HARK, THE ANGELS! AND SHEPHERDS! Th e school auditorium was packed with parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, big sisters, little sisters, and brothers. And friends. All were there for the shortest, sweetest show in Fairmount: the Pre-K and Kindergarten Christmas Show. When the curtain opened, if you were seated in the back rows you did not see anything, because the audience spontaneously jumped to its feet to wave and take pictures. Joyous, obliging angels on stage waved back!

More than one wayward halo slipped forward over the eyes, but with tilted head, angels maintained eye-contact with their adoring audience. Th e angelic choir, which was all the Pre-K students, sang several songs to Baby Jesus, impressively by memory. And with rhythm--angels have rhythm! It was quite obvious in Feliz Navidad. Th e Kindergarten in their turn silently enacted the Nativity story during a narration. Mary exuberantly shook her head in affi rmation of the Angel Gabriel’s announcement. Many shepherds and sheep fl ocked to the manger. Th e Th ree Kings pointed to the Star (in backhanded fashion, like three little Popes in the window of the Vatican). Th e stage was fi lled with fi gures, song, and praise for the Christ Child. On stage and in the audience, you could feel the love. May all their Christmases be so bright.

St. Francis Xavier School was fi rst accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 1998. Now for the second time in seven years, the school is participating in a reaccreditation process, which means working out a multi-year, multi-faceted protocol to ensure that quality education takes place. Th e program, titled “Excellence by Design,” requires that schools meet twelve standards for compliance. “By design” means assessment, planning and action. Th e evaluation process is highly structured with organized phases. Two internal coordinators, Seventh Grade teacher Th eresa O’Brien and Advanced Math teacher Patrick Yoka, keep track of the timeline and the responsible persons or teams. Th e staff teams must defi ne their mission and beliefs, including a profi le of the graduates of the school. Once needs are identifi ed, the course of action is established.

Mrs. O’Brien and Mr. Yoka work well together with their combination of seasoned experience and new insights. Th ey keep the action focused and moving forward. Plans for growth and development rely heavily on student and parent completed surveys. Th e results of these surveys highlight the strengths in the SFX School program and areas needing improvement. Th e targeted improvement areas steer the seven year Action Plan. Math and Science are two prime areas. Th e Action Plan addresses the goal of achieving basic skills mastery in mathematics across the grade levels. In science, instruction in all grades will encourage greater use of the science lab with more hands-on activities. Students can improve their problem solving skills through observation and experimentation while using microscopes, tubes, beakers and other available materials. Another component of the Middle States protocol is its requirement for broad-based participation. Planning brings not just the principal and the teachers together, but also the school advisory board, parents and students. A successful school is truly a joint eff ort, and all parties contribute to make a school run smoothly. Mrs. O’Brien says it is a beautiful thing to see the teachers talking and working together. Th e direction of planning and action is paramount. Yogi Berra said if you don’t know where you are going, you may end up someplace else. SFX points toward excellence, not by chance but by design, with a whole community working to achieve it.

St. Francis Xavier SchoolAlumni & Friends Association News

Newsletter: Volume 25, Issue 2, Winter 2017

24th and Wallace Streets * Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130 (215) 763-6564 * www.sfxschool.comDolores M. Butler, Principal, Editor-In-Chief

MIDDLE STATES: “EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN”

SPONSOR – A – STUDENT PROGRAMTh e value of Catholic education is a forever opportunity that students

take with them throughout the rest of their lives.

Catholic education is a blessing, a blessing not all can aff ord! Th erefore, the Saint Francis Xavier School Advisory Board started a new ‘Sponsor a Student’ program to help those who may not otherwise be able to aff ord this opportunity. Your tuition contribution will go directly to a qualifying child in need, allowing them to begin, or continue their Catholic education. Your gift will also help to keep enrollment at sustainable levels, helping to keep alive one of the oldest continually operated Catholic parish schools in the Western Hemisphere!

Th ose students who want the advantage of Catholic education, but who need fi nancial assistance will benefi t directly from your contribution. Indirectly, the entire Catholic education system, our communities, and our families will all share the positive impact. In addition, of course, you will benefi t with the satisfaction of knowing your compassion has made a real dif-ference in a child’s life.

To contribute please complete this form and send your tax deductible donation to St. Francis Xavier School or place in the Sunday collection basket.

