Principal's Welcome

Dear St. Francis High School Community,

 

It is with great joy that I embark on my journey as the fourth principal of St. Francis. This role has always been a cherished aspiration of mine, and I am thrilled to be able to fulfill it here. Many of you may remember me from my previous tenure at St. Francis, where I served as the Assistant Principal for Student Life, taught AP English Literature, and coached football and basketball for the Sharks from 2013 to 2015.  

 

My time at St. Francis was instrumental in my personal growth and development as an educator, but more importantly, as a Catholic. Here, I completed my spiritual journey and converted to Catholicism, as I was exposed daily to the charism of the Salesians and Don Bosco.  As soon as I stepped foot on campus, it was evident that St. Francis was a living testament to the works of St. Mary Mazzarello and St. John Bosco.  I witnessed students actively engaged in their academic, spiritual, and physical formation, but deep down inside, I was also being formed by witnessing the charism being animated through everything done during my first stint at St. Francis.

 

As I prepare to greet the students, faculty, staff, Board members, and parents this year, I plan on sharing my story as an affirmation of the great work that my predecessors have done over the past twenty-three years, growing St. Francis into the premier Catholic school on the Central Coast. I have had the privilege of meeting two former principals, Keith Mathews and Patrick Lee, and I dutifully accept the role of servant leader for St. Francis.

 

Lastly, I wish to thank Patrick Lee for his mentorship and, more importantly, his friendship over the past eleven years.  Pat and Erica Lee were excellent ambassadors of the Salesian charism, and I wish them the best of luck in Pat’s new role as President of Bishop Montgomery. I promise that my wife Lisa and I will work tirelessly to continue the great work that they both did for the St. Francis community.

 

I look forward to meeting you all this summer and in August.  To the recent graduating class of 2024, I wish you much success in your future endeavors.  To our returning students, I can’t wait to welcome you back to campus in August.  And to the Class of 2028, we embark on this journey together as the new “kids” on campus.

In Christ,

Arthur Walker, Jr.

Principal