APRIL 2021 NEWS & UPDATES | STPHILIPS1600.ORG
The 21st Annual Destiny Luncheon Was a Huge Success
The virtual event was held on Friday, March 26 and featured engaging presentations from our students and a live conversation with New York Times Bestselling and Pulitzer Prize Winning Author and Journalist, Isabel Wilkerson, moderated by Catherine Whiteman, Anchor/Producer for the City of Irving’s Community Television Network. Due to the generosity of many friends and donors, over $500,000 was raised through Destiny. We were delighted to honor Tom Joyner, the legendary radio personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, with the 2021 Mona and David Munson Humanitarian Award.

We depend on Destiny to raise vital dollars to cover our operational costs and core programs. In a year challenged by a pandemic, unexpected storms, and other challenges and surprises, Destiny prevailed. Thank you to everyone who donated their time and treasure to make our signature fundraising event a success. If you didn’t get a chance to donate during the event, you can still donate here.
St. Philip's Class of 2021 Commencement Ceremony
Our 6th Grade class of 2021 will celebrate their graduation on Thursday May 27th at 6:00pm in the Snyder Activity Center. COVID-19 Safety Protocols will be reinforced. We are honored to share our commencement speaker for the ceremony is Mariah Burdette, St. Philip’s Class of 2013. After St. Philip’s, Mariah attended Bishop Dunne Catholic School from 7-12th grade, where she was Head Student Ambassador, President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and a member of the National Honor Society. She graduated from Bishop Dunne as class valedictorian once again in 2019. Mariah is currently a junior attending the University of Southern California, where she is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and 3D printing for everyone. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering with plans to graduate in December 2022. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in professional sports data-analytics, product manufacturing, or as an Imagineer at Disneyland. The most valuable lesson Mariah feels that she took away from her time at St. Philip’s is “If it is to be, it’s up to me.”
Alumni Updates
If you were a student or participated in athletics at St. Philip’s School and Community Center, we want to hear from you! We would love to stay in touch and continue to support you in all your future endeavors. Please email updates and contact information to Breanna Turnley.
Countdown to Summer Reading With Principal Murrell
We are all excited for summer to be here, but that doesn’t mean reading stops. We want to encourage our students to read daily especially throughout the summer. Each week, Principal Murrell will read to a different grade level to get our students excited about reading this summer.
Making Private School Affordable
We are excited to announce that this year we have over $1 MILLION available for Tuition Assistance to make a St. Philip’s education more affordable for families. Our next application deadline is April 16th, and we want you, your family, and friends to be a part of our St. Philp's Family. Apply today!

Important deadlines to consider when applying: Applications are Due April 16th | Supplemental Documents due April 23rd | Testing Date April 21st | Parent Interviews April 28-May 4th | Enrollment Decisions Early May
We Love Referrals from our Friends and Families!
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR! You are our best ambassadors; help a family you know learn more about our school by sending them to our Why St. Philip’s page. If you know families who are interested send them to apply here!

YOUR REVIEWS MATTER: Word of mouth from happy students and parents is the best way to spread the good news about St. Philip’s School & Community Center! Reviews on various websites help promote our school. Information and links to share your experience can be found here.

EARN TUITION CREDIT FOR YOUR STUDENT: The highest compliment our parents can pay us is the referral of family or friends. In appreciation, for each new student you refer that enrolls and attends St. Philip’s, your family will be awarded a $200 tuition credit through our referral program!
Join Us for Upcoming Admissions Events
Financial Planning for Private School
Join us for a free financial literacy session facilitated by J.P. Morgan focused on goal setting and financial planning for private school. Tuesday, April 20th at 5:30pm Via Zoom. Register here.
Special Admissions Office Hours
Tuesday, April 27 at 9:30 am
Get the full experience of what our students are learning and our teaching methods as we go live in our 3rd grade classroom. You can join via Zoom or Facebook Live

If you can’t make it to our special admissions events, join us weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm; and Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11am to 1pm. Click here to find out more.
Girls Night Out - April 9th
Join us this Friday, April 9th for Girls Night Out! The theme this month is Planting Seeds to Grow. Girls will get to plant seeds in soil and learn how plants grow. They will also discuss how they have grown in all areas of their life throughout the school year. This fun-filled virtual mentorship and networking program is for young ladies in 1st - 12th grades. If you are interested in signing up for our next Girls Night Out event, sign up here.
Athletics Updates
7-on-7 Football: Join us every Monday and Wednesday at 6:30 pm at the Doherty Family Fieldhouse for 7-on-7 football! Athletes ages 4-12 years-old will practice 7-on-7, working on skills and conditioning for football. The registration fee is $30. To sign up today or if you have any questions, contact Coach Fletcher at efletcher@stphilips.com.
St. Philip’s is Now Registering Teams for Spring Basketball League: We’re registering teams for Spring Basketball league. Ages 10u and 12u games will be held on Tuesdays and 6u and 8u games will be held on Thursdays starting April 13. Contact Coach Fletcher efletcher@stphilps.com or 214-205-0115 for more details and fees.
Congratulations to our Little Scholars!
These student athletes have demonstrated a commitment to success both in athletics and in academics by keeping a 90% GPA throughout the season. We want our athletes to not only work hard on the court, but in the classroom as well. Keep up the good work Saints! We want to send a special thank you to Ken Gilmer for donating 120 Letterman Jackets to the Athletic Department to recognize and encourage these awesome accomplishments.
Basketball and Cheer Athlete Scholars Show off their Letterman Jackets
IN THE NEWS: COVID-19's Impact on Students’ Academic and Mental Well-Being
The Advocacy Committee for Building Solutions for Brighter Futures hosted a fireside chat with Dr. Terry Flowers, The Perot Family Headmaster who is also part of the Advocacy Committee. The live, virtual panel focused on the growing impact of COVID-19, addressed its effect on students’ academics and mental well-being, and shared suggestions for what school leaders can do to drive equity in their communities.
Dr. Flowers' Words of Wisdom
Read Dr. Flowers’ latest blog entry! Enjoy this inspirational and thought-provoking blog informed by Dr. Flowers’ faith, ministry in education, and work in community development.

