Little Flower Family, you have KNOCKED ME OUT!
 
What more of a welcome could one President ask for than to have her first #GivingTuesday goal SHATTERED with an overall record amount of more than $80,000 collected and pledged, which is $23,000 over last year’s record.
 
There are so many people to thank, but first and foremost, we give our immense, collective gratitude to Margaret Joyce Hand ’52. Marge's love and dedication to improving and sustaining Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls was evidenced by her willingness to pledge a $30,000 matching gift to get us going. She knows the impact a high-quality, single-sex Catholic high school education had on her formation. She is intent to share her life success to make that happen for Little Flower students and staff to fulfill our destiny as the premier all girls’ school in Southeastern Pennsylvania. 
 
We thank our Advancement Team staff: Sr. Joan Ames, IHM, and Amy Steinmetz Carthy ’87, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes advancing the Little Flower mission and message. We thank Jessica O’Neill, our dedicated Administrator, who did all she could to keep up with the volume of donations – a VERY happy problem to have! We thank our dedicated donors who once again rallied to the cause to better the Little Flower student experience. We thank our new donors who have answered the call to make a difference for Little Flower.
 
I am convinced more than ever that we are positioned for great things. I am grateful that you are joining me on this journey to make Little Flower grow, thrive and sustain, like the beautiful rose she is.
 
In gratitude for #LiftingUsForward in the #SeasonofGiving,





Jeane M. McNamara
President
LEAD FEARLESSLY
From the Guidance Office:
College applications are in full swing and the Guidance Office is busy assisting seniors to navigate the application process. Little Flower's Board has offered to pay the application fee of any student who wants to apply to one additional reach school, over and above her current applications. Please see
Mrs. Sheridan in Guidance for more information.

For families interested in beginning their College Selection Process, check out the  Philadelphia Futures Website and their  Step Up to College Guide . This is a tremendous resource and worth the time to explore. 

Here are several college scholarship websites for your review: 






Here are a few summer opportunities to check out:

1. Governor’s School:    The Governor’s School is an extraordinary opportunity for gifted and talented students.     The Pennsylvania Department of Education is pleased to announce that the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University is now accepting applications from talented high school juniors for the summer 2019 program. PGSS is an intensive, five-week summer residential program, which emphasizes cooperative learning and hands-on laboratory research, for 56 talented high school juniors pursuing careers in science and mathematics. Completed applications must be emailed per instructions on the website   http://sciences.pa-gov-schools.org   no later than January 31, 2019

2.)  Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week : PFEW combines rigorous instruction with hands on experiences, providing participants with knowledge and skills needed to compete in the 21st century workforce. The 2019 application is now available. For more information visit  www.PFEW.org
ACADEMIC OFFICE
Any student who has an opening in the second semester and wishes to fill it with a JVLA course should consult Mr Rosbach in the Academic Office. The deadline for 2nd semester courses is January 10. 2019.

Progress reports will be distributed during homeroom on Wednesday, December 19.
COMMUNITY SERVICE CORPS (CSC)
This Thanksgiving season, we, the Community Service Corp., reflect on the volunteer work we were able to accomplish this year. We feel a surplus of gratitude toward our peers, teachers, staff, and administration who aided us in completing our service projects. Each month, CSC holds a community event and sets a goal that we would like to reach for a specific cause/organization. In the month of September, we organized the first service project of the year for the Little Flower community: peanut butter and jelly sandwich making. Students from each grade gathered in the library and participated in the sandwich making with the donations from our religion classes and bread from our faculty. This was a great time for underclassmen to be introduced to CSC events, and it was the perfect event to commence a year abundant in volunteer opportunities. The boxes of over 300 pb&j sandwiches made by the girls were given to Saint Francis Inn, where Little Flower volunteers to serve dinner twice a month.

During the month of October, CSC collected money through events intended to increase Breast Cancer awareness. We dedicated a week in October to selling Breast Cancer Awareness merchandise at our lunch periods, created a photo booth for girls to take pictures with their friends, and asked for a one dollar donation in exchange for the photos. CSC donated all the profits of those collections to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. October also marked the beginning of our monthly Cookies for A Cause. The newly elected representatives and officers prepared baked goods that were sold at the lunches and the money that was accumulated was added to our grand total. October was a month full of enthusiasm from students and teachers.

November, a month overflowing with thanksgiving and gratitude, focused on our annual Thanksgiving Drive. Each class was assigned a food to donate and given a quota to reach. At the start of the drive, it seemed as if we would not have enough food to donate to the families who needed our help. However, as the collection ended, it seemed as if a miracle had happened in our school- we had our very own Miracle of The Loaves and Fishes . Unexpectedly, there was a surplus of food that flooded our CSC room. Students across all grades responded to the desperate plea of our officers. Suddenly, the individual class goals didn’t matter, only the collective mission. When the Little Flower community heard that CSC was in need of food for our baskets, the abundant amount of items donated manifested the true spirit of giving that is alive each day in our classrooms and corridors. We were able to feed twenty-eight families due to the kindness of all who call Little Flower “home”.

