At St. Francis de Sales School our mission is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our school is a united, multicultural learning community. St. Here at St.
We strive to inspire students to be stewards of peace in their community and moral leaders of tomorrow. Francis de Sales School exists for the purpose of helping children from diverse backgrounds come to know the person of Jesus Christ by creating an atmosphere which will nurture the growth of faith in children from Catholic families and will plant the seed of the beginning of faith in others. Wor
ship and prayer permeate the atmosphere throughout the day. Francis de Sales is a parish school with the pastor as the principal evangelizer. The faculty is a subcommittee of the community of faith and therefore has a true realization that it is an extension of the primary teacher, the parents and family members. It is essential to raise an awareness of the need to serve others. The academic program is designed to fortify the students with a strong foundation of basic skills and higher level thinking skills. Teachers are facilitators, not the resource, of all knowledge so that the student takes ownership of his/her own education. Spiritual development grows out of an environment embodied by the signs, symbols, manners, and customs of the community of faith, particularly the witness of teachers. This is enhanced by an atmosphere of Christian attitude, which corresponds with the American values of equity, honesty, social responsibility, patriotism and service. The intellectual development of the child takes place in four successive stages: experience, understanding, judgment and decision-making. As intellectual capacity gradually expands and imagination unfolds, the child is able to develop his/her own unique God-given gifts. This development is influenced by each child’s background experiences, individual learning style, native ability, and school environment. Personal development is a natural process of self-discovery. The child must acquire skills to cope with life situations and resolve conflicts peacefully. Francis de Sales School strives to create an environment in which the students may grow in self-esteem and then move from self to other awareness. The human body is a divine creation and the child is encouraged to have a respectful attitude toward its care, use, and development. Self-control and a healthy enjoyment of life enhance the development process. Students are expected to support one another in social and academic experiences and to resolve conflicts nonviolently. The teachers at St. Francis de Sales School strive to teach as Jesus did, with love, patience, and understanding, in order to establish a relationship with the students that is based on mutual respect and trust. A faith community is fostered among the faculty with sensitivity to personal and professional needs. Teachers contribute to the combined strengths found in the school program with a spirit of trust and pride. The teachers recognize the role of the parents and/or guardians as the primary educators and share with them the responsibility for growth and development of the child. Under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, St. Francis de Sales School follows the educational Policies and Procedures of the Diocese. The curriculum is established by the Office of Catholic Education, however we realize it is necessary at times to customize the Archdiocesan Curriculum to meet the needs of an ever-changing student body. The faculty members commit themselves to the ministry of multicultural, inner city, Catholic education. The teachers have professional training in order to be highly qualified as faith facilitators, instructional leaders, and team members. Formal and informal evaluative diagnostic tools are used to better discern students’ achievements, interests, talents, difficulties, values, and attitudes towards self and others. Both formal evaluation and a teacher’s self-evaluation of personal goals are important for professional growth. Francis de Sales School, the gospel is spread, children are motivated to learn, the quest for academic excellence is fostered, high standards of conduct are expected and practiced, and parents and/or guardians are respected as partners in education. Here, the mission in constant, to proclaim the Good News, but the vision is constantly changing, to meet the needs of a new millennium.
05/29/2026
Our first-ever Art Show was an enormous success! The hallways were filled with art by all of our 450 students. The auditorium display featured 80 original works by students who submitted their creations for professional adjudication. We were thrilled to welcome guest judges from the region's most prestigious art institutions. We would like to thank EVERYONE involved in making this evening such a success - our wonderful art teacher, Ms. Reika Bell, our guest judges, families who attended and who have cheered our students on all year, donors, board members, sponsors, community partners were all a part of the magic last night. We are blessed by this community and can't wait for next year's show!
05/21/2026
Get your uniforms now!!! Cramer's Uniforms
05/21/2026
Before we break for the holiday weekend, we would like to congratulate our students who were granted a full scholarship for the St. Joseph’s University ‘Sparking Passion for Science’ Summer Program! We are blessed to send several students to this wonderful program each summer, where they are immersed in scientific topics such as genetics, neuroscience, and chromatography. We can’t wait to see what they’ll learn this year!
05/19/2026
Happening at De Sales! 7th-grade students in Mr. Cherry’s class chose different items and researched their prices through 3 different time periods: 1990 to 2000’s, 2000’s to 2010’s, and 2010’s to 2026. The students then calculated the price increase or decrease over the years.
05/18/2026
We were honored to attend the BLOCS Gala last week, celebrating 25 years of championing access to a rich and meaningful education for students across Philadelphia. It was a privilege to be in the company of so many inspiring educators, partners, supporters, and all the people who care so deeply about this cause. BLOCS plays an immeasurably important role in the lives of our students. We are deeply grateful for their ardent support, and for all they do to ensure any student who seeks a quality education in Philadelphia can have it! (Thank you Cramer's Uniforms CEO, Matt Laken, for the photos!)
05/08/2026
We are immeasurably grateful for all of our teachers and teacher aides who show up for our children each and every day with enthusiasm, encouragement, and love. These teachers shape their students’ minds, hone their talents, cultivate their gifts, challenge them daily, and walk with them through every step of their learning journey. Because of them, our students are able to learn, grow, and thrive in safe and happy classrooms and reach their utmost potential. The SFDS faculty are a blessing in our community and in the lives of all of our students and their families. THANK YOU for all that you do for the children of De Sales!
05/04/2026
We were delighted to attend Play On Philly's ‘Evening of Harmony’ in honor of their 15th year of programming. We are proud to be the flagship site for POP’s program model and are deeply grateful for their continued partnership. CONGRATULATIONS to all 58 (!!!) of our students and alumni who performed in the concert portion of the evening! The POP program has played an enormous role in the success of so many of our alumni, and we are so proud of our students past and present for their incredible musical accomplishments. Bravo to all involved!
04/29/2026
We had two wonderful celebrations last week: first, De Sales staff and several of our Spanish-speaking students attended a beautiful mass at St. Laurence honoring Monsignor Vincent Walsh, known lovingly by so many as ‘Padre Vincente’, and the monumental impact he has had on the lives of Spanish-speaking students in Catholic schools. We were honored to attend, and are so grateful for Padre’s impact on our school and so many others. Later in the week, 20 of our students competed in the Reading Olympics at St. Cecelia’s and our three teams placed first, second, and third. We are so proud of our voracious young readers! Next week, we will celebrate all students who completed the annual Reading Challenge - stay tuned!
04/28/2026
Today is the LAST DAY to get your De Sales swag - available for students, families, friends, and alumni! Click on the link below to rock your SFDS pride today! All orders ship directly to your homes. The site closes at 11:59 this evening. The next merchandise drop will be in the Fall!
We are so excited to share that we surpassed our fundraising goal for the 2026 WALK-A-THON! This is truly a community-wide effort, and we are so grateful to everyone who played a role in this year’s event. From the students, families, teachers, and staff who fundraised on the school’s behalf, to the donors who gave from far and wide, all of the anonymous donors who quietly supported our students, and the alumni who came back to celebrate with us - THANK YOU! They say ‘it takes a village’ and we are so grateful to and blessed by every single person in ours. We can’t wait for next year!
05/29/2026
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