NATCHEZ — While the area’s Catholic schools will carry on with the usual reading, writing and arithmetic, next week there’s going to be a little something extra going on.

Monday marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week nationwide.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Light the Way.”

Students at both Holy Family Catholic School and Cathedral School will be treated to a week’s worth of special activities to help commemorate the occasion.

Pastor of St. Mary Basilica, the Rev. David O’Connor said he plans to spend much of next week at Cathedral celebrating with the students and faculty.

“It’s like a ball club’s pep rally,” he said. “It’s a time to celebrate all the good that’s happening in the school.”

And indeed the next week will be a celebratory time for both schools.

Students at Holy Family will take part in a parade and have a student’s appreciation day on Monday where Mayor Phillip West will address the students.

Holy Family will also have a teacher and parent’s appreciation day.

Students at Cathedral will have similar week of activities culminating on Friday when the entire student body will be photographed on the school’s football field.

But while next week’s activities are meant to be fun for the students and staff, they also have a greater meaning.

“It’s a time to focus on the positive contributions that Catholic schools make,” O’Connor said.

Holy Family Principal Rosa Demby said her entire school is looking forward to the upcoming celebration.

“For our school this is a chance to look back on the good we were able to do for the community and think ahead to what we can do,” she said.

In the past, Demby said her students have participated in canned food drives, donation fundraisers and jump rope contests to raise money for heart health awareness.

“They do a lot and we want to acknowledge what they do,” she said.

But students are only part of the equation.

“The teachers and staff of the school make phenomenal contributions,” O’Connor said.

Cathedral Assistant Administrator Shannon Bland said teachers at Cathedral make student achievement possible.

“We could not do what we do without them,” she said.

Both Holy Family and Cathedral will have teacher appreciation events next week.