Photo by Anna Donofrio, Arlington Catholic Herald
Chantilly, VA – When is a classroom a café? When the proprietors are St. Paul VI Catholic High School (PVI) students.
The Panther Perks Café serves coffee several times a month. Staffed by the students in the PVI Options Program, the café started as a coffee cart and has grown to coffee-shop status. The Diocese of Arlington Options Program provides inclusive, modified education for students with intellectual disabilities across several local high schools and elementary schools.
Six Options students handle orders, service, and payments with a smile. The menu includes coffee and tea options, coffee fixings including flavored syrups and creamers, and a couple of unique specialties like Panther Mocha Madness and the Pink Panther Refresher, a strawberry-lemonade-based beverage.
Special education teacher Amanda McCloskey works with the students. For the café, she is helping them learn the basics of running a business, customer service, and being a part of a workforce. The students oversee everything from brewing the coffee, designing coffee cup koozies, cutting out coffee shop loyalty cards, and cleaning the café. Peer mentor students are on hand to help out, but the Options students run the show.
Photo courtesy of KWWL News 7
Dubuque, IA – True to its name, the Holy Family Catholic School’s Inspiring Spaces campaign truly inspired donors to be extraordinarily generous. The groundbreaking (the second one under the Inspiring Spaces campaign) for the $30 million renovation of its central campus took place in April to expand its campus.
Led by Archbishop Zinkula, the ceremony included shovels in the dirt and a host of speakers. The project will add a 750-seat fine arts auditorium, a STEM education hub, and upgrades to outdoor and indoor athletic spaces.
Parkersburg, WV – Parkersburg Catholic Schools have reached a major fundraising milestone, raising $500,000 in just nine weeks to unlock a $1.5 million matching gift from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. This is a significant step toward a larger $2 million effort to bring the elementary school onto the existing high school campus. School leaders said the project was inspired by Bishop Mark Brennan, who saw the high school campus as offering more room and opportunities to the elementary school. The community looks forward to an integrated campus offering more green space, opportunities for shared worship and activities, and strong connections between younger and older students.
Photo courtesy of Resurrection School
Rye, NY – Not a NYC Marathon, but a “Midnight Run” to NYC for Resurrection School eighth graders. Grounded in service to others over the school year, the class of 2026 set up a place to hand out toiletries, food, and clothes for the neediest in the city, donated by the Resurrection School community.
The Midnight Run organization works to help volunteers to really see those who live on the streets—to truly see them as the face of Jesus. Resurrection students and other volunteers throughout the city and area take turns offering a human connection of sharing, love, and dignity.
Shiny red apples and teachers are often linked together. This year, for 31 teachers, a 24-karat plated gold apple is recognition for a dedicated ministry in Catholic education.
Jack and Rhodora Donahue, founders of the Golden Apple Awards Program in Pittsburgh, sent their 13 children to Catholic schools. To honor Catholic school teachers for teaching excellence and dedication to Catholic education, they established the award in 1992 in five dioceses around the country.
Each awardee receives a shiny golden apple and $5,000 from the Donahue Family Foundation. The 2026 Golden Apple Award-winning teachers:
Shannon Armsworthy, Fourth grade teacher at Father Andrew White, S.J. School in Leonardtown, MD
Mary Beth Conte, Spanish and social studies teacher at the Cardinal Hickey Academy in Owings, MD
Nicci Falcone, Second grade teacher at Holy Cross School in Garrett Park, MD School, Murrysville
Amanda Handy, Middle school English language arts, religion, and social studies teacher at St. Michael’s School in Ridge, MD
Amber Kinnally, Third grade teacher at St. John’s School in Hollywood, MD
Sister Emmanuella Ladipo, Member of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus religious order, director of religious education, and religion teacher at St. Augustine Catholic School in Washington, D.C.
Heather Little, Kindergarten teacher at Little Flower School in Great Mills, MD
Sonja LoVecchio, Kindergarten teacher at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Elementary School in Clinton, MD
Rachele Plá, Middle school religion teacher at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic School in Upper Marlboro, MD
Julie Stinger, Sixth grade homeroom, religion and art teacher, and librarian at St. Martin of Tours School in Gaithersburg, MD
Amanda Handy, Middle school English language arts teacher and a religion and social studies teacher at St. Michael’s School in Ridge, MD
Jennifer Bayer, Fifth grade teacher at Mother of Sorrows
Michelle Williams, Principal at St. John the Baptist Catholic School, New Freedom
Dana Baker, Kindergarten teacher at St. John the Baptist Catholic School, New Freedom
Jennifer Grill, Eighth grade teacher at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School, Harrisburg
Luz Hamilton, Spanish teacher at Trinity High School, Camp Hill
Jacqueline Molsky, First grade teacher at St. Theresa Catholic School, New Cumberland
Louise Pirrotta, Fifth and sixth grade teacher at St. Joseph Catholic School, York
Teresa Swisher, Computer teacher and director of studies at Lancaster Catholic High School, Lancaster
Gabriel Gonzalez, St. John’s Jesuit High School & Academy, Toledo
Annette Greer, St. Michael School, Findlay
Jamie Hinz, St. Aloysius School, Bowling Green
Jennifer Kraus, St. Joan of Arc School, Toledo
Kelly Lamb, St. Peter School, Huron
Sandy Miner, Cardinal Stritch Catholic High School & Academy, Oregon
Cheryl Peatee, St. Joseph School, Sylvania
Sr. Frances Marie Penwell, SND, Queen of Apostles School, Toledo
Janene Smith, St. Peter’s Junior High & High School,
Marlene Bassil, Spanish teacher at Cardinal Mooney High School, Youngstown