Sponsor a Student Program, 641 N. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19130Please contact Principal Dolores Butler (215)763-6564 for additional information

Saint Francis Xavier SchoolSponsor a Student Program641 N. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19130Full Tuition $5,390 Half Tuition $2,695Other Amount - $_____

Sponsor Name: _____________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________________________

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? Th e Philadelphia Flower Show, perhaps the best-known harbinger of spring in this area, got an exceptionally early start this fall when the SFX seventh and eighth graders joined volunteers around the city in planting tulip and other fl ower bulbs in Logan Circle. In all, 20,000 bulbs were planted in fi ve Center City locations in preparation for the 2017 Flower Show, whose theme is: “Holland: Flowering the World.” Talk about a great hands-on experience! What a terrifi c way to reap the benefi ts of going green and becoming caretakers of the environment. And throw in some great community service on top. Eighth grader Bernadette Mooney went on the trip to the Flower Show last year, and she was chosen to speak at the kick-off this September. She appreciates the importance of

planting the bulbs to make our city brighter and happier. She said everyone loved the show, and aft er the long winter, it was great to see the fl owers. Bernadette has the planting down: she knows you go six inches deep (measure with your shovel), put three or four bulbs in a hole, and leave six inches between holes. Every space in Logan Circle was planted with bulbs. She hopes to participate in more plantings. It is important to have a green city. It is good for the environment and good for the soul. Look for the tulips in spring!

SCIENCE DAY AT STOCKTON UNIVERSITY

Th e seventh and eighth grade students really are on the move. Th is past fall, the two grades visited Stockton University in Atlantic County, New Jersey for a win-win exchange of information. Th e physics students of Mr. Joseph Trout at Stockton had completed experiments, and as part of their project, had to explain to someone what was taking place in their experiment. Th e SFX students were the eager “explainees.” One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to another: a plus for Stockton physics students and SFX students both. Eighth graders said the college students were very kind and they learned interesting things. Mya learned that ice skaters, for example, go slower with their arms out. Th is fact was demonstrated by a gadget that measured acceleration. Rory was fascinated by a generator box with a belt that created friction. He could feel the static electricity with his hand. He could even see it jump from a metal ball to a pole. In a fi nal activity, all the SFX students put together a gizmo (very scientifi c) using lasers, batteries and mirrors. Th ey were impressed with the results, creating diff erent shapes by manipulating photons. Th ey became “engineers of design.” Aft er spending all day at Stockton, thanks to Mr. Trout, students said they would do it again. Th ey felt the power of science and light. Th ere may be some inspiration here for experiments in our own SFX Science Fair in the spring.

BLESSING OF THE CRÈCHE

PRINCESSES & HEROES

Th e little girls in Pre-K to third grade just had the best time October 22 at the Princess Party. Th ere was Fiona (Fiona, same name as character), Tinkerbell (Cordelia), and Elsa (Asha) from “Frozen.” Th ey loved having their hair in ponytails. Alice in Wonderland (Kendall) wore a “sparkly jacket with tiny black fl owers.” Th e girls really liked the snacks: “Th e cupcakes-- oh, they were delish!” Th e princesses played games, including “Sweep the Pumpkin,” had fun making craft s, and got a gift bag of goodies to take home. When asked what they liked best, it was unanimous: everything! Two Saturdays later, the same grades gathered for the “Super-Hero Party.” Sebastian (Hulk) observed that his character said things like, “Hulk angry!” He rather enjoyed talking about himself in the third person. Colin (Dr. Strange) said his cape kept falling off , so he just put it away. “My mom made it,” he explained. Like the princesses, the heroes enjoyed snacks, games and gift s to take home. Many thanks to Ms. Mary and Ms. Th eresa, who organized all the fun.

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ips

For the past 20 years, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Knights of Columbus have joined forces to celebrate Christmas in the city by staging a Nativity scene, or crèche. In recent years, the choir of St. Francis Xavier School with their director, Mrs. Morgan, has been invited to sing at the opening ceremony of blessing. Rev. Gerald Dennis Gill, rector of the Cathedral and director of the Archdiocesan Offi ce for Divine Worship, presided over this year’s blessing. He reminded the crowd gathered at 18th and Race Streets that St. Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century was the fi rst to commemorate the nativity of Christ with the manger, hay and animals that are so familiar to us today. Just as St. Francis did, we should remember the Babe of Bethlehem with love. Father Gill gave the children heartfelt thanks and invited those assembled to join the choir in their joyful caroling. Since 2012, the crèche was located at Love Park. Because of construction in the Park, this year the site was moved to 18th and Race, right next to the Cathedral. It seems a fi tting spot for the Holy Family to rest.