August 24, 2014
Dear St. Raphael School Families and Parishioners,

We had a marvelous start to the school year with smiling faces and enthusiasm all around. Thanks to all the families who visited us on our Sunday Open House. I hope that morning helped to calm some jitters, and assisted families in getting school supplies delivered to classrooms ahead of time.

Our new teachers are getting settled in and quickly becoming part of our close-knit community. Thanks for making them feel so welcome at SRA.

You may have noticed your students working on some math practice problems in a book called “Simple Solutions.” This is a new math program for us and we are using it at the recommendation of a number of Catholic elementary schools in the area. Simple Solutions gives students daily practice of math skills previously learned, and it challenges students to stretch and try new math concepts. Daily use of Simple Solutions has improved math learning and standardized test scores in math for many Catholic elementary schools.

Every student in Grades K-8 has a Simple Solutions book, and should be completing daily practice problems from the book. Some teachers do these problems in class with students, some teachers assign the problems for homework, and some do a combination. Weekly quizzes are given for Simple Solutions to help students and teachers identify areas of strength and weakness in math skills. Be sure to ask your student about his or her Simple Solutions workbook, ask to see the practice problems, inquire about your student’s progress – Be involved and help your child to improve his or her math skills!

As you know, Archbishop Carlson has asked St. Louis Catholics to pray for peace in our community, most especially in Ferguson. At the end of our daily masses at school, we are praying the Prayer of St. Francis together, a beautiful prayer for peace. We continue to stay after daily mass and pray a decade of the Rosary, which we are dedicating to the petition of peace in our community. Teachers are interspersing their school days with praying the remaining decades of the Rosary, all offered up as a petition for peace in Ferguson. I encourage you to continue these prayers for peace at home. It is so important that we, as Catholics, maintain a positive and peaceful response to this terrible unrest in our community. Remember, you are critical role models for your children in this situation.

Thanks for all of your support to get our school year off to such a great start, and we ask you to continue to keep our students and teachers in your prayers.
Peace and Blessings,
Kim Vangel
Principal