Master Bruce from the Black Belt World studio offered a free six-week session of tae kwon-do classes to the children in the ECC Transitional Kindergarten class. While working on building focus, teamwork, control, memory, discipline and fitness, our students also learned about respect for self, friends and adults—all while having great fun! The Eagles had a graduation ceremony at the tae kwon-do studio where they had a chance to show off the new skills they acquired, including breaking a board with one of the kicks they had learned!
The four year old Otters from the ECC recently visited the science lab in the SRCS middle school. Mr. Brown, the middle school science teacher, showed the Otters many of the interesting subjects that are displayed in the science room. The Otters were able to touch kangaroo, fox, and snake skins. They handled a real snake and observed “Yurtle” the turtle sunbathing in his habitat. The Otters tried to find the lizards that were camouflaged and examined the skeleton of a real crocodile. Mr. Brown also showed the Otters a replica of a human skeleton and explained how it protects what is on the inside of our bodies. He even performed a simple experiment. It wasn’t magic, it was science! The Otters hope to return to the science lab for another visit very soon.
The ECC three-year-old Turtle class went “under the big top” to read about the circus. The children learned about clowns, lions, tigers and more! Reading and enjoying books with children is one of the best ways adults can help them to develop their literacy skills. Throughout their fun and busy day, our ECC preschoolers are expanding their vocabularies, honing their listening and speaking skills and broadening their awareness of sounds, letters and print. These early literacy skills lay the foundation for later learning, including reading, writing and comprehension.
In recognition of Catholic Schools Week, the ECC children were treated to a performance by “Fish the Magish,” a hilarious magician from North Carolina. He delighted the children and teachers with his silly jokes and amazing magic tricks. Along with all the fun, Fish shared some important value lessons with the help of his friend Rosco the Rabbit. He’s pictured here with Rosco as they enacted the importance of always telling the truth no matter the consequences. This was just one of many events that were planned to make Catholic Schools Week a memorable experience for the children.
On the Feast of St. Blaise, Fr. Proterra visited the young students in the ECC in order to offer each of them a throat blessing. The ECC provides the children daily opportunities to participate in meaningful prayer and fosters their relationship with their Heavenly Father. It is inspiring to witness the children’s spontaneous prayers thanking God for the good things in their lives and their total confidence that they can always turn to the Good Shepherd for His help and blessings.
In the rapidly paced, technological world we live in, it’s important not to forget the value of simpler activities like playing board games. In addition to the fond memories often associated with time spent with friends playing games, they are rich in learning opportunities—developing social skills like cooperation, turn-taking and learning to win and lose graciously, as well as competence in counting and expressive language. Simple board games have tremendous educational potential. At St. Raphael’s ECC we keep abreast of the latest trends in early childhood education, but we also value those tried and true activities that have kept children amused and learning for generations.
The ECC’s four-year-old Blue Tie Teddy class has been having reading adventures. Every month they travel all the way across campus to visit with Mrs. Zagrobelny in the SRCS library. The class listens to stories and tours the library sections. They have the opportunity to admire the beautiful children’s art work in the hallways. One day they were invited to visit one of the Kindergarten classes where they met the teachers and saw the children working in centers. This experience has been an opportunity for the ECC to form a relationship with the “big school”. We understand that we are all part of the “education family” at St. Raphael’s.
The 3 year old Frogs class at the ECC has been preparing for Christmas! Students have been learning about Advent by lighting candles on the wreath, making ornaments commemorating each Sunday of Advent, and visiting the church during this season of preparation. They are looking forward to their upcoming birthday party for Jesus, where they will entertain their parents with a dramatic performance of Jan Brett's book The Mitten. You can see them as they practice for this in the photo. As a birthday gift for Jesus, the Frogs will be making a class donation to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.
In November the Pandas class at the ECC enjoyed learning about Thanksgiving. In preparation for the holiday they made a pumpkin pie completely from scratch. They reported: We started out with a fresh pumpkin. We first baked it and then enjoyed scooping it out of its skin. We mashed the pumpkin and then added other ingredients. Finally we placed it in a pie shell to create our very own homemade pie. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. Our favorite part was eating it of course! We discovered we are great cooks.
The ECC’s 4 year old Red Tie Teddy class has been busy learning about the fall harvest. They completed a unit on pumpkins and the students had the opportunity to explore a real pumpkin both inside and out! The students used vocabulary such as smooth, round and bumpy to describe the outside of the pumpkin. Then they completed a visual representation of the inside. They really enjoyed learning about the pumpkin life cycle! Throughout the year, they will be exploring other natural life cycles as well.
