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.

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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