About Us

Welcome to Saint Laurentius School!

LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am delighted to introduce myself as the new principal of Saint Laurentius School. It is an honor to join such a dedicated and vibrant school community, and I am excited about the opportunities we have to work together to support the growth and development of our students.

I bring with me a background in education that spans over 20 years, with experience in both teaching and administration. My journey in education has been driven by a passion for creating a nurturing and stimulating learning environment where every student can thrive. I believe in the importance of fostering a strong partnership between home and school to ensure the success and well-being of our children.

At Saint Laurentius School, we are committed to providing a high-quality education that meets the diverse needs of our students. We will continue to focus on academic excellence, social-emotional learning, and creating a positive school culture. Our goal is to inspire students to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and compassionate individuals who are prepared to make meaningful contributions to society.

I am eager to get to know each of you and to hear your thoughts and aspirations for our school. I believe that open communication and collaboration are key to building a strong school community. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or ideas you may have. My door is always open, and I look forward to working with you to support your child’s educational journey.

I am excited about the year ahead and the many achievements and milestones we will celebrate together.

Warm regards,

Ms. Cynthia Campisi
Principal
St. Laurentius School
215-423-8834
1612 E. Berks Street
Philadelphia, PA 19125-2804

Mrs. Cynthia Campisi

ccampisi@stlaurentius.org

Our Mission

Every morning, our school community starts the day reciting our Mission Statement:

St. Laurentius School serves the children who are entrusted to our care by providing an interdisciplinary Catholic education that nurtures an informed moral character. Utilizing our collective resources, we provide opportunities for the formation of the whole child in a safe and caring environment that unites rigorous educational standards with an inquiry-based approach. We prepare our students to become globally engaged citizens.

We are firmly committed to educating the whole child:

mind, body & spirit.

Mind

We provide small class sizes which allows for individualized attention.

Not only do smaller class sizes afford more attention to each individual student, the smaller classes allow the students to develop better relationships with their fellow classmates and build community over the course of their time at SLS.

Our average Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten student to teacher ratio is 7:1
Our average student to teacher ratio in Grades 1-8 is 15:1 (compared to 33:1 for School District of Philadelphia)

Our school provides a strong academic foundation centered in our STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) with the intention of preparing our students for the unique and exciting challenges of the 21st century.

Our faculty offers a variety of inclusive and innovative teaching strategies in the classroom, such as project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and differentiation techniques designed to reach different types of learners.

Body

We believe in forming well-rounded students which is why we provide a diverse offering of in-school and after-school clubs, sports and activities. Through these offerings, we seek to develop student interest in the arts, athletics, and world language. Students have an opportunity to to grow their individual, God-given gifts while working together and practicing teamwork.

The following enrichment classes are included in weekly instruction: art, technology, music, Spanish, yoga and physical education.

Throughout the school year, St. Laurentius students regularly participate in the following after-school activities:

Catholic Youth Organization Sports

St Laurentius participates in the Philadelphia Archdiocese Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) programs. In addition to basketball, soccer and track, our students participate in community service projects on a monthly basis. Participation in sports increases self -confidence and teaches our young athletes the importance of teamwork, perseverance and sportsmanship.
Rock to the Future Organization

Rock to the Future’s music lessons are offered for the ukulele and the guitar. Currently only six Philadelphia area schools participate in the program.

Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership (PAEP)

PAEP offers visual and performing arts classes after-school for students in grades 5-8. Taught by professional Teaching Artists, SLS students have the opportunity to rotate through various music, art and theater classes. SLS is the only Catholic school in the Archdiocese to offer the PAEP After School Program.
Vetri Cooking Lab

Students learn practical cooking skills through a 10-week STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) curriculum-based, hands-on nutrition program.

Spirit

At the heart of Fishtown is St. Laurentius School, and at the heart of St. Laurentius School is our Catholic faith.

As a Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, St. Laurentius School instructs all students in Catholic teachings, values and the love of Jesus Christ.
Our virtues of honesty, reverence, faith, patience, charity, forgiveness, self-control and hope are woven into our STREAM curriculum. They permeate our school culture, routines and traditions.

Throughout the school year, St. Laurentius students regularly participate in:

Daily religion class
Holy Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation
Community feast days and liturgical events, such as Stations of the Cross and May Crowning of Mary

Daily prayer
Weekly school Mass at our school parish, Holy Name of Jesus Parish (701 Gaul Street)
Service opportunities in the Fishtown and greater Philadelphia community

STREAM

Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.

In the Spring of 2019, our school was selected to become a pilot in a new Archdiocesan initiative: STREAM.

STREAM is a framework for creative instruction and a method of teaching concepts across a variety of subjects using a unique interdisciplinary, comprehensive and collaborative educational approach. This curriculum prompts students to see their learning as something that is integrated across subject areas and to engage students in a lifelong love of learning.

The St. Laurentius School’s STREAM curriculum includes:

Opportunities for problem-solving and student-led inquiry

Integration across disciplines that nurture student creativity

Experiments that promote student collaboration

Access to state of the art technology including a 3D printer

Emphasis on becoming true global citizens

Our faculty and staff maintain an emphasis on continuing their education to discover new ways to bring the STREAM curriculum to life into our classrooms.

Over half of our teachers hold Master’s degrees. Our faculty and staff have received teaching awards from the Barnes Foundation, the Foundation for Catholic Education’s Catholic Schools Hall of Fame and the Alliance for Catholic Education through the University of Notre Dame.