March 30, 2014

Dear St. Raphael School Families and Parishioners,

We are happy to be back at school after our Spring Break, and students are diving into their 4 ^th Quarter learning with great enthusiasm.  Please remember that 3 ^rd Quarter Report Cards for K-8 will be available for online viewing on Fast Direct after 3:30pm on Friday, March 28 ^th.  Don’t forget to join us for our 3 ^rd Quarter Awards Assembly on Monday, March 31 ^st at 2pm in the Gym.  We always enjoy honoring our students who help demonstrate this year’s school theme:  Blazing a Path to Excellence Through Spirituality, Rigor, and Achievement.

We had an important surprise Intruder Drill this week at school, and I am very happy to report that students and teachers responded very well.  Those who were “caught” out in the hallway knew what to do, and moved quickly to safe classroom spots.  Mr. Bob ran through the school, pretending to try and open classroom doors, and looking for visible students and teachers.  Although these drills can be frightening, they are an important way for us to make sure everyone in our school building knows what to do in case of a real intruder.  After the drill, many students had good questions about what to do in various situations, e.g. if they were in the cafeteria or in the gym.  We try to answer these questions as honestly as possible so students have the information they need to remain safe.

On the same subject of safety, a parent shared an article with me about recent attempts at child abductions in the St. Louis area in recent weeks.  Sometimes we become complacent in the St. Raphael neighborhood, and we don’t always acknowledge the very real dangers for our kids.  Child abductions can happen in any neighborhood, and experts tell us that awareness and avoidance are the best forms of defense for children.
Children must be taught the difference between good strangers and bad strangers, and parents are the primary educators here.  You must give examples of who might be a good stranger vs. a bad stranger, and talk about how kids can tell the difference.  Then give them possible scenarios and ask them what they would do.  The bottom line is that, even though it’s scary, kids must be aware that there are bad strangers out there who can harm them.

Experts also tell us that kids must know how to avoid or get out of possible abduction situations.  They should be taught that it’s OK to say NO.  If approached by a bad or questionable stranger, kids should yell as loudly as they can, and they should kick and punch and fight.  Again, it can be scary to talk about these things with your kids, but these conversations save lives.  And remember, this is not just for Primary aged students, but for kids of all ages. 

On a completely different note, I am very excited to let you know that our Kindergarten registration process has been quite successful so far.  Our Kindergarten class for 2014-2015 is NEARLY FULL!  This is not magic, but is the result of extraordinary efforts and work by all of the faculty and staff of St. Raphael School and Parish.  If you have friends or neighbors who want their Kindergartner to attend our school next year, but have not yet registered, please tell them to register as soon as possible!

Please continue to pray for our teachers and students as we begin our final Quarter of the school year.

Peace and Blessings,
Kim Vangel
Principal