In addition to our physical donations students also volunteered their time to serve others. On Sunday, November 18 Our Lady of Hope parish hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for their community members. 
Sr Mary Catherine Manley, SSJ, the event organizer, reached out to Little Flower for help again this year stating the event “hosts about 400 of our neighbors who come to enjoy a ‘family’ meal with us. Most of these people have no one with whom to celebrate.” Naturally, our students filled the sign-up sheet within days and all attendees said it was a wonderful experience.
     
The members of the Community Service Corp. are always grateful for the generosity demonstrated by our school community. We understand that our peers endure struggles and hardships of their own, yet they always find it in their hearts to share their good fortunes, however limited, with others. The essence of Little Flower is defined by our determination to live out St. Therese’s “little way”, and every day this community displays that very nature by donating to and participating in CSC’s various causes and events. As December approaches, CSC is looking forward to Operation Santa Claus. Please stay tuned for ways you can make a difference
FINANCE OFFICE
TUITION REMINDER
Families are reminded that it is the official policy of the Office of Catholic Education / Educational Financial Services that students who are more than 90 days delinquent in payment at the midyear point must be removed from the school rolls. If you have any questions about tuition payments or enrolling in the FACTS payment system, please contact Mrs. Celeste Foley, our Tuition Officer at cfoley@lfchs.org or extension 151. 

Know that we are committed to working with you. We want to fully partner with you to work through difficulties so that there are no interruptions to your daughter’s education.   
ADMISSIONS OFFICE
Shadowing for 8th graders continues! Tell everyone you know to come spend the day and see how special Little Flower is! Call Sister Ellen at 215-455-6900 extension 152 to schedule a day for an 8th grader you know will benefit from the experience.

Reminder to all parents : It is time to apply to FACTS for the 2019-2020 year!
 All families needing tuition assistance must apply each year.
Go to  https://online.factsmgt.com/aid  to apply. The fee is $30, payable by debit/credit card.
PARENTS: PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST RE-APPLY

MAKING LITTLE FLOWER AFFORDABLE
The FACTS aid application has opened! All families who receive tuition assistance from Little Flower must apply to FACTS each year. You can login using your information from last year. The fee is $30 to apply, payable by credit/debit card. Any applications for tuition assistance made to FACTS by December 31, 2018 will receive tuition assistance award letters by January 23, 2019. FACTS link  https://online.factsmgt.com/aid

REBATE
Families with students in more than one school within the Philadelphia Archdiocesan High Schools, who have paid FACTS administrative fee at each school, are eligible for a rebate of the fee paid for the younger student(s) account. To claim this rebate, please complete and return this form to the Tuition Officer.
Lavishing in Fashion
The Flossie Shop is getting in the holiday spirit. We are so excited about our new LF merchandise and we want everyone to have a chance to go shopping so we'll be open extra hours during upcoming special events.

Flossie Contest
The Flossie Shop has teamed up with the Business Class to work on a special project. The school store has asked the business students to come up with a plan to advertise, promote, and market an “Christmas Sweatshirt Design“ contest. The contest is open to all students. The winning design will be put on a sweatshirt and sold in our store and online. The proceeds from this project will go towards a new water filtration system in our school. 

FLOSSIE SHOP HOURS FOR UPCOMING EVENTS:

HOME AND SCHOOL MEETING 
Tuesday, December 4th...
Open for 1 hour IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING
OUR 7pm MEETING
GRANDPARENTS DAY ( GRADES 9 & 12 )
Thursday, December 6th

MUSICAL WEEKEND:
Friday, December 7th 6:00pm - 9:30pm
Saturday, December 8th 6:00pm - 9:30pm
Sunday, December 9th 1:00pm - 4:00pm

GRANDPARENTS DAY (GRADES 10 & 11)
Thursday, December 13th

CHRISTMAS CONCERT 
Sunday, December 16th
1:00pm - 4:00pm
LEARN FERVENTLY
Little Flower's Music Department offers weekly music lessons both in and out of the music programs. Any student interested in learning or continuing an instrument (percussion, brass, woodwinds, strings) may take a weekly lesson with a private instructor! The fee is $100 for the entire year; this covers the cost of instrument rental, books, music, supplies, etc.

