For Hometown News
COCOA BEACH - Our Saviour Catholic School started the 2012-13 school year with much to celebrate.
Students, families, faculty, alumni and city officials joined together Aug. 17 for a 50th anniversary celebratory mass at Our Saviour Church.
Our Saviour Catholic School, a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, celebrated 50 years of educating children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Following the mass, the group processed to the school for a Ribbon Cutting event and a reception.
Cocoa Beach Vice Mayor Dave Netterstrom presided over the ceremony and read an official proclamation that declared Aug. 17 as "Our Saviour Catholic School Day."
The ribbon-cutting marked the beginning of the next 50 years, providing students with a challenging and rewarding curriculum that is designed to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed for success in the 21st century. The curriculum meets and exceeds Florida State standards.
The school's principal, Loretta Personius, has implemented an accelerated middle school program and an array of new courses and electives, including Latin, marine biology, world and U.S. geography, Korean culture, world explorers, broadcasting and journalism, German and French.
Many school alumni from the early years of the school were present, including Jim Doyle, who attended the school during its first year in 1962.
Lee Harrington, a 1983 graduate of Our Saviour and mother of two children currently attending the school, said, "Our Saviour School has a strong sense of community and faith, and my children love being here and have a comfort level knowing that they are part of a community."
Sherri Netterstrom, wife of Vice Mayor Dave Netterstrom, was one of eight siblings who attended Our Saviour School between 1967 and 1988.
She also reflected on her experiences at Our Saviour School.
"Our Saviour School prepared me for life and taught me important values including honesty and being nice to people," she said. "My mother was very involved at the school and that made an impact on me."