St. Francis Xavier, Philadelphia is a primary school, supervised by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school offers classes from Pre-Kindergarten to the 8th grade. The strategic location of St. Francis Xavier School is at the 24th Wallace Street of Philadelphia. St. Francis Xavier School works jointly with "the first school of Christian life" - the family of Catholic heritage in Philadelphia. The school authorities believe in developing a sense of family bonding amongst its students, who foster unlimited love and reverence for Jesus - his sacraments and preaching. The staff of this school tries to maintain and eventually improve the proper standard of academic program that nurtures the spiritual and academic growth of the students.
History of St. Francis Xavier
An Irishman - Reverend Patrick Rafferty in 1845, founded the St. Francis Xavier School. St Francis Xavier School was first housed in the ground level of the St. Francis Xavier Church. The church school building was located at 25th and Biddle Streets, near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. When this school was constructed, it had only one teacher. The main aim of this school was in educating both the adults and the children. Eventually the school expanded and by the end of 1850 the number of students had risen to nearly one hundred. In 1863, the school building was shifted to 24th and Green Streets, which is the present location of St. Francis Xavier Convent due to the increase in student population.
Many Catholic sisters and followers of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) served the school since 1869. For
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the next 130 years, the school continually devoted its services to the education of children starting from grades kindergarten up to eighth. A pre-kindergarten for children aged four-years was established in 1994. Due to the growth of student population, the school was shifted to the present location in 1923.
Curriculum of St. Francis Xavier
The curriculum of this school relates its guidelines with the Office of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Religion Program at this school is the prime feature of the curriculum. They follow the directives laid by the Office of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Integrated Language Arts teach the student's effective reading, writing, grammar, phonics, handwriting and research skills. The comprehensive music program of this school focuses on music theory, singing, movement and dance, instrumental music and liturgical music. The Arts sections provide weekly instruction to polish the creativity skills through artistic expression. The Harriet Gaige Science Room provides teachers and students to carry out experiments in the area of science. Social Studies upgrade the cultural and historical fields of knowledge among the students.
St. Francis Xavier, Philadelphia offers 2 fully equipped computer laboratories for facilitating the act of instructing in technology and computer-related areas. The main facilities at St. Francis Xavier include well-maintained library and laboratory for the students. This co-education school is one of the most popular education institutions of Philadelphia.
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