Students and teachers prepared for a week of celebration as they leapt into Catholic Schools Week, which is sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) and is used to commemorate the effects of Catholic education on America’s youth, but then at 8:33 PM on Sunday, January 27, Principal Dr. Susan Skinner sent the email that announced a two-hour late school start for Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Classes would start at 10am on Monday because of the harrowing cold weather in Minnesota. 

Undaunted, BSM students showed up to school sporting their red and white in celebration of the first day of Catholic Schools Week. Then during seventh hour announcements, it was stated that Tuesday and Wednesday would be online school days because of the cold as well.

Theoretically, Tuesday would’ve been pajama day if not for online school. At this point, the administration had planned for students to return Thursday, which would have been jersey day. 

At 2:31 PM on Wednesday, January 30, students and parents received a message from the school’s notification service that announced online school for Thursday, January 31. On Friday, February 1, teachers did return to school for their Catholic Schools Week Retreat. 

During this week, BSM wasn’t along in its lack of school. Minnesota experienced record low wind chill temperatures, going as low as -50°F, which resulted in many schools having snow days as a result of the weather phenomenon known as a polar vortex.

The school has been working with Archbishop Hebda’s office to reschedule, but unfortunately the Archbishop won’t be able to attend any masses for the rest of the school year, so BSM will try to schedule the Archbishop for a mass in 2020. As for this year, the school held day of prayer on February 14 in honor of the Archbishop’s work.

Speaker Immaculee Ilibagiza, who was originally scheduled as a speaker for Catholic Schools Week, has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 25.