Shiner Catholic School is off to a wonderful start for the 2007-2008 academic year. The total student enrollment stands at 266 students in grades Pre-Kindergarten 3 through the twelfth grade. Shiner Catholic School continues to enroll a substantial number of students from surrounding communities. Approximately forty-eight (48) students or eighteen percent (18%) of our student body comes from Gonzales daily. We continue to run a bus route to Gonzales each morning and afternoon. The willingness of people to come from far and wide to attend Shiner Catholic School is a testimony to the quality Catholic education we are able to provide.
The religious formation of our youth continues to be our top priority. Approximately eighty-three percent (83%) of the student body is Catholic. One hundred and ninety-six (196) students from one hundred and eight (108) families are registered parishioners at Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. Students receive religious instruction daily and attend Mass at least once per week. At a minimum, students have the opportunity to avail themselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent. We are preparing students in the second (2nd) grade to receive First Penance and First Holy Communion while our eleventh (11th) grade students prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The addition of a number of personnel in some key areas has strengthened our traditionally excellent instruction program. Mrs. Linda Leist has been hired to help serve and coordinate services for a growing number of students diagnosed with learning differences. She is dividing her time between elementary and secondary campuses. We have employed several teachers at the secondary level who bring considerable teaching experience in the fields of mathematics and science.
The school has established several standing faculty committees to review student progress, make recommendations to individual teachers, parents, and the school as a whole. One of those committees is the Steering Committee for our 2008 Texas Catholic Conference Education Department Accreditation visit. The Steering Committee will begin coordinating our self-study. The self-study is a comprehensive and community-wide effort to review our entire educational program. The self-study will give us an opportunity to review our mission and philosophy. It also allows us to determine our relative strengths and weaknesses. We can focus our efforts on genuine self-improvement.
Our athletic program continues to flourish and experience success in a variety of undertakings. We won two state championships in softball and baseball at the end of last year. This year we have already won the Texas Association of Private and Parochial School State Boys Cross Country Championship for Division AA. The Cross Country program has only been in existence for three short years. Our students are great competitors and have the hearts of champions. The strength of our athletic program is also a reflection of our Athletic Director, Coach Dana Beal, and her coaching staff. They are to be commended for their commitment to maintaining an excellent program.
We have recently received two substantial grants from the Raymond Dickson Foundation totaling $61,000. One of those grants went toward the abatement and replacement of asbestos tile flooring at St. Paul High School. We are certainly pleased with the way the new flooring has brightened up our building. The second grant from the Raymond Dickson Foundation is contributing $33,200 towards the purchase of an additional bus for Shiner Catholic School. Our daily bus route to Gonzales and the many extracurricular activites we are involved in often make transportation a challenge. Needless to say, we are very grateful for the generosity of the Raymond Dickson Foundation.
Shiner Catholic School has a long and proud tradition of providing a first-rate Catholic education to the families of Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish and the surrounding communities. We would like to thank you for considering us for providing a quality Catholic Education to your children. Please continue to browse our website to learn more about us and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Yours in Christ,
Rob Whitworth
Principal, Shiner Catholic School