St. Francis High School Admissions Newsletter-2/15/2023

Welcome Class of 2027!

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“Let us always and everywhere cling to our faith and believe humbly and firmly all that it teaches.”

Saint Francis of Assisi

Welcome

Love Lives Here, and It’s the Beginning of More College Prep Success

Love lives here at St. Francis High School. It’s central to the Franciscan virtues that anchor this community and lift up every student. Every day. Beginning with the words love, pardon, hope, light. The words of the Prayer of Saint Francis.

We say this prayer every morning. Students, teachers, staff, together. No matter what the day holds, each morning offers a moment to pivot. And when we miss the mark, the next morning brings a new chance to try again.

The language itself is powerful, giving students a vocabulary of love. Just words that begin on the tongue? Maybe. But maybe they are exhaled as charity. Giving to give, through kind hearts and helping hands. Opening channels of grace so we can become instruments of peace.

Each day we try again. To love more, pardon more, hope more, offer more light.

The St. Francis High School College Prep experience is a constant call to the beginning of more. More of the Franciscan virtues that, in turn, inspire students to dig deeper, reach out, do their best, succeed, and try to show more love, to others as well as their teenage selves.

Authentic love. Every day. Illuminated by the example of Saint Francis, the light of Christ, and the eternal wisdom of the gospel. It’s woven delicately into teachers’ classroom environments. Love lives here, then radiates out, like the song of the sun. To our communities. To the college campuses where students land. To their workplaces, their families, and the world they affect. Acknowledging each person's inherent dignity. With more love, pardon, hope, and light.

To find the beginning of more for your student’s college prep experience, schedule your child’s shadow visit or join me for an admissions meeting to discuss your questions. I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Maureen Isphording, Director of Admissions

Only at St. Francis High School

Experience the SFHS difference, which offers distinct advantages that provide students with a well-rounded education to prepare them for a successful future.

THIS ISSUE’S FEATURE:

The SFHS COLLEGE PREP Difference:

What Does College Prep Mean for Your Child?

Highest quality coursework, strategic guidance, and academics planned with college in mind. These are some hallmarks of the college prep difference at SFHS, where opportunity allows students to reach their personal goals. Below are a list of top 10 college prep benefits along with insights from Director of Counseling Bridget Buckley.

Ten Academic Benefits of the SFHS College Prep Path:

Smart academic structure planned with college in mind.
Highest quality coursework and standards.
Strategic guidance starting freshman year.
Highly trained counselors and low student: counselor ratio.
Wide ranging services, programming, and support that exceeds guidance norms.
Personal attention, resources, and support.
18 AP classes beginning sophomore year.
Opportunity to take highest level classes where you excel and trend upward without tracking.
Invested teachers.
In-school leadership opportunities.

“What Does SFHS College Prep Mean” to Director of Counseling Bridget Buckley:

Short for college preparatory, college prep is, in essence, an educational institution specifically designed to prepare students for college and get them into some of the best universities/programs in the country. And not just to get in, but to thrive once they are there.

College prep schools tend to deeply value college education and feel it is one of the keys to personal and professional success. This creates a focus on teaching students what they will need to excel in college. Most, if not all, college prep students will go on to pursue higher education.

Main differences between college prep schools and high schools include, but are not limited to:

Curriculum

Our curriculum is built to allow our students to succeed in college (and beyond college).
Our coursework itself is elevated.

Expectations

We hold our students to very high standards. Our standards are not only high in terms of material, assessment, and assignments. Our standards are high for students as young adults.
We help students learn practical skills to advocate for themselves and expect that they utilize those skills.
We support students in the pursuit of their goals by allowing them to not only recognize and use their strengths, but to recognize and address their weaknesses. We help them set lofty yet attainable goals for their futures.

Career & College Counseling

We begin college and career counseling at the beginning of the students’ high school careers.
We utilize interest inventories, along with aptitude and learning assessments, to help students find where their natural abilities and interests overlap.
We help students discover areas where they need to do some work to improve, because students should never rule out a career option because of lack of education about a specific area or because of a perceived weakness.
We use all of this information as we support our students through their college search and application process.
Students select the colleges that are the best fit for them, based on what their values are in a college or university. We help them with the knowledge and information necessary to make the right decision for themselves.

There are many advantages to our college prep community. Going to SFHS helps prepare students for higher education. Lessons learned, classes taken, and the skills developed allows our students to be competitive in the college application process. Not to mention, our students will have support along the way.

"I Am St. Francis"

The Student Perspective:

What does COLLEGE PREP at SFHS mean to you?

Amari T. ’23

“College Prep is an elevated standard. When I’m doing well, I feel prouder and more confident. I’m surrounded by people who hold me to higher standards. Because of the variety of courses, I have been able to choose my own academic path. Like what college will be, I can take harder classes in the subjects I feel more confident in, which is unique. There is not a set schedule. Students can have a mixture of classes based on what you are interested in.”

Luke A. ’23

“To me, college prep means preparing for the opportunity to succeed in college. I feel ready because of the classes I have taken, my teacher's support, and the academic rigor I have grown accustomed to. Business classes like Marketing Management, Honors Econ, and Consumer Ed have helped give me an understanding of what business is and inspired me to pursue that as a major in college.”

Lani W. ’23

“The classes at St. Francis are made to challenge you and encourage you to ask questions. This is an environment where you feel comfortable to speak up. Math is a good example. Oftentimes there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Teachers are willing to re-work problems so you can see it from your learning style. They don’t force one style of teaching and learning. Also, I have a competitive edge for next year because I know how to advocate for myself.”