At the ECC, teachers recognize that play is children’s work. It may seem like this pair of two-year-old children in the photo are simply splashing paint onto a piece of paper, but there are more skills being developed by this activity than first meet the eye. Hand-eye coordination is being practiced as the children dip the large brush into the little hole in the top of the paint canister. Gripping the paintbrush helps develop finger strength which will be important in the future as they begin to write. The children are also strengthening muscles in their arms and shoulders and developing upper body coordination as they make large brush strokes on the paper. Finally, they must use their imaginations and cognitive abilities as they decide what to paint. For a two-year old, the sky is the limit!
On Election Day, the Transitional Kindergarten class at the ECC learned about the right to vote. The children were able to exercise their rights by voting for their choice of main dish for their classroom Thanksgiving “feast”. After anxiously waiting their turn to register, they entered the voting booth to cast their vote. At this time, neither sandwiches nor soup has conceded to hot dogs, as the absentee ballots have yet to be counted.
The ECC’s 4 year old Blue Tie Teddy class recently completed their annual scarecrow project. Each child brought in their own outgrown clothes to stuff and create an individual harvest decoration. Because parent involvement is an important and valued part of the ECC, several enthusiastic moms joined us to help with this activity. The scarecrows went home with the children to decorate their homes and perhaps they will be used each year to celebrate the creativity, fun and fellowship that is the heart of the ECC.
During October the four-year-olds in the Pandas class at the ECC enjoyed learning about community helpers. We enjoyed a special visit from a helper in our own faith community, Father Michael Proterra! Fr. Proterra showed us some of his "tools", like the stole he wears and the oil he brings when visiting sick people. He also told us about writing homilies and helping families in need. The Pandas enjoyed learning more about the jobs of a priest!
In this photo children in the in the two-year old class at the ECC are busily adding large wooden beads to a string. Not only are they having a great time, but they are also developing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. At this age, fitting that tiny string into a little hole in a bead takes patience and a lot of determination. Once they master this difficult skill, they are certain to shout with a smile, “I did it!” Every day the ECC provides experiences that appeal to the interests and abilities of young children, allowing them to develop self-confidence in a learning environment that affords opportunities for success and understands that learning involves trial and error.
This month the Otter class (4-yr-olds) at the Early Childhood Center has been studying ocean life. Learning about the ocean allowed the Otters to explore the properties of salt water by performing some experiments. The children found out that salt water is heavier than plain water and plain water freezes faster than salt water. The Otters were delighted to have their Third Grade Book Buddies from SRCS visit our classroom and read stories about the ocean. The Otters and the Third Graders will be getting together every month to share our favorite books!
Three-year-old ECC students in the Frogs class recently celebrated the Feast of the Archangels. Since their classroom patron saint is St. Gabriel, they enjoyed hearing the Bible story of the angel’s appearance to Mary telling her she would have a special baby named Jesus. They also visited the church to see the statue of St. Raphael and used paint and glitter to make handprint angels.
The Cubs (three-year-olds) were so excited to welcome Bishop Burbidge to their classroom when he toured the ECC last Friday. The Bishop made a point to visit in the classrooms, engaging the children and leading them in a prayer of blessing before he left.
St. Raphael ECC is back in session after the summer recess. Just one week into school and already the children are making friends and diving into the fun of learning. In the photo we see some of the students in the Transitional Kindergarten (Eagles) class working on printing their names properly using upper and lower case letters. Nurtured by their ECC teachers, they will grow in independence, confidence and knowledge so that they are ready to soar into kindergarten next year.
As a Lenten service project, the preschool students at the ECC are sewing quilts to donate to Project Linus, an organization that supplies comforting quilts to children experiencing illness or trauma. This Lenten service project was begun by having each child bring in a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank. In exchange, they selected a piece of fabric made available to them here at the ECC. The children poured over the selections to find just the right one out of the hundreds of possible choices. This fabric was then cut into blocks. With the help of teachers and parent volunteers, each child will have an opportunity to sew his/her own piece of fabric into a quilt. The ECC has been undertaking this Lenten Service project for several years, donating scores of colorful quilts to Project Linus. Perhaps if your own child has been in the hospital, they may have received a quilt sewn by our children here at the ECC! It is a project that is meaningful because even our youngest students can understand the value of a soft, warm quilt when feeling sick or sad. The Lenten project unites our entire ECC community, with parents, children and teachers all contributing a little bit of themselves while working together for this wonderful effort.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the Irish step dancers from Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance came to perform for our ECC students. One of the dancers is an ECC alumna!!
Bright Star Children's Theatre performed Aesop's Fables and invited some of our ECC and SRCS students to be a part of the cast!
SCRIP An ongoing St. Raphael Catholic School fundraiser through which retailers sell gift certificates to the school at a discount. Money is raised for the school when parents purchase the store cards at face value. ECC parents can participate in the program with one-half the profits coming back to them in the form of an ECC tuition credit for the next school year. Parents can also choose to donate their portion to the ECC scholarship fund. Pick up an order form in the ECC office or click here to order online!
