Principal’s Corner

February 09, 2022          

IHM Community:

Catholic Schools Week started on Sunday, January 30, as it should, with a beautiful Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary celebrated by our new Parochial Vicar, Father Quan.  Eighth grader Camryn O’Connor wonderfully represented her class and the entire IHM student body with a speech at the end of Mass.  In her speech, Camryn summed up rather neatly why Catholic Schools work.  As she said, “Our faith always remains the center of our lives.”
In other words, we have our priorities straight.  We know what is important, and we order things accordingly.  And, with God, all things are possible.  According to some sources, the Philadelphia School District spends anywhere from $18,000-21,000 per student, per year.   And, of course, this is never enough.  I’m pretty convinced that all the money in the world will never be enough unless and until they let God back in their schools.  Nothing works without Him.
As of only a few weeks ago, we weren’t quite sure what Catholic Schools Week would look like with our post-Christmas Covid outbreak, but due to the efforts of two of our teachers in particular, Ashley Kapuscinski and Lauren Kemm , we were able to put together a great week for the kids and staff.  I really want to thank Ashley and Lauren not only for stepping up but also for doing an excellent job. 
As I mentioned above, we began our week at Mass by thanking and praising God and thanking the parish and IHM community for their steadfast support of the school.  We also took time to serve others by supporting two great charities, one benefitting the homeless in the city and the other supporting our troops who fight so that we can worship freely and attend the school of our choice.  We also honored our great nation and, as we celebrated another Mass together as a full-school community on Wednesday, we recognized our students for their practice of moral virtue.  We ended the week with an opportunity for parents to give back to our wonderful teachers by covering their classes so they could enjoy a rare lunch together.
At IHM, one way we give thanks to God is by serving others, and this February our Student Council is sponsoring a fundraiser for The Cenacle, a great partnership between Catholic Social Services, the Capuchin Friars at the Padre Pio Prayer Center in Frankford , and the Pro Life Union of Greater Philadelphia.  I had the chance to visit The Cenacle for the first time this past Saturday, and my hope is this program is only the first of many places just like it throughout the city.  They describe themselves as a Community-Based Culture of Life Initiative. If you would like to learn more or contribute, go to:  https://www.prolifeunion.org/the-cenacle
With God’s continued help, good things are happening at IHM.  I am happy to announce that we have hired Ms. Rose Welsh, who has done an excellent job as a long-term substitute, as one of our full-time Third Grade teachers.  She is a great addition to IHM, and I look forward to working with her for a long time to come.  I am also pleased to announce that we have hired Mrs. Michele DiPede, who brings with her an extensive background in both science and theology, as our new STREAM teacher.  (STREAM is the Catholic version of STEM where we incorporate Religion and Art into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program.)  Please check out our social media sites for some great pictures from Michele’s class. 
I want to again thank Father Casey and IHM Parish for generously supporting Immaculate Heart of Mary School, the parents for entrusting their children to us, our great Home and School organization, and all of our wonderful staff who ask for so little and give so much.  And, as always, I ask Mary, Our Mother, St. John Neumann, and St. John Baptist De La Salle to continue to intercede for us and to continue to protect our school.

Patrick Foley
Principal