School Days Are Back!

08-20-2023Pastor's LetterVery Rev. Richard C. Wilson, VF, Pastor

Dear Friends in Christ,

Happy New School Year! Saint Mary Help of Christians Catholic School began its new school year this past week! What a joy it was to walk around campus and witness the excitement of students and staff. Please pray that all our school students, families, and staff will have a year filled with growth, both academically and spiritually.

Our parish school plays a critical role in the formation of our youth. We are educating the Catholic leaders of tomorrow. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on the state of our school as we begin this new year.

Recently we updated our school’s mission statement to say, “The mission of St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School, in partnership with parents, is to form Christian leaders who are faithful, prepared, and courageous.” Our philosophy is to prepare the way for students to grow in their faith and be challenged intellectually. While recognizing parents as their child’s primary educator, our teachers are committed to help students meet the demands of an ever-changing world. We strive to develop our students’ self-discipline skills and recognize the unique talents that God has given to each one of them.

To help fulfill our mission, we are making great strides to improve our school’s campus. We now have received all required permits to begin construction on the STEM Center. By the printing of this article, construction mobilization and earthwork will have begun! On our existing campus, we have been making many improvements to some aging infrastructure. The bathroom in Carter and Mercy Halls got an update with new floors, sinks, toilets, partitions, and mirrors. Our fire alarm system has been completely upgraded to a new digital system in preparation to link to our new building. Our intercom system started to go out at the end of last year making it difficult for campus communication. We moved up the timeline for replacing this system with one that will tie into our new building. We hope to have it completed this year. Finally, our door locks will be converted to a keyless entry system allowing higher security and monitoring. This project will be completed by the 2024-2025 school year.

As we anticipate additional physical space, Mrs. Laura Webster, our Principal and her staff and teachers are diligently working to increase our enrollment to match our new capacity. Our current enrollment is 217 students, but please know that we still have openings for new students! Please visit www.excelatstmarys.com for more information or call the School office at 803-649-2071 for a tour.

Mrs. Webster, her staff, and teachers are most grateful for the ongoing support of the parishioners of St. Mary’s. We appreciate not only your financial support, but also the gifts of your time and prayers.

All the best…in Christ,

Father Wilson