Master Bruce from the Black Belt World studio offered a free six-week session of tae kwon-do classes to the children in the ECC Transitional Kindergarten class. While working on building focus, teamwork, control, memory, discipline and fitness, our students also learned about respect for self, friends and adults—all while having great fun! The Eagles had a graduation ceremony at the tae kwon-do studio where they had a chance to show off the new skills they acquired, including breaking a board with one of the kicks they had learned! 
The four year old Otters from the ECC recently visited the science lab in the SRCS middle school. Mr. Brown, the middle school science teacher, showed the Otters many of the interesting subjects that are displayed in the science room. The Otters were able to touch kangaroo, fox, and snake skins. They handled a real snake and observed “Yurtle” the turtle sunbathing in his habitat. The Otters tried to find the lizards that were camouflaged and examined the skeleton of a real crocodile. Mr. Brown also showed the Otters a replica of a human skeleton and explained how it protects what is on the inside of our bodies. He even performed a simple experiment. It wasn’t magic, it was science! The Otters hope to return to the science lab for another visit very soon.
The ECC three-year-old Turtle class went “under the big top” to read about the circus. The children learned about clowns, lions, tigers and more! Reading and enjoying books with children is one of the best ways adults can help them to develop their literacy skills. Throughout their fun and busy day, our ECC preschoolers are expanding their vocabularies, honing their listening and speaking skills and broadening their awareness of sounds, letters and print. These early literacy skills lay the foundation for later learning, including reading, writing and comprehension.
In recognition of Catholic Schools Week, the ECC children were treated to a performance by “Fish the Magish,” a hilarious magician from North Carolina. He delighted the children and teachers with his silly jokes and amazing magic tricks. Along with all the fun, Fish shared some important value lessons with the help of his friend Rosco the Rabbit. He’s pictured here with Rosco as they enacted the importance of always telling the truth no matter the consequences. This was just one of many events that were planned to make Catholic Schools Week a memorable experience for the children. 
On the Feast of St. Blaise, Fr. Proterra visited the young students in the ECC in order to offer each of them a throat blessing. The ECC provides the children daily opportunities to participate in meaningful prayer and fosters their relationship with their Heavenly Father. It is inspiring to witness the children’s spontaneous prayers thanking God for the good things in their lives and their total confidence that they can always turn to the Good Shepherd for His help and blessings. 
In the rapidly paced, technological world we live in, it’s important not to forget the value of simpler activities like playing board games. In addition to the fond memories often associated with time spent with friends playing games, they are rich in learning opportunities—developing social skills like cooperation, turn-taking and learning to win and lose graciously, as well as competence in counting and expressive language. Simple board games have tremendous educational potential. At St. Raphael’s ECC we keep abreast of the latest trends in early childhood education, but we also value those tried and true activities that have kept children amused and learning for generations. 
The ECC’s four-year-old Blue Tie Teddy class has been having reading adventures. Every month they travel all the way across campus to visit with Mrs. Zagrobelny in the SRCS library. The class listens to stories and tours the library sections. They have the opportunity to admire the beautiful children’s art work in the hallways. One day they were invited to visit one of the Kindergarten classes where they met the teachers and saw the children working in centers. This experience has been an opportunity for the ECC to form a relationship with the “big school”. We understand that we are all part of the “education family” at St. Raphael’s.
The 3 year old Frogs class at the ECC has been preparing for Christmas! Students have been learning about Advent by lighting candles on the wreath, making ornaments commemorating each Sunday of Advent, and visiting the church during this season of preparation. They are looking forward to their upcoming birthday party for Jesus, where they will entertain their parents with a dramatic performance of Jan Brett's book The Mitten. You can see them as they practice for this in the photo. As a birthday gift for Jesus, the Frogs will be making a class donation to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.
In November the Pandas class at the ECC enjoyed learning about Thanksgiving. In preparation for the holiday they made a pumpkin pie completely from scratch. They reported: We started out with a fresh pumpkin. We first baked it and then enjoyed scooping it out of its skin. We mashed the pumpkin and then added other ingredients. Finally we placed it in a pie shell to create our very own homemade pie. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. Our favorite part was eating it of course! We discovered we are great cooks. 
The ECC’s 4 year old Red Tie Teddy class has been busy learning about the fall harvest. They completed a unit on pumpkins and the students had the opportunity to explore a real pumpkin both inside and out! The students used vocabulary such as smooth, round and bumpy to describe the outside of the pumpkin. Then they completed a visual representation of the inside. They really enjoyed learning about the pumpkin life cycle! Throughout the year, they will be exploring other natural life cycles as well. 
