August 2008
Dear SRCS Parents,
I would like to welcome you to the 2008-2009 school year at Saint Raphael Catholic School. I am very excited to join the Saint Raphael School family!
The first day of classes is quickly approaching. While many greet this time with mixed emotions, the beginning of school is an exciting time filled with meeting new teachers and classroom environments, re-establishing old relationships and making new discoveries and learning new knowledge.
I believe this will be an exciting year at Saint Raphael. While there is great change with a new Pastor and Principal, I believe that Fr. Gillespie S.J. and Ms. Joanna Burley have left Saint Raphael School in a strong faith-filled position as a solid example of Catholic education in the Diocese of Raleigh. We wish them both the best in their new endeavors. They will be missed!
As a newcomer to the Saint Raphael family, I have many faces to learn and stories to hear. To this end, I will host a series of monthly “Principal Coffees”. These coffees will be small informal meetings designed to provide an opportunity for open dialogue about many different topics. The first coffee has been scheduled for Tuesday September 9th at 9:00am. Be sure to check your newsletter for additional dates and varied times.
There will be several new additions to the Saint Raphael staff this year. Please join me in welcoming:
Christine Schumann – Kindergarten
Lisa Hribar – Fifth Grade
Kendra Lyons - Middle School Language Arts
Joann Hoye – Spanish (Elementary)
Caira Benson: Technology
Phyllis Zagrobelny – Library/Media Specialist
Just a reminder that Open House
is scheduled for:
Tuesday, August 26th
7:00-8:30pm for grades 1-5
Thursday, August 28th
7:00-9:00pm for grades 6-8.
As you may have heard, the hot-lunch program at Saint Raphael this year will be expanding to three days each week. The lunch will add greater variety and a fruit choice daily. Please see the letter from the Boosters detailing this nutritional program.
The Boosters and Home School Association (HSA) have been busy this summer working hard to wrap a blanket of parent support around the school. It is this level of parent commitment and truly makes Saint Raphael School a special place. At the Back-to-School Day, you will have the opportunity to consider sharing your gifts of talent and time with the greater school community. I ask you to please consider sharing in this capacity however small or large.
This fall, Saint Raphael will be launching the RenWeb parent portal. This wonderful tool will provide you with the opportunity of increased communication between school and family. RenWeb allows you to login securely and view information related to your child. You will be hearing more about this tool in the near future.
As the teachers and staff return, I am asking them to embrace the theme of “Living the Mission” of Saint Raphael Catholic School. As a staff we will examine and reflect on what it means to “Live the Mission” and how this is evidenced in the daily life of our school and students.
As we embrace our new beginnings endless opportunities await us! I invite each of you to join in celebrating the many wonderful successes of Saint Raphael Catholic School. We are blessed as a school community. We have much to be thankful for, individually and collectively. God has bestowed on us an amazing wealth of gifts. I truly believe that we are all called to service by giving of our plentiful gifts.
I believe that “Living our Catholic Identity” is part of what separates Saint Raphael from many other schools. As we begin the year, let us reflect on our school’s Catholic Mission and how each of us as students, parents and staff bring to life the Gospel teachings and values of the Roman Catholic tradition.
Warmest regards
Barry Thomas
SRCS Mission Statement
“The mission of St. Raphael Catholic School is to provide a Catholic Christian education to the families of St. Raphael Parish and surrounding communities. All members of the school community will work together to create a safe, nurturing environment in which the uniqueness of each person is respected. We will strive for excellence in academics and in all other areas of human development. To assure that the school’s program integrates culture with faith and faith with living, Saint Raphael Catholic School is founded on Gospel teachings and values, Roman Catholic tradition, and the expectations of responsible citizenship in a democratic society.”