Four Days at St. Roch: Books, Bees & Club Bangers

Well, friends, I have officially spent four days at St. Roch Catholic School, and I have seen some things.

We rolled in Sunday evening for setup, where several incredibly sweet St. Roch staff members voluntarily came to school on a Sunday to let us in.

Saints. Actual saints.

I assume canonization paperwork is already underway.

For the past four days, The Book Fairy has taken over the inside and outside of the Parish Life Center, slinging books to everyone from tiny Pre-K humans who are still learning that money is real to 8th graders who are far too cool to be excited about a book fair…I felt their book fair aura.

Except they are.

They always are.

And St. Roch has been AMAZING.

The students have been excited, polite, appreciative, and just genuinely fun to have around. The teachers have been equally wonderful, which is impressive considering they spend their days surrounded by gaggles of children asking questions like, “When do we get to go to the book fair?” approximately 47 times per hour.

The Parish Life Center has also provided some unexpected entertainment.

At various points, we’ve shared the space with chair exercise class, some serious card sharks, and band class—meaning one minute we’re peacefully discussing the merits of Alan Gratz and the next we’re getting absolutely assaulted by a grade school band club banger coming through the walls.

Honestly, the range here is spectacular.

Meanwhile, the St. Roch kids have made their purchasing priorities VERY clear.

Book lights? Flying off the shelves.

Magnetic bookmarks? Apparently a form of currency now.

Spider-Man? Doing Spider-Man things.

Alan Gratz? Gone like we’re preparing these children for an upcoming historical-fiction emergency.

And holiday books.

Yes. Holiday books.

It is September. It has been hot enough outside that I’m fairly certain you could cook a Totino’s Pizza Roll on my hitch, yet these children have decided it’s basically Christmas.

Respect.

And because no Book Fairy event would be complete without some sort of unnecessary physical injury, Casey got stung by a bee.

Did she stop?

Absolutely not.

But talk about dramatic.

But bee attacks aside, this has been one of those weeks that reminds us exactly why we love doing school book fairs. Kids have been excited about books. Teachers have been building their classroom wish lists. Families have been shopping. And for four straight days, St. Roch has made this old 1965 gal feel right at home.

Today is our last day, and while my shelves are considerably lighter, my heart is considerably fuller.

Gross.

I hated typing that.

But it’s true.

Thank you, St. Roch, for welcoming The Book Fairy, loving on Sylvia, supporting your teachers, raising some genuinely delightful little humans, and proving once again that nothing brings a school together quite like books, bookmarks, Christmas in September, cardio classes, and the occasional bee attack.

Until next time, St. Roch.

Stay holy.
Read books.

—Sylvia