IMS Newsletter | Fall 2023
Welcome Back to School!

I am excited to welcome you to a new school year with Independence Mission Schools (IMS)! Whether you are brand new to our network or returning to us, I am so grateful that you are part of our family and part of our mission!
Getting our Students Ready for High School
DePaul Catholic alumna representing Little Flower High School for Girls
St. Thomas Aquinas alum representing Roman Catholic
The school year may have only just begun, but our High School Readiness Team hit the ground running to prepare our middle school students for their next steps beginning with hosting three High School Fairs at St. Raymond of Penafort, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Rose of Lima.

Additionally, High School Readiness Coordinators in each school have been helping 8th-grade students complete their high school applications and arranging high school presentations for our 7th and 8th-grade students. It has been great to have so many of our recent graduates come back to represent their new high schools!
The Future is Bright!
IMS Class of 2023 High School Selections
Senator Haywood Supports & Inspires DePaul Catholic

State Senator Art Haywood presented a check to The DePaul Catholic School to commemorate essential funding to preserve the former church building and renovate it into a multi-use space. A large part of his visit was spent engaging with the 8th-grade class, who listened attentively as Senator Haywood shared his story and asked him thoughtful questions. One student asked him to name the number one thing that kept him going and not giving up despite obstacles. His answer? "My belief in Jesus Christ". Thank you, Senator Haywood, for the inspiring visit and for your commitment to our schools!

IMS Teachers & Staff Recognized for Their Impact

This summer, our staff came together for two days of Professional Development to prepare for the 2023-24 school year. Our network PD kicked off with a Faith Formation Day to strengthen our faith lives and build a community that will nurture our individual and collective spiritual growth, so we are prepared to develop the strong minds and loving hearts of our students. We also presented the 2022-23 IMS Awards. Congratulations to all of our winners who were chosen for their outstanding contributions to their school communities and their impact on our students.

OMSSI Reveals New Playground

Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Ignatius Catholic School (OMSSI) unveiled its new playground on August 28th! We are so thankful to our OMSSI Advisory Council and the leadership donors who made this possible. The beautiful new playground is a welcome addition to the school and will play an important role in developing the social-emotional skills of our students.

 SMT Class of '20 Alumna is Philadelphia's
Newest Poet Laureate!

The future is bright for our St Martin of Tours Catholic School Alumna, Oyewumi Oyeniyi, who just became Philadelphia's newest Youth Poet Laureate at 17-years-old! Oyewumi is currently a senior at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, where she is a student journalist and mental health advocate. She has recently submitted college applications to Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University! We are so proud of her accomplishments and can't wait to see where the future takes her!

Staff Spotlight:
Beth Alfonsi, Chief of Staff

We are so excited to welcome Beth Alfonsi to our team! Beth brings over 20 years of experience to her role as Chief of Staff for IMS. Beth will oversee Finance, Human Resources, and Operations to support our 14 IMS schools, create alignment, and achieve our strategic plan.

Partnering with Notre Dame to Serve Our Latino Families
IMS is committed to finding new ways to serve our diverse school communities. Thanks to the generous support from the Connelly Foundation, IMS attended a three-day conference at The University of Notre Dame's Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI). Our team was composed of leaders from the Central Office and St. Rose of Lima.

Alumni Spotlight:
Kiera Scarbrough, St. Philomena '10

St. Philomena Catholic School Alumna, Kiera Scarbrough ’10, is the newly appointed Assistant Principal at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School. After attending Bonner Prendergast High School, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Neumann University with a BA and a Master of Science.
She said, "St. Philomena taught me how to live with JOY - Jesus first, others second, and yourself last."

Back to School Photos from Around the IMS Network!
A great turnout for Back to School Night at SS. Cyril & Philomena .
This studious little scholar is starting off the school year Malachy Strong!
St. Martin de Porres Pre-K students are all smiles.
Introducing St. Veronica's 8th Grade Class - the Class of 2024!
Msgr. Britto celebrated the opening of school Mass at St. Frances Cabrini .
Congratulations to all of our St. Helena-Incarnation students who made their sacrament of Confirmation!
Lots of learning happening at Holy Cross.
St. Barnabas students enjoying Philly Pretzels.
Calling All New Families!
Our application for the 2024/25 school year is now open to new families! We also have a limited number of seats for the current school year.

Current IMS families are eligible to receive a $500 tuition credit if they refer a new family! See flyer for details. Please encourage friends and neighbors to apply!

IMS will be at the Great Philly Schools 2023 K-12 Philly School Fair! Come by and see us (and tell your friends) to learn more about our 14 schools and register to win an Amazon Gift Card! The event is free, but you need a ticket to enter.

The Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia's 2024-2025
scholarship lottery application is live! Last year, over 600 IMS students were awarded scholarships totaling over $3M! Let's keep it going!

Our 14 Independence Mission Schools
  • St. Barnabas
  • SS. Cyril & Philomena
  • The DePaul Catholic School
  • St. Frances Cabrini
  • St. Helena-Incarnation
  • Holy Cross
  • St. Malachy
  • St. Martin de Porres
  • St. Martin of Tours
  • Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Ignatius of Loyola
  • St. Raymond of Penafort
  • St. Rose of Lima
  • St. Thomas Aquinas
  • St. Veronica