For more info, please email Jessica O'Neill at joneill@lfchs.org
SeaGlide
Would you like to learn how to write computer code or construct an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)?Ask the four LF students who spent two full days at Temple University preparing for the SeaGlide competition that will be held this coming March 10.
On Friday and Saturday, November 16th and 17th, two full days of intense training resulted in successful coding of the dive cycle programmed into the Arduino mini board that will remotely drive the AUV, while in another room the electrical circuitry and actual AUV was constructed.
Our student engineers were An Nguyen, Grace Matthews, Olivia Pisacano, and Aviance Vazquez, accompanied by their teachers, Mrs. Carol Pisacano and Mrs. Sharon Cornwall. Our students have become expert solderers in the process and excellent troubleshooters as they work to improve their design to make their vehicle competitive for the challenge on March 10.

The LF community is grateful to the Navy and Temple University for the engineers and resources that made this experience possible!
Freshman Class Trip to Reading Terminal and Penn Museum

The Freshman Class ventured on a field trip on Wednesday, November 27th, that was sponsored by their World History teachers, Mr. Horsey and Mrs. Murray. The day started with a stop at the Reading Terminal Market, where they engaged in a scavenger hunt, to find foods and goods associated with the Ancient World. Of course, they enjoyed a variety of food from many different cultures, while on this journey! The class, then, traveled to the Penn Museum (of Archaeology and Anthropology) where they explored and observed the collection of ancient artifacts that were on display there, including Egyptian mummies, Roman jewelry, and Greek vases. It was a great day and learning experience for all!

LIVE FULLY

The Addams Family Musical - Student Edition
December 7,8, and 9, 2018

Save the date! Tickets go on sale Black Friday, November 23! More information to follow.
Call 215-455-6900, extension 140, for more information or visit our website at http://littleflowermusical.weebly.com/
Grandparents' Day:
  • December 6: Grandparents of Grade 9 & 12 are invited to a preview of Addams Family Musical School Edition.  Invites were mailed. If your grandparent did not receive an invite, please stop by Mrs. Quinn's Office.
  • December 13:   Grandparents of Grade 10 & 11 are invited to a preview of our fabulous Little Flower Christmas Concert Invites were mailed. If your grandparent did not receive an invite, please stop by Mrs. Quinn's Office on Monday, December 3.
STUDENT AFFAIRS OFFICE

TUPPERWARE FUNDRAISER!
Thank you for your Tupperware orders! Orders will be delivered on Wednesday, December 5 – just in time for Christmas! Any questions please call extension 141.
Thank you for your support!!
SENIORS! ONE LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE A SENIOR SWEATER!
Now that you've seen how nice the senior sweaters are, if you didn't order one, now is your opportunity. Stop by the Student Affairs Office and pick up an order form. You can add it to your Christmas list!
Orders are due by December 3, 2018. 
SPIRIT DAY! - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2018 
The entire school community celebrated Spirit Day on Wednesday, November 21. The day began with class and faculty skits and continued in the gym with games and performances by our LF Cheerleaders. As you can see a FUN time was had by all!
HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
Our next General Home and School Meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 4th at 7:00pm.  
Please check here weekly for any Home and School updates. If you ever have any questions, comments, and or concerns please feel free to contact Stacy Vivino at  svivino@lfchs.org

The Flossie Shop will be open for one hour following the meeting!
Where in the World Will You Go?
Mikki Ryan McIntyre, '97, and her new travel agency, Cruise Planners have donated a $4,000 gift certificate to travel by air, land or sea anywhere in the world! Chances will be sold throughout the school year at school, by mail, online and at our many alumnae events.

$15 per chance
$25 for two chances
Online payment will be available soon.

Drawing will be at SummerFest July 6, 2019 at Keenan's North Wildwood as part of our
80th Anniversary Celebration!

Love Faithfully
Do you pay Pennsylvania taxes?
Would you rather send your hard-earned tax money to Harrisburg or straight through these doors?
Pennsylvania Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) allow individuals and businesses to direct your PA tax money to scholarships for Little Flower students. If you or someone you know has a PA tax liability of $5,000 or more, you are missing an opportunity to get back $.90 for every $1.00 donated.

Find out how you or someone you know can redirect hard-earned tax dollars to Little Flower! Contact Amy Steinmetz Carthy '87
October through April: Shadow a Little Flower Student
Tuesday, December 4, 2018: Home and School Meeting 7 pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, December 7, 8 & 9: The Addams Family - School Edition .
Tickets went on sale Black Friday, November 23.
Wednesday, December 12: Faculty Professional Development Day STUDENTS DO NOT REPORT
Friday, December 14: 12:00 Noon Dismissal
Sunday, December 16: Christmas Concert 2:30pm
Friday, December 21: Christmas Colors Day Dismissal 11:00 am
Thursday, January 3, 2019: Classes resume