February 12, 2024

Dear St. Raphael School Families,

We trust this newsletter finds you well and ready for a recap of our recent activities, as well as exciting events on the horizon.

The Global Day of School Play on February 7 was an absolute success! Our students brought an array of board games, toys, sports equipment, and other fun items, creating an atmosphere filled with laughter and engagement. Witnessing the joy our students experienced was truly heartwarming, and we even had requests for this to happen every day—though, unfortunately, that's not quite possible at school!

Nevertheless, let's take a moment to reflect on the importance of unstructured play. Kids of all ages need time to play and explore this beautiful world. It's during these moments that they learn essential life skills such as creativity, sharing, communication, and independence. So, we encourage you to provide your children with the gift of unstructured time to foster these skills. Even if they seem bored, allowing them to navigate through that feeling helps cultivate patience and a deeper appreciation for the world around them.

In a world accustomed to instant gratification, let's collectively slow down and savor the great outdoors!

I recently had a "proud principal" moment that I'm eager to share with you. One of our students, proudly donning the St. Raphael School uniform, spontaneously rushed to open the door for an elderly person entering Panda Express. This small yet significant act of kindness and respect exemplifies the values we instill in our students. It was heartening to receive a call from someone outside our school community expressing admiration for the respect demonstrated by our students. As Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta wisely said, "We can do small things with great love," and it's heartwarming to witness our students embodying this sentiment in our community.

Looking ahead, we invite you to join us for our second fundraiser of the year, celebrating the 60th anniversary of St. Raphael School. The event is scheduled for Saturday, February 24th, at the Rockwood Women's Club. We're excited to commemorate this significant milestone and reinforce our commitment to educating children in mind, body, and spirit.

Click here to purchase tickets online, or you can conveniently acquire them in the front office.

Just a reminder that we do not have school this Friday or next Monday. Enjoy your four-day weekend!

Thank you for being an essential part of our St. Raphael School family, and we look forward to creating more wonderful memories together!

Important Dates:
February 12: Jeans for Jesus
February 14: Ash Wednesday Mass at 10:45 am
February 16: No School for Teacher In-Service
February 19: No School for Presidents’ Day
February 24: School Auction
February 26: TK and K Evaluation Day
In Mary's Love,

Ms. Michelle Limb
Principal, St. Raphael School
A Prayer for Valentine’s Day
Dearest Heavenly Father,
I want to thank you for the precious gift of love you have given to the world and to me. Thank you for blessing me every day with this love and the power and strength that I get from you every single day. Without your love for me I can't be.... I can't function.... I can't even breathe...because I NEED your love to sustain me. It's like food and medicine for my soul Lord.
Please continue to let me feel your comforting love in my life and Lord, I give myself over to you to perfect in me this gift of love...that I may be able to express it and share it with others. Lord...I have not always been good at this...forgive me. Lord...some people are harder to love than others...but I want to be like your Son Jesus...so please continue the work you are doing in my heart so my heart will be like yours. In Jesus’ name I pray.