50th Jubilee for St. Raymond School 50th Jubilee for St. Raymond School (October 20, 2004)

School keeps its focus on students, academics, faith-based values.

By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer

Fifty years ago, St. Raymond School, a Catholic elementary school, opened on October 20 with 143 children in grades 1 through 5 on a 9.5-acre stretch of land, mostly fields, that extended from Santa Cruz Avenue to Valparaiso Avenue in Menlo Park.

The school was built before St. Raymond Church was constructed along Santa Cruz Avenue, and for good reason.

"The need for schools was great in those days," recalls Sister Nancy Morris, former director of Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton. "Servicemen, who came out to California during World War II, fell in love with the weather, stayed and wanted to raise their families here."

"Development was incredible," she says, referring to the orchards and fields that were being subdivided.

The first thing the Reverend Monsignor Edwin J. Kennedy did when he became pastor of the St. Raymond parish was to make plans for a school. "He knew the best way to reach parents was through their children," says Sister Morris.

The land for the future school and church was owned by the Felix McGinnis family and purchased by the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco around 1949. The two-story McGinnis home, nestled among the oaks, provided housing for the school's first nuns when the school opened.

Now the home, named Arbor House, is the residence for the priests and a place for special church and school functions.

Lenore Rooney Daschbach -- who moved to Atherton in 1935 with her parents and has ties with St. Raymond School as a parishioner, parent, volunteer and grandparent -- recalls some early scenes.

She remembers Mr. McGinnis was associated with the Southern Pacific Railroad and parked his collection of railroad cars, a long passenger car and cable cars in the yard, now the parking lot of the Mormon Church on Valparaiso.

People kept their horses in the fields along Santa Cruz Avenue (where St. Raymond Church now stands). She recalls going to fancy parties and dances in the McGinnis home, especially during the holidays.

Funds from the archdiocese and fundraising by parishioners provided money to launch the coeducational school.

Father Kennedy was able to accomplish what some describe as a major feat: securing arrangements for the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Hollywood to staff the new school. Sister Gregory was the first principal.

A new "first grade" was added each year until the school had eight grades. Later a kindergarten was added.

While the school has grown over the years and now has 264 students in kindergarten through grade 8, its vision and mission remain constant.

"It's made very clear, first and foremost, to parents that a student is coming to a Catholic school," said Principal Sister Ann Bernard. "The faculty and parents support the same Christian values."

About 85 percent of the students are Catholics.

St. Raymond School offers a basic academic program with opportunities for enrichment in the arts, computer classes, science labs for the upper grades, and physical education for all.

The after-school sports programs offers volleyball, baseball, basketball and track for students in grades 4-8.

Maximum class size is 33 students. Tuition is approximately $5,400 a year. Parents are asked to contribute at least 20 hours each year to school activities; most give more.

"Thanks to the parents, we haven't had to give up the arts and music," said Principal Ann Bernard, who came to St. Raymond School as the principal 10 years ago after serving as assistant superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of San Jose.

Except for the principal and the vice principal, Sister Ann McGowan, the school is no longer staffed by nuns, and hasn't been since the 1970s.

There are 12 full-time teachers, eight part-time faculty members and aides in classes K-4. There is one class per grade level. Instruction for grades 6-8 is departmentalized.

Family ties

The school has a long history of family involvement and tradition. About 12 percent of its student body are children of alumni.

The family of Howard and Lenore Daschbach is a prime example. Five of their six children graduated from the school from 1968 to 1978. Their other child, Laura, went to Sacred Heart Schools because her birthday was too late in the year to begin at St. Raymond School -- but her children now go to St. Raymond.

Mrs. Daschbach recalls she and her husband had their "first family argument" over whether their first child, LeeLee, would go to the relatively new St. Raymond School or to Sacred Heart Schools. LeeLee graduated from St. Raymond in 1968.

Lisa Daschbach and Rory Fuerst are the only couple who both graduated from St. Raymond and have had children at the school. Their youngest of four children, Trevor, will graduate in June.

The Daschbachs' grandchildren -- Rory, Brady and Connor Fuerst -- followed in their parents' footsteps in graduating from St. Raymond. When grandchildren Trevor Fuerst, Doyle and Rooney Pitchford and Sarah and Andrew Daschbach graduate in future years, the Daschbach family will have spent 113 years at the school.

Anniversary event

Parents are involved in the Mothers' Club and Men's Club that sponsor a number of fundraising events during the school year. The Booster Club supports the school's athletic programs, and all of the coaches are volunteer parents or teachers.

This year, the Mothers' Club is gearing up for the November 13 auction and dinner to celebrate the school's 50th anniversary. For the first time, the event will be held away from the school campus -- at the Hiller Aviation Museum -- instead of at the school's Kennedy Center, dedicated in 1978.

"Rock Around the Clock" is the theme for the event, said auction committee co-chairs JoAnn Carcione and Cecilia Diaz.

Kimm Terpenning, president of the Mothers' Club, said proceeds for the auction will go to enrichment programs, such as the writing program, and to buy textbooks and other learning resources.

In 2002, the club's auction raised $200,000 for the school. Another year, it paid for the playground.

The recent accreditation team highlighted the strengths of the school in its report:

"St. Raymond has been the educational home to several thousands of students throughout these years and during the past five decades the faculty have provided education of the highest quality to students. More importantly, the faculty have shared with their students the precious gift of the faith and tradition of the Catholic Church."

E-mail Marjorie Mader at mmader@AlmanacNews.com

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