At the ECC, teachers recognize that play is children’s work. It may seem like this pair of two-year-old children in the photo are simply splashing paint onto a piece of paper, but there are more skills being developed by this activity than first meet the eye. Hand-eye coordination is being practiced as the children dip the large brush into the little hole in the top of the paint canister. Gripping the paintbrush helps develop finger strength which will be important in the future as they begin to write. The children are also strengthening muscles in their arms and shoulders and developing upper body coordination as they make large brush strokes on the paper. Finally, they must use their imaginations and cognitive abilities as they decide what to paint. For a two-year old, the sky is the limit!
On Election Day, the Transitional Kindergarten class at the ECC learned about the right to vote. The children were able to exercise their rights by voting for their choice of main dish for their classroom Thanksgiving “feast”. After anxiously waiting their turn to register, they entered the voting booth to cast their vote. At this time, neither sandwiches nor soup has conceded to hot dogs, as the absentee ballots have yet to be counted.
The ECC’s 4 year old Blue Tie Teddy class recently completed their annual scarecrow project. Each child brought in their own outgrown clothes to stuff and create an individual harvest decoration. Because parent involvement is an important and valued part of the ECC, several enthusiastic moms joined us to help with this activity. The scarecrows went home with the children to decorate their homes and perhaps they will be used each year to celebrate the creativity, fun and fellowship that is the heart of the ECC.
During October the four-year-olds in the Pandas class at the ECC enjoyed learning about community helpers. We enjoyed a special visit from a helper in our own faith community, Father Michael Proterra! Fr. Proterra showed us some of his "tools", like the stole he wears and the oil he brings when visiting sick people. He also told us about writing homilies and helping families in need. The Pandas enjoyed learning more about the jobs of a priest!
In this photo children in the in the two-year old class at the ECC are busily adding large wooden beads to a string. Not only are they having a great time, but they are also developing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. At this age, fitting that tiny string into a little hole in a bead takes patience and a lot of determination. Once they master this difficult skill, they are certain to shout with a smile, “I did it!” Every day the ECC provides experiences that appeal to the interests and abilities of young children, allowing them to develop self-confidence in a learning environment that affords opportunities for success and understands that learning involves trial and error. 
This month the Otter class (4-yr-olds) at the Early Childhood Center has been studying ocean life. Learning about the ocean allowed the Otters to explore the properties of salt water by performing some experiments. The children found out that salt water is heavier than plain water and plain water freezes faster than salt water. The Otters were delighted to have their Third Grade Book Buddies from SRCS visit our classroom and read stories about the ocean. The Otters and the Third Graders will be getting together every month to share our favorite books!
Three-year-old ECC students in the Frogs class recently celebrated the Feast of the Archangels. Since their classroom patron saint is St. Gabriel, they enjoyed hearing the Bible story of the angel’s appearance to Mary telling her she would have a special baby named Jesus. They also visited the church to see the statue of St. Raphael and used paint and glitter to make handprint angels. 
The Cubs (three-year-olds) were so excited to welcome Bishop Burbidge to their classroom when he toured the ECC last Friday. The Bishop made a point to visit in the classrooms, engaging the children and leading them in a prayer of blessing before he left.
St. Raphael ECC is back in session after the summer recess. Just one week into school and already the children are making friends and diving into the fun of learning. In the photo we see some of the students in the Transitional Kindergarten (Eagles) class working on printing their names properly using upper and lower case letters. Nurtured by their ECC teachers, they will grow in independence, confidence and knowledge so that they are ready to soar into kindergarten next year. 
As a Lenten service project, the preschool students at the ECC are sewing quilts to donate to Project Linus, an organization that supplies comforting quilts to children experiencing illness or trauma. This Lenten service project was begun by having each child bring in a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank. In exchange, they selected a piece of fabric made available to them here at the ECC. The children poured over the selections to find just the right one out of the hundreds of possible choices. This fabric was then cut into blocks. With the help of teachers and parent volunteers, each child will have an opportunity to sew his/her own piece of fabric into a quilt. The ECC has been undertaking this Lenten Service project for several years, donating scores of colorful quilts to Project Linus. Perhaps if your own child has been in the hospital, they may have received a quilt sewn by our children here at the ECC! It is a project that is meaningful because even our youngest students can understand the value of a soft, warm quilt when feeling sick or sad. The Lenten project unites our entire ECC community, with parents, children and teachers all contributing a little bit of themselves while working together for this wonderful effort. 
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the Irish step dancers from Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance came to perform for our ECC students. One of the dancers is an ECC alumna!! 
Bright Star Children's Theatre performed Aesop's Fables and invited some of our ECC and SRCS students to be a part of the cast!