program.

For parents who are struggling to keep their children interested in reading, Kennedy suggests that parents read with their children and pick books with topics that will hold their child’s interest.

She said it also helps to read a variety of printed publications, including magazines and newspapers.

“Parents should use all resources, anything in print including newspapers. They can read the comics together on Sunday mornings. My dad used to read the comics with me — that’s how I learned to read. That was before there was kindergarten,” she added.

Another way to make reading more fun is to participate in programs at local public libraries, she said. Picking out books from the library can also make it more enjoyable.

Regarding Catholic Schools Week, Kennedy said for her school it is really a year-round observance. The school’s mantra is “Faith, knowledge and service; imagine the possibilities.” She said the students will have a saint of the day this week, service projects, a dress-down day, treats and contests.

“We truly believe we have faith and God in our building. Every day we talk about him. We try to teach our children to live Christ-like lives. We pass along our Catholic faith and traditions to them. It’s a different atmosphere in our building. … It’s the essence of who we are and what we do,” she said.

Other Catholic schools in the region include St. Mary of Martins Ferry, St. John in Bellaire, Central Catholic in Wheeling, Corpus Christi in Wheeling and Catholic Central in Steubenville.