For 26 years, The Franciscan School has been blessed with the calming, encouraging presence of Laureen Wacenske. Mrs. Wacenske serves as the K-5 Counselor and was a founding member of the school. She’s experienced all the highs and all the lows, and through it all, her love for the school community has only grown. “It brings me such incredible joy seeing God at work in and through the lives of thousands of children,” she shares. “I love seeing their lights shine, especially as they step out into the world after their years at TFS to share their best selves.”

Mrs. Wacenske received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Secondary Education from Lenoir-Rhyne University, as well as a Master of Science degree in School and Community Counseling from North Carolina State University. She began her career in the Peer Counseling Program at Millbrook High School and was part of the inaugural year at TFS, spending her first 6 years in kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms.

Mrs. Wacenske believes that helping students recognize their God-given light is her passion and is inspired by the words often attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “a single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” At TFS, she works to help each student’s sunbeam shine brightly, but shadows do present themselves throughout life. And because of that, she wants to help students build skills that empower them to hold onto their light even when shadows try to creep in.

Mrs. Wacenske shares, “As the school counselor, I guide children in hearing their inner voices and helping their light to shine brightly by offering individual counseling, small group social skills/friendship building, and classroom guidance lessons.”

As a founding member of TFS, Mrs. Wacenske has spent years walking alongside students at every stage of their development. She encourages kindergartners to discover the “superpowers” God has already placed within them. For older students, she helps them develop healthy relationships and build confidence to stand up for themselves in the face of fear. Mrs. Wacenske often centers activities on Catholic Social Teaching, and recently taught the power of using “I-Messages” and Power Statements during conflict.

Mrs. Wacenske likes to incorporate rich music that the students sing at weekly All Community Masses under the leadership of our parish’s Music Director, Jim Wahl. She often ends her weekly kindergarten visits with the song “To the House of God.” Students quickly join in walking, marching, and dancing back to their seats. Mrs. Wacenske shares, “I want the final words students hear from my lesson to be that 'no one walks, marches, dances, or stands alone.’ One light can shine brightly, but when we combine our light, together we show the world that “It’s never luck, it’s God!”

TFS is a better place because of Mrs. Wacenske and the deep love and care she extends to our school community.