By Christina Leslie | Staff Writer

In a letter to her new school community, St. Raphael principal Ann W. Cwirko quotes encouraging words from the prophet Jeremiah to welcome back students and staff:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future.” [Jeremiah 29:11]

The newest principal of the Hamilton Catholic grade school, dubbing herself “first and foremost, no matter how old I am, a child of God,” aims to fulfill her mission to foster a spirit of family and love of God during her term of leadership.

Cwirko attended St. Charles Borromeo School, Cinnaminson, and Holy Cross High School, Delran, before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education of the handicapped from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), Ewing. She began her teaching career in an elementary multiple handicapped class in Lumberton, then taught at the high school level in Delran for five years.

After taking a hiatus to raise her daughter, Cwirko returned to the classroom as a fourth grade teacher in Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Maple Shade, for two years. The educator then transitioned from fourth grade to the junior high level, teaching sixth through eighth grade students while acting as co-coordinator of the language arts program and co-moderator of the school’s student council.

“It was during my twelfth year at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School that I was invited to consider educational leadership,” Cwirko recalled in her biographical profile. “After much prayer and personal reflection, and the support and encouragement of my family and colleagues, I stepped out in faith, left my beloved school, and began the next chapter of my journey, with the teacher now becoming the student.”

Cwirko returned to school to earn a master’s degree in school administration from Rowan University, Glassboro. While completing the graduate program, she returned to two of her alma mater schools, this time as teacher; Cwirko taught second grade in St. Charles Borromeo School, and served as graduate intern in Holy Cross High School.

Cwirko expressed her admiration for the fellow faith-based teachers who have gone before her, stating, “I stand on the shoulders of giants. I have also been blessed with the amazing opportunity to journey with so many amazing children, their parents, and the parish community fostering a spirit of family and love of God. I am confident these experiences will continue at St. Raphael School.”

The principal’s “plans to give hope and a future” can be found within her mission statement to the St. Raphael community:

“The mission of a true educator and educational leader is to recognize and celebrate the unique, God-given gifts and talents that each learner possesses, teacher and student alike; to guide them on their journey, empowering them to become active participants in their learning by fostering a spirit of inquiry and discovery, collaboration, and reflective practice; to encourage each individual to rise to meet the challenges of our ever-changing world, and to instill a sense of wonder and desire to become life-long learners who plan for a future where they can achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution to our world.”