Christian Education

AT A GLANCE: CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Our school currently serves over 200 students in grades PreK2-6th (ages 2-12) who benefit from St. Philip’s rigorous, nurturing, and dynamic Christian-based education.

Reading is ESSENTIAL at St. Philip’s

English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) is essential in developing the whole child and a successful student at St. Philip’s. All of our students begin the first fifteen minutes of their day in school with Drop Everything and Read or D.E.A.R. time: Students read to each other. Teachers, parents, or volunteers read aloud to students. This is story time extended well beyond the library!

“I love that we are fostering a love for reading in our students through D.E.A.R. time and novel study, which now begins in First Grade,” shares George T. Lee Jr. Principal, Kellee Murrell. “Kids who always have a book in hand, do well. Period.”

There is not only academic but also personal value that comes with reading. Once students develop a heart and passion for reading, studies show that not only do their creativity, imagination, and predictive and critical thinking skills surge, but so do their interactions with the world.

Every classroom at St. Philip’s is equipped with more than textbooks. Our students are even encouraged to bring their own books for D.E.A.R. time, and it is an expectation that our parents read to and with their children at home. This year, St. Philip’s incorporated a “literacy circle” in the After School Care program - another testament to the cultivation and value of reading at St. Philip’s School & Community Center.

Kids who always have a book in hand, do well. Period.

Oh, the Places We Go!

Learning does not have to be limited to a building. For years, St. Philip’s has modeled itself as a school without walls. One often finds our students and faculty in our gym, our hallways, and outdoors engaged in an innovative math, science, or Spanish lesson. Our annual academic excursions take this concept a lot further and prove to be a unique aspect to elementary school education.

Beginning in Early Childhood, our tiniest scholars grow accustomed to fun outings with their classmates, teachers, and parent volunteers to area museums, theaters, pumpkin patches, and more. By First Grade, the excursions begin to expand into overnight and out of town trips, each a culmination of a specific part of the grade level’s curriculum.

First Graders take an in-depth Tour of Dallas and visit Dinosaur World in Glen Rose, while Second Grade students visit NASA in Houston. Sky Ranch brings science, history, and the wilderness to life for our Third Grade students, whereas Fourth Graders experience Texas History in enriching ways through a weekend spent at Wolf Run, and a two-day trip to San Antonio and our state capital, Austin. Finally, our students look forward to their last two years at St. Philip’s for the long-awaited week long Civil Rights Tour across the southern United States, and the Grand Canyon excursion, during which students begin to prepare themselves for life after St. Philip’s. We do not take these academic excursions for granted, knowing that many children are not afforded these opportunities. Excursions can be costly, but given their alignment with our curriculum and all the wonderful benefits provided by “out-of-school learning” - including independence and problem-solving - St. Philip’s will ensure its academic excursions continue for years to come.

Tuition Assistance Program Helps Families Thrive

A St. Philip’s education is valued by many because of its holistic approach to teaching, learning, and human development. We strive to provide each student with exceptional academic, cultural, spiritual, and service learning experiences. By doing so, we prepare children to walk confidently on the road God has paved specifically for them, so that they might be positive lights of transformation in our community and the world.

However, a St. Philip’s education is also out of reach for many families because it is tuition-based, and 90% of our families are first-generation private school bound. The Tuition Assistance program ensures our most vulnerable families are equipped to “Say YES!” to a St. Philip’s education for their child(ren). This school year, donors helped to distribute over $450,000 in Tuition Assistance to 65% of St. Philip’s families!

St. Philip’s is sincerely grateful to the following partners and friends for their compassionate and generous support of our Tuition Assistance program:

Capital for Kids Doherty Foundation Esping Family Foundation The Crystal Charity Ball The Eugene McDermott Foundation The Rees-Jones Foundation

FUND A FAMILY NEXT SCHOOL YEAR and you can be the transformation in the lives of students.

For details, visit www.stphilips1600.org/donate/family.cfm, or contact Anyika McMillan-Herod, Sr. Director of Philanthropy at aherod@stphilips.com or 214.421.5221 ext. 238.

A Word From The Community Center Director

The Community Center continues its mission to serve the community we call home. This spring, we were excited to conduct a comprehensive door-to-door community survey developed by students of SMU’s Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity. The survey will help St. Philip’s assess the current needs of its neighbors and social service programs.

The Center was abuzz in recent months with its annual spring programs: The Senior Prom that served approximately 100 senior citizens, Mother’s Day Store, and Girl’s Night Out mentoring activities. Our monthly community meetings continue to keep our neighbors informed of pending developments, issues, and other plans in the southern sector, while giving them a platform to provide input and influence neighborhood transformation.

St. Philip’s has benefited tremendously from its community partnership with Top Ladies of Distinction, a national educational and service organization dedicated to developing youth and improving the status of women and senior citizens. Their increased involvement helped make this year’s Parent University, Fancy Hat Tea Party, Oratorical Contest, and our campus beautification projects a success.

In April, St. Philip’s was honored to host TAX MADNESS, a free day of community tax workshops, tax prep, and children’s activities for the South Dallas community. “The tax service provided at St. Philip’s was a huge blessing for me,” shared one client. “The tax preparers were knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I hope more people will take advantage of this free service.” This program, provided in partnership with the City of Dallas, Community Tax Center, IRS, State Fair of Texas, and the United Way, proved to meet a crucial need for many in the community.

In service,

LaSheryl Walker