St. James the Apostle celebrates Catholic Schools Week

Students from St. James the Apostle School in Glen Ellyn got a nice break from classes Thursday when four members of the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team paid a visit and showed off their gymnastics skills.

Members of the acrobatic team, semifinalists last year on TV's “America's Got Talent,” performed for students in kindergarten through eighth grade during an assembly as part of the National Catholic Schools Week celebration.

Founder and Coach Tim Shaw, who started the team in 1999, brought three members with him to perform. Many of the other team members are youngsters who had to be in their own schools for classes.

“Our mission is to create better people and we use acrobatics to do that,” Shaw told students.

The assembly was just one of many activities going on this week.

“All across the nation, all the Catholic schools celebrated this week to thank the parishioners, the parents and the teachers for appreciation and support of Catholic schools,” parent Ellen Green said.

Thanks to frigid temperatures that canceled classes earlier this week, students at St. James only have three days to celebrate, with events scheduled to wrap up on Friday. But even with the condensed schedule, they've found time to collect items for our troops in Afghanistan, conduct a spelling bee, and hold a fun fair. They've also participated in Cozy Sweatshirt Day, Crazy Sock Day and Bend the Rules Day.

The celebration will culminate Friday with a pep rally.