St. Michael Catholic School

September 9, 1948 -  May 28, 2010

Newspaper article - no date - Faculty is Given For New Catholic School at Tybee

Sister Mary Bride, O.S. F., will head the faculty of the new parochial school at St. Michael's Church, Savannah Beach, this year, and three other Franciscan Sisters have arrived with her from New York as assistants, it was announced yesterday by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph E. Moylan, vicar general of the diocese of Savannah-Atlanta.

In addition to her duties as principal of St. Michael's and superior at the school, Sister Mary Bride will also teach the fifth and sixth grades.  Sister Mary Concepta, O.S.F. will teach kindergarten and first and second grades; Sister Mary Consilia, O.S. F., third and fourth; and Sister Mary Rufina, O.S.F. will be housekeeper.

While living quarters for the Sisters are awaiting completion at Savannah Beach, they will stay at the conent of the Franciscan Sisters, 439 East Broad Street, Savannah.  It is expected that they will be able to move to Savannah Beach in about a month, it was said.

Registration for all grades at St. Michael's will be accepted today from 9 o'clock in the morning until 12 noon.

Msgr. Moylan said that the new school will be formally blessed and dedicated at cermonies next Sunday afternoon. 

Newspaper article - August 21, 1948:  St. Michael's Church, Savannah Beach, Georgia, serves a parish established in 1896, originally intended to serve members of the parishes in Savannah who spent in summer months at the seashore on Tybee Island.  In recent years, Savannah Beach has developed as a year-round place of residence, and St. Michael's Church has had a rectory and a resident pastor since 1939.  The parish now has grown to such an extent that a parochial school, now under construction, will be opened at Savannah Beach this fall.  Monsignore Joseph E. Moylan, Vicar General of the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta, is pastor of St. Michael's Church, with Father Albert McAvoy, is the assistant pastor, and Monsignore Edward Dodwell, J.C.D., Officials of the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta is in residence at the Savannah Beach rectory.  

Newpaper article dated September 9, 1999:  During St. Michael's celebrations of its 50th anniversary last year, the unearthing of the time capsule got little press.  The Tybee school's cornerstone was torn out and the contents exhumed with little fanfare before a small gathering of St. Michael's personnel.  The jewel in the capsule is a 50 year old news story - still quite legible - about Franciscan sisters Mary Concepta and Mary Consilla, who had recently arrived form New York to help Sister Mary Bride in the operation of St. Michael's School.  The article recently was laminated to preserve it for future generations. 

September 9, 1948 was a date to be remembered on Tybee Island - the cornerstone of a new school was laid.  St. Michael's School began an enduring tradition of serving Catholics, non-Catholics, Tybee Island and the surrounding area.  Originally, three Franciscan sisters using borrowed chairs from the Town Hall taught St. Michael's 54 students.  Because of the emphasis on caring for the individual and a spirit of perseverance, St. Michael's prevailed and is the only school on Tybee Island.  We are therefore in a unique position to serve the local island communities. 

2008 Yearbook (60th anniversary):  St. Michael's recently celebrated its 60th Anniversary in conjunction with the Fesat of St. Michael, our Patron Saint.  The school has undergone many changes since it was originally founded in 1948.  A new building, which included the upper school and the gymnasium, was added to the school in 1976.  A computer lab was later added to the upper school.  Now many of our classrooms have Smartboards in them.  In spite of all the modern advances in technology, our school continues to maintain the same loving, family atmosphere that has been a hallmark of our school since its inception. 

The following students graduated on May 24, 2010, the last graduating class of  St. Michael School:                                                                                                        William Tracy Adams, Craig Edward Holt, Valerie Crystal Kimes, Mason Anthony Lowery, Sokuen Dubhan Justice Ryan, Katherine June Saunders

Father Tom Peyton was the celebrant at the Graduation Mass, along with Deacon Dave Hayden (Assistant Principal at St. Michael School). 

The last day of school, May 28, 2010, included the opening of the time capsule located at the corner of the lower school and then held a pool party/cookout was held for all the children and staff at Ocean Plaza.  A great way to go out!!!

Former Principals

RELIGIOUS

1949                 Sister M. Bride, Superior

1950 - 1955    Sister M. Concilia, Superior

1956 - 1960    Sister M. Celine, Superior

1961 - 1965    Sister M. Angelica, Superior

1966 - 1970    Sister M. Carmel, Superior

1971 - 1972    Sister M. Paulette, Superior

1973 - 1975    Sister Sheila Hurley, Superior

1976 - 1982    Sister Kathleen Egan, Superior

1983 - 1984    Sister Mario Puleo

LAY PRINCIPALS

1985 - 1990    Dell O'Neill

1991 - 1997    Michael Orsini

1998 - 2001    Peggy Poole

2002 - 2004    Peter Iten

2005 - 2006    Laurie Bell

2006 - 2007    Greg Keck

2008                 Laurie Bell (Interim)

2008 - 2010    Holly Lanford