August 29, 2008
ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA OPENS ACADEMIC YEAR WITH NEW FACILITIES, PROGRAMS & STUDENT RESOURCES
Special Back-to-School Events Planned Throughout Five-County AreaThe
Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced today several staff appointments
in its Office of Catholic Education. Chief among these is the promotion
of Mary Rochford, from Assistant Superintendent for Elementary
Educational Services to Superintendent of Schools. In her new position,
Rochford will oversee all Catholic elementary, secondary, and special
education schools. Currently there are 182 elementary schools, 20 high
schools, and 5 schools of special education in the Archdiocese, located
throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery and Philadelphia
counties.
"The Archdiocese is
blessed to have such a gifted administrator assisting in the leadership
of our Catholic schools," said Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of
Philadelphia. "Ms. Rochford is an exceptional educator who inspires our
students, teachers and administrators with her faith and unwavering
commitment to Catholic education. I am confident that she will bring
the same enthusiasm and devotion to her new role as Superintendent of
Schools."
80,000 students
who attend 182 parish and regional elementary schools, 20 high schools
and five schools of special education within the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia will head back to classrooms on Wednesday, September 3,
2008. Since its founding, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has educated more than 15 million students, providing academic and faith formation rooted in the Gospel values.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia's elementary curriculum development and
training is being heralded in other dioceses around the country and the
world as innovative, challenging and effective. In the 2007-2008
academic year, Archdiocesan elementary students scored between 20 and
25 points higher than the national mean on the basic skills portions of
the Terra Nova testing. This summer, more than 1,000 educators
participated in workshops to enhance their teaching and testing
methods. Sister Edward Quinn, I.H.M., Director of Elementary Curriculum
and Instruction has been approached by other Catholic educators in
areas such as San Francisco, Atlanta, Germany and South America to
present on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's curriculum.
Numerous back-to-school special events are planned throughout the
Archdiocese to welcome students, their families and multiple new
facilities:
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 7:30 a.m to 8:30 a.m.
St. Matthew Parish School, 3040 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia
The Honorable Michael A. Nutter, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia,
will welcome the elementary students and parents on the first day of
classes as part of "Mayor's Education Week."
Monday, September 8, 2008 at 8 a.m.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta School, Limerick, 1228 Main Street, Limerick, Montgomery County
A brand new wireless Education Center will open, offering educational
opportunities through a $70,000 science lab and an integrated
technology lab. The new curriculum includes advanced math, Spanish and
French. The enthusiasm generated by this new facility has resulted in a
40% increase in enrollment in the School program and 35 children are
enrolled in the new Child Care program.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 10 a.m
Our Lady of Port Richmond, 3236 Edgemont Street, Philadelphia
Elementary students in the Port Richmond area of Philadelphia will
celebrate the opening of a new school, Our Lady of Port Richmond,
located at the former site of St. Adalbert Catholic elementary school.
Most Reverend Joseph P. McFadden, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia,
will preside over a blessing and ribbon cutting at the new school. The
school, located at the intersection of Thompson and Madison Streets in
Philadelphia, is a regional Catholic elementary school serving the
families of St. Adalbert, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Our
Lady, Help of Christians parish communities.
Monday, September 22, 2008 at 7 p.m.
Saint Helena Parish School, 1499 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, Montgomery County
Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will bless and dedicate the school's new addition.
Mary E. Rochford, the first female Superintendent of Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will visit her alma maters,
St. Athanasius-Immaculate Conception elementary school, 7105 Limekiln
Pike, Philadelphia and Cardinal Dougherty High School, 6301 North 2nd
Street, Philadelphia, to celebrate the opening of the school year.
(times are below)
"The Office
of Catholic Education has so much to celebrate with the start of the
new school year," said Rochford. "Every academic year brings new
opportunities for our teachers and students to thrive, spiritually and
intellectually, and we have many exciting new programs and resources to
help make that happen this year."
New
offerings for Archdiocesan students include "Picturing America," a
project sponsored by the National Endowment for Humanities, which
provides schools with large replicas of historic American artwork to
encourage the development of higher level thinking skills. The
Archdiocesan schools are also enhancing the science curriculum with
fully-equipped science labs and partnerships with the Please Touch
Museum and the Franklin Institute.
In May 2008, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Association of
Catholic Teachers announced that a new, three-year contract agreement
has been agreed upon and ratified by the teachers. The agreement takes
effect on September 1, 2008 and affects the 930 secondary school
teachers in the 20 schools operated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
In June 2008, 4,889 young men and women graduated from the 20 high
schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Class of 2008 was
offered $243 million in scholarships, surpassing all previous records for the Archdiocese, and more than 94% of the Class of 2008 will continue their education.
ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA BACK-TO-SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS
20
Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, located in
Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties,
will participate in The FACE Program: Fostering Awareness of Catholic
Education. Students from each school will serve as public spokespeople
and community ambassadors, touting the unique benefits of Catholic
education. An orientation retreat for the 200 students will take place
at Cardinal O'Hara High School, 1701 South Sproul Road, Springfield,
Delaware County, on Saturday, September 27, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m., and feature notable alumni keynote speakers.
Archbishop Ryan High School, 11201 Academy Road, Philadelphia,
is pleased to announce that Sr. Alice Hess, I.H.M. has been named by
the US Department of Education as a 2008 American Star of Teaching. She
is one of five teachers in the nation to receive recognition this year.
She will be honored in Washington, D.C. on Friday, September 26, 2008
as part of the National Private Schools Leadership Conference.
