Dear Parents and Friends of St. Michael’s School,
As I write my last note for the 2018-2019 school year, I look back on a year full of adventures and successes, but I also look forward to great growth and achievement ahead. There are so many wonderful traditions that we celebrate each year. Some of my favorites include celebrations that were established decades ago - the Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast, our annual Christmas programs, and the fourth grade Passion Play. Also making the list of my particular favorites are newer activities borne out of changing times – Mrs. Terry’s Worldwide Hour of Code, Mr. Tassan’s Evolution of Dance, and Mrs. Drobick’s Cardboard Arcade. Most definitely at the top of my list are the Preschoolers’ procession through the courtyard on their graduation day, cheered on by our K-8 students, and the presentation of graduation gowns by the Kindergartners to the eighth graders at their last Mass.
St. Michael’s School will graduate 64 eighth graders this year. They are among the 1,152 eighth graders graduating from 41 Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese of San Diego; they proudly join the ranks of approximately 137,000 graduates from over 5,000 Catholic elementary schools nationwide; and they can count themselves among the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who are products of the Catholic educational system. Research substantiates that Catholic school graduates enter high school with a strong faith and academic foundation, a sense of self-respect and respect of others, and a commitment to service. Moreover, Catholic school graduates possess a solid moral compass, are self-disciplined, and are prepared to be productive citizens and future leaders. Their leadership is needed today, more than ever, and we can all take comfort in the knowledge that these young adults have the means to shape the future in a very positive way.
With Jesus Christ as our model, we will continue to provide the students entrusted to our care with an education grounded in Faith, Knowledge, and Character, preparing them to be active members in the Church and community. On behalf of the faculty and staff of St. Michael’s School, we thank you for partnering with us this year in our mission. I will keep you all in prayer over the summer months, and I look forward to renewing the journey with you again in the fall.