Beyond the Ball: Gaining STEM Skills through Sports, Gaming and Fashion
We are excited about a new virtual collaboration called Beyond the Ball (BTB). This program has three primary goals:
  • Leverage student interests in sports, gaming and fashion to increase their aptitude in STEM academic areas, and to elevate youth through innovative education and project-based learning. 
  • Collaborate with community stakeholders and corporate partners to introduce opportunity, social engagement and mentorship to targeted students.
  • Expose youth to exciting career pathways through meaningful interactions with the companies and brands they follow.
For this virtual pilot model, 100 students from Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago and New York will be recruited to form the 2021 BTB Cohort. Students will virtually collaborate on projects, provide peer-to-peer learning across campuses, and become united in their education and exploration journey. Stay tuned for more information.
Public Comment Requested for MLK Liquor Stores Big D Cut Rate & Good Price Liquors
Big D Cut Rate Beer & Wine and Good Price Liquors at 1405 and 1519 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd respectively, will be going before the Board of Adjustments in May to review their ability to continue to operate as liquors store in this neighborhood. We know that many of you have strong feelings about the activity that takes place at these liquor stores and their impact on our community. If you would like to give input or make a public comment, please reach out to Evan (James) Farrior james.farrior@dallascityhall.com by April 30th. He will be grateful for your testimony.
The Storehouse of Collin County Blesses Our Neighbors for Easter
We want to extend a big thank you to The Storehouse of Collin County for offering St. Philip’s 80 hams and 25-pound bags of produce that were left over from their recent distribution. We were blessed to deliver these items to our neighbors on Good Friday. Our neighbors were thrilled, and the Community Services team had a great time with the surprise Easter deliveries. We love the collaboration between our agencies in North and South Dallas. Thank you again to The Storehouse for this wonderful Easter blessing!
Aunt Bette's Community Pantry
Aunt Bette’s Community Pantry has a few volunteer slots available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:45am-11:15am. All volunteers must wear masks and gloves, maintain safe social distancing, and neighbors are required to wear masks upon arrival. Masks are provided for those without one. If you are interested in helping out, sign up here. Sign up to volunteer.
Pantry Volunteers in Action!
Jason Stefanides is one of our awesome, regular Monday Pantry volunteers. He checks the Signup Genius every weekend to see if help is needed. Jason has a fun, upbeat personality, and a heart for serving others. We often find him mentoring new volunteers through his experience and leadership. Jason hails from Maryland and has a background in logistics management. We are so appreciative of Jason’s commitment to Aunt Bette’s Community Pantry!
Mimoza Ahmeti is a wonderful Pantry volunteer who quietly and diligently works on any assignment given to her. She often is found bagging produce or building emergency boxes for the pantry. Mimoza is a night nurse who works in the operating room at a local Dallas hospital. She grew up in Carrollton and found St. Philip’s by googling volunteer opportunities. It is so helpful to have a blend of both new and experienced volunteers in the Pantry. Thank you, Mimoza!
Friends of St. Philip’s 
Friends of St. Philip’s looks forward to continuing to serve the South Dallas community as ambassadors for St. Philip’s School and Community Center. If you have not already done so, please join us in this effort by becoming a member or renewing your membership now. Your membership starting at $50, is valid through December 2021.
Join Our Team
We are currently hiring! We are seeking great talent to join our team. Do they have a Servant Heart? Are they Respectful, Trustworthy, Pursuing Excellence, Collaborative, and Dedicated? If these values stand true, send them to our website to learn more.
Current Job Opportunities: Educators: Preschool through 6th Grade | Community Development Coordinator (Part-Time) | Custodian - Facilities | Philanthropy Writer | Philanthropy Data Administrator (Entry Level)
Experience Feedback Box
We want to hear from you! We now have an anonymous form that can be submitted electronically to offer feedback regarding your experience, suggestions, or compliments.
How You Can Help
For those who have asked what you can do to support St. Philip’s – PRAY and DONATE. Our needs and that of those we serve continue and grow daily. You can make an online charitable donation here to support our families.
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