Cardinal Dougherty High School, 6301 North 2nd St, Philadelphia,
welcomes Dougherty graduate and new Superintendent of Schools, Mary E.
Rochford, for a first day prayer service with the incoming freshman
class on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 8 a.m.
Conwell-Egan
Catholic High School, 611 Wistar Rd, Fairless Hills, Bucks County and
Archbishop Wood High School, 655 York Rd, Warminster, Bucks County
will host a guest teacher from China to serve as an Authentic Cultural
Resource. Ma Qiaozheng will begin teaching both language and cultural
courses, splitting her time between both schools.
Lansdale Catholic High School, 700 Lansdale Avenue, Montgomery County,
is partnering students and teachers with diocesan elementary schools in
the area to build a deeper understanding of science concepts and
skills. Scientists from local companies are being invited to share
their expertise with students.
Saint Helena Parish School, 1499 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, Montgomery County, Cardinal Justin Rigali will dedicate and bless the school's new addition on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 7 p.m.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta School, Limerick, 1228 Main Street, Limerick, Montgomery County,
is opening a brand new Education Center on Monday, September 8, 2008.
This wireless community will offer educational opportunities through a
$70,000 science lab and an integrated technology lab. The new
curriculum includes advanced math, Spanish and French. The enthusiasm
generated by this new facility has resulted in a 40% increase in
enrollment in the School program and 35 children are enrolled in the
new Child Care program.
Saint Titus Elementary School, 3000 Keenwood Road, Montgomery County,
commends its chapter of the Beta Club for donating 300 hours of service
this summer, and pledging to donate 30 hours per student annually.
Our Lady of Port Richmond, 3236 Edgemont Street, Philadelphia,
will celebrate the school's opening with a blessing and ribbon cutting
by Most Reverend Joseph P. McFadden, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia,
on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 10 a.m.
St. Athanasius-Immaculate Conception elementary school, 7105 Limekiln Pike, Philadelphia,
welcomes alumna and new Superintendent of Schools, Mary E. Rochford on
Friday, September 5, 2008 at 9 a.m. to speak with students about the
importance of fully engaging in their Catholic school experience.
Saint Bernard Parish School, 7360 Jackson Street, Philadelphia,
will reveal its commitment to creating peace in schools, homes,
communities and the world with Mass and ceremony on Friday, September
5, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. The school is constructing a Place of Peace to
initiate the 2008-2009 school theme, "Saint Bernard Students: Building
a More Peaceful World." The Place of Peace will feature a peace bench,
flowers, plaque and 15-foot Peace Pole. Saint Bernard's fundraising
events for this year will benefit two former students who are also war
veterans.
Saint Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments, 4251 "L" Street, Philadelphia,
celebrates the opening of "Blind Sight Presents Another View," a
collection of artwork, on Sunday, September 28, 2008 at the Middletown
Arts Center. The children of Saint Lucy Day School created works for
the collection under the direction of Sister M. Margaret Fleming,
I.H.M. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, prints and mixed
media work with an emphasis on tactual accessibility.
Our Lady of Ransom Elementary School, 6740 Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia,
is celebrating significant growth of its school with the addition of
more students and a brand new Pre-Kindergarten program. Our Lady of
Ransom is also opening a revamped gymnasium with a state-of-the-art
sound system and sound-absorbing tile. On Wednesday, September 24,
2008, at 8 a.m., the students will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of
Ransom with a festival starting on the parish grounds and trip to the
Philadelphia Zoo.
Saint Mary Interparochial School, 500 Locust Street, Philadelphia,
on Saturday, September 6, 2008 from 10 a.m. to noon, invites students
and families of kindergarten and grade seven to a social at Atwater
Kent Museum, so that new families can meet each other and familiarize
themselves with St. Mary Interparochial School.
Saint Agnes Elementary School, 211 West Gay Street, West Chester, Chester County,
welcomes Most Reverend Robert P. Maginnis, Auxiliary Bishop of
Philadelphia, on Monday, September 15, 2008 at 1 p.m. Bishop Maginnis
will visit St. Agnes elementary school to preside at a prayer service
and Benediction, followed by a blessing of the new science lab and
Learning Support Room. During the blessing, Bishop Maginnis will hang a
crucifix in each of the new rooms.
Saint Laurence Elementary School, 8245 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby, Delaware County,
is introducing its students and teachers to COW, a Curriculum on
Wheels. COW addresses diverse learning styles and makes learning fun,
while interactive pieces engage students and promote a deeper
understanding of key concepts.
St. Cornelius Parish School, 160 Ridge Road, Chadds Ford, Delaware County,
will welcome two sets of quadruplets to the kindergarten class on
Monday, September 8, 2008. Drop-off time for students is between 8:10
a.m. and 8:20 a.m.
Saint John the Baptist Catholic School, 4040 Durham Road, Ottsville, Bucks County,
celebrates the start of the new school year on Friday, September 5,
2008 at 2:45 p.m. with a pep rally and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the
new community Walking Path.
For more
information about the 182 parish and regional elementary schools, 20
high schools and five schools of special education in the Archdiocese
of Philadelphia, visit www.KeepingFaithinMind.org.
ABOUT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, celebrating its Bicentennial in 2008,
has 270 parishes serving almost 1.5 million Catholics. Currently there
are 182 parish and regional elementary schools, 20 high schools and
five schools of special education in the Archdiocese, located
throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia
counties.
Contact
Meredith Wilson
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747