POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The Belmar Lake Como St. Patrick’s Day Parade is an event most residents in the area look forward to all year long. This year, Point Pleasant Beach will be represented through St. Peter School, which will have students and staff walking in the parade in honor of the school’s centennial this year.
“St. Peter School is walking in the Belmar Saint Patrick’s Day Parade to celebrate their 100th Centennial Jubilee,” said Megan Miller, a Saint Peter’s alumna. “We want our school family to show their Saints pride and have a great time together. Our school colors are green and white so we will fit right in in our spirit wear. St. Peter’s used to walk in the parade years ago so it will be a nice return to old traditions.”
In previous years, students would walk in the parade in their sports uniforms and this year, along with the festive spirit colors, the preschool and grades three and four Saints will be decorating wagons and strollers.
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While the main reason for joining in the event is to celebrate the centennial, Ms. Miller also believes it will allow the school to celebrate their close community.
“One of the most special parts of Saint Peter School that makes us different from other schools, in addition to the award winning academic program and unique experiences the students engage in, is the strong, family-like community,” said Ms. Miller. “I felt how this community surrounds you in support and love while I was a student and even in the years after. It’s cool to go full circle on the other side as a parent and be responsible for building and maintaining that community of support for the current students and families.”
School officials do not know how many people will be participating due to the possibility of a championship basketball game on the same day, where some students may be cheering on their peers. But according to Ms. Miller, they have reached out to our families, staff and alumni to come out and participate and there will be one special person walking alongside them.
“My mom, who is also the kindergarten teacher at Saint Peter’s, is celebrating her first year as an Irish citizen,” said Ms. Miller. “So she is especially excited to celebrate this milestone in this fun way.”
The Belmar Lake Como St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Sunday, March 5 at noon. The parade will start at Main Street and the lake in Lake Como and march past Seventh Avenue, ending between blocks six and seven in Belmar.
While the parade kicks off festivities for most towns in the area, it will also be kicking off fun events for students and staff at Saint Peter School including hallway decor and an annual mentorship program.
“One of the fun traditions is that our prayer partners meet up for special activities,” said Ms. Miller. “The younger students get paired up with the older students who support them throughout their early years at Saint Peter’s. It’s really fun, I still remember my prayer partner from when I was in kindergarten.”
With Saint Patrick’ s Day falling on a Friday in Lent this year, many of the students will be visiting the new chapel and some will partake in the stations of the cross. The younger grades decorate the hallways and their classroom with leprechauns and, according to Ms. Miller, there may be some traps set. The fun will continue with the school’s PTA providing the students with ice cream to celebrate Saint Joseph’s Day, which is on March 19.
For more information about St. Peter School and their upcoming centennial events visit stpschool.org.
This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Ocean Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.
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