People in the Pews - Gayle Perry-Johnson

Gayle Perry-Johnson – known to her students as “Ms. PJ” – has just begun her second year in administration at St. Raymond Independence Mission School, and she is loving every minute of it. In fact, she has loved learning all her life.

Back in high school, she says she “put Abington on the map” when it came to her Science Fair projects. That led to a major in environmental science at Bowdoin College where, shivering in the Maine winters, she switched to History/Education.

“My Mom (Marsha Perry, who sits in a pew the back left corner at the 10 am Mass at St. Raymond) gave me a love of museums,” PJ said, fondly recalling her city year in Philly with AmeriCorps where she focused her learning on museum education before accepting a position in New Orleans, LA. There, she taught first grade for six years. Although she loved the warmth and friendliness of NOLA (“It’s such a Catholic city!”), she returned to Philly in 2018 to earn her Master’s in Education at Temple.

She’s not finished learning; maybe she never will be. Even with an engagement ring on her finger, PJ recently has begun working toward her doctorate in Educational Leadership at St. Joseph’s.

 Still, it’s what makes St. Raymond IMS unique that she wants to talk about.

“What sets us apart from other Catholic diocesan schools is our mission,” she declared. “Here at St. Raymond School, only about 2% of our student body is Catholic. We welcome all faiths, and everyone qualifies for financial aid. Our academics are transformative and innovative. We make space for our Muslim students during their holy times, and this year we’re making a big push with ELA – English Language Arts. Our school is big on giving kids who may have gone astray a second chance. But they have to prove themselves.”

Many of the students walk to school; a special neighborhood feeling prevails. And many of the faculty are from the area. “Some, like Melissa Scutt, even went to school here,” PJ noted. “We have a reputation for being a safe place. We’re a faith-driven community. And when you’re located next door to a church – well, you just naturally become a little better-behaved.”

One of the goals of IMS schools is for 90% of 8^th grade students to go on to Catholic high schools. “The 14 mission schools in Philly network averaged 81% at the end of last year. We achieved 85%,” she noted proudly.

Aside from the Advisory Council effort to blend church and school, the hope for this year is to restart the student-led St. Raymond Alumni Mass. Another is to expand the after-school program known as Beyond the Bell. This year, ESF (education, sports and fun) will be enhanced by dance and cooking classes, book club, soccer clinic, board games, snacks and homework help. Parents pay a small trimester cost for this educational enrichment and know that their children will be happy and safe until they return home.

“One of our mantras is Believe, Belong, Become,” said PJ, adding that the faculty carries out each IEP (Individualized Education Plan) using yet another acronym: WIN – What I Need. There’s no stigma attached to being in the WIN Block – even gifted students enjoy the opportunity to actualize their unique potentials with WIN.

And then, like a proud Mama showing off pictures of her kids, PJ whipped out her phone and opened it to the St. Raymond School Instagram page she curates. “Tell your readers to check us out,” she said. Here’s the handle: @st